Prepare for Convocation

Pre-Ceremony Checklist

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

Review Your Ceremony Invitation

Once you receive your invitation, 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.  

As individual email setting may vary, please be sure to check your spam/junk folders and inbox focused filters and settings.

If you do not attend your ceremony, you will receive instructions through 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 by courier (at a cost).

Attendance Fee, Student Ticket & Regalia

Use the link found in your ceremony invitation to claim your Student & Guest Ticket package.  You must use your name as it appears in LORIS and your @mylaurier.ca email address to complete this process.  The package includes; a student ticket, 2 guest tickets, is confirmation of your attenance and regalia rental. The attendance fees for 2023 are; 

• Undergraduate and Master's regalia (gown and hood) - $57.54 + HST
• PhD regalia (gown, hood and cap) - $162.21 + HST

You must present your Student 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.

Students must take action to claim their student & guest ticket package before the end of Round 1 on May 9 11:59 p.m. ET to be be guaranteed guest tickets.

Additional guest tickets may be available on a first-come, first-served basis in Round 2 (limits will apply). Information regarding Round 2 will be emailed to graduates in the days following the close of Round 1. The number available per order will be what has been allotted per graduate.

Student tickets will continue to be available in Round 2, if not already claimed.

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  At this time there will be a final release of all unclaimed and rescinded tickets.

Similar to Round 2, a message will be sent to mylaurier email accounts and tickets will be available first come, first served (limits will apply).

Make sure you provide your guests their tickets for admission into the auditorium. Find 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 your checklist of what to do on the day of your ceremony: 

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 parting 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, or our Brantford Parking Map for a view of all parking lot locations.

Arrive Early

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

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

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

• check-in and
• 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.  

Do not discard your ticket as this will be used for regalia return. 

Covid Policies

Attendees must adhere to Wilfrid Laurier University's COVID-19 policies at the time of the event. Information on policies will be updated on the website.

Consent to Photography and Video

Participants in Laurier's convocation cereonies 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.