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Prepare for Convocation

Pre-Ceremony Checklist

Once you received your invitation, now what? Here's your pre-ceremony checklist:

Review Your Ceremony Invitation

You'll receive an invitation to attend convocation in late August. As individual email settings may vary, please be sure to check your spam/junk folders and inbox focused filters and settings. 

Use the link to in the ceremony invitation to let us know if you'll be attending or not. Once confirmed, you'll receive an email with a link to the convocation portal - here is where you will pay for your Graduate Ticket (attendance fee and regalia rental) and claim guest tickets. 

If circumstances change and you do not attend your ceremony, you will receive instructions to your mylaurier.ca email on how to receive your degree the week after ceremonies are complete. You will be able to pick up your degree or receive it by courier (at a cost).

Attendance Fee, Student Ticket and Regalia

Access the Convocation Eventbrite page using the link provided in the registration confirmation email. You must use your name as it appears in LORIS and your @mylaurier.ca email address to complete a transaction providing payment for the Graduate Ticket and claim your Guest Tickets. The Graduate Ticket is confirmation of your attendance and includes the attendance fee and cost of regalia rental. The fees for 2023 are:

  • Undergrad/Masters: Attendance fee ($26.04) + Regalia rental ($31.50 + HST) = $61.65 
  • PhD: Attendance fee ($26.04) + PhD Regalia rental ($120.50 + HST) = $162.21 

Thoroughly review the details including the ceremony date and time, ensuring it matches the information in LORIS. Tickets are only valid for the date and time noted on them and are non-refundable. Claiming tickets to the wrong ceremony may result in additional fees or no guest tickets.  

You must present your Graduate Ticket as proof of payment to collect your regalia the day of your ceremony. 

Ceremony Guest Tickets

Guest tickets are required for all ceremonies and can only be claimed by the graduate.

We know how important it is for graduates and loved ones to celebrate at convocation.  That is why we use a multi-round distribution system that ensures graduates have equal opportunity to claim guest tickets. Additionally, we make every effort to fill each available seat for guests to join the celebration.

Round One: Upon completing the form, graduates receive a link to the Convocation Eventbrite page where they complete a transaction to provide payment of the Graduate Ticket and claim guest tickets.
Guest tickets are no longer guaranteed after the stated deadline.

Round Two: In the days following the close of Round One, staff will evaluate the availability of unclaimed tickets based on graduate participation and the number of guest tickets claimed to date.  Information about a second release of guest tickets will be sent to mylaurier email accounts to those who have completed a transaction in Eventbrite. Graduate tickets continue to be available in Round Two, though guest tickets are no longer guaranteed.

Be sure to read the details provided in the communications and posted to the Convocation Eventbrite page carefully as deadlines and restrictions apply.

Final Round: Staff will conduct a review of all ticket orders approximately one week before ceremonies. At this time, there will be a final release of all available unclaimed tickets. Similar to Round Two, a message will be sent to mylaurier email accounts. 

Please do not submit email requests for additional tickets.

Graduates with guests traveling internationally should consult the information posted by Laurier International about Temporary Resident Visas. 

Guests without tickets are welcome to campus to celebrate with you and can watch a live stream of the ceremony from a viewing room or any of the campus televisions.

Each guest should have their own printed or electronic ticket available for admission. Be sure to review  guest information for your ceremony. 

Indigenous Graduates

Indigenous graduates who have completed the Indigenous Identity Verification Process can wear Indigenous attire (First Nations, Métis, Inuit), instead of a black gown to their convocation ceremony. 

Indigenous graduates who have completed the Indigenous Identity Verification Process, will also receive a stole from the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. In order to receive your stole, and to let us know that you are wearing traditional regalia, please complete the Indigenous Identity Verification Process and the Indigenous Graduates form. 

For more information on convocation services for Indigenous students please visit Indigenous Student Services. 

Day of Ceremony Information

Here's a look at what do expect on the day of your ceremony: 

What to Wear

What you wear is up to you! All gradautes, other than those who complete the Indigenous Identity Verification Process, wear a robe during the ceremony. We strongly encourage careful consideration in selecting footwear as you will spend a considerable amount of time standing and walking leading up to and during the ceremony. No pins, sashes, or accessories may be worn over the robe.

Parking

For Waterloo, complimentary parking is available in the parking lots closest to Lazaridis Hall in our white and gold parking lots. Please note the reserved spots within these lots are not available. Our staff and attendants will be on site to assist and direct you and your guests to available parking lots. Accessible parking is available in the parking lots closest to Lazaridis Hall for graduates and guests who have requested it. Please refer to the Waterloo Campus Parking Map for further information on where to park.

For Brantford, there are a number of private and public parking lots available within walking distance of the Sanderson Centre. Visit the City of Brantford website for more information about municipal lots and street parking, including time limits.

Arrive Early

For Waterloo, arrive at Lazaridis Hall 60 minutes early to:

  • check-in
  • pick-up your regalia on the third floor

For Brantford, arrive at One Market (Dalhousie & Market Street entrance) 90 minutes early to:

  • check-in
  • pick up your regalia
  • As part of a Brantford campus tradition, graduates are led by the academic procession through the downtown campus district to the Sanderson Centre.  We strongly encourage appropriate footwear for this approximately 15-minute parade march

Pick Up Your Regalia

Show your student ticket, either printed or electronically, as proof of payment for the attendance fee and regalia rental. Regalia is available for all body types. Do not discard your ticket as this will be used for regalia return.

During the Ceremony

Convocation Marshals will provide pre-ceremony instructions and guide you through the ceremony to help you enjoy the event! 

Consent to Photography and Video

Participants in Laurier's convocation ceremonies are consenting to Wilfrid Laurier University recording, altering, broadcasting, reproducing and using their visual and/or aural likeness from any still images, video recordings and/or audio recordings, in any medium, for any purpose, for perpetuity. Wilfrid Laurier University is the copyright owner of the recorded materials, and reserves all rights.