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President: Sunderland's update on the summer graduations.

Thursday 21-05-2026 - 11:21

President: Sunderland's update on the Summer graduations

By President: Sunderland, Ade Adeoye

Graduation should be something that students look forward to after a lot of hard work and the sacrifices they have made to undertake their studies. It is expected that students who wish to attend a graduation ceremony can do so and bring guests with them, and that the process of obtaining tickets is fair and straightforward. However, for some students graduating this summer, the last month has been stressful due to being placed on waitlists and being unsure whether family and friends can attend. This has added unnecessary stress to an already tense time.

I have heard directly from many students who have been personally impacted, as well as from their friends, family, and lecturers. Almost 500 people have signed the petition initiated by one of our Course Reps, Megan Howick. The student voice has been clear about what you want to see happen to rectify the situation. I have been in close communication with the team who deliver graduations and have spoken directly to the Vice-Chancellor to share students’ concerns and explore solutions.

Student feedback has been resounding: you want to graduate alongside your cohort and be able to bring at least two guests each to share the moment. Given the size of the Fire Station (450 seats) and the time available to resolve the situation, unfortunately some cohorts will have to be split across multiple ceremonies. Therefore, I have emphasised that, if a cohort must be split, it should be kept in groups so that students still feel part of their academic community.

In addition, I have asked the University for an apology to those impacted and for clear communication about what is being done to resolve the situation. I have also pushed for free guest tickets for students and suggested graduation celebration events to enable cohorts to celebrate together at the same time, to help make things right for those affected.

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The University has taken the following action

All graduating students have been contacted to explain the situation and solution.

An additional ceremony has been added to increase capacity across the graduation period, ensuring that all students on waitlists will be able to graduate.

Students have been asked to volunteer to move to additional graduation ceremonies and will receive two free guest tickets (usually £27 each), as well as a shopping voucher, for doing so.

It is positive that all students who wish to attend a graduation ceremony will be able to do so this summer. However, I recognise that the University’s communication last Thursday was not well received by students. For some, the proposed solution has been perceived as a further setback, particularly as financial compensation is limited to those who change ceremonies, and there remains the possibility that students may still be separated from their cohort.

Latest updates

I met again with the graduation team this week to share student feedback regarding the solution emailed last week and the tone in which it was communicated. As a result, I can confirm the following:

 

A sincere apology will be sent to all graduating students regarding the situation, acknowledging the impact it has had on many.

All students currently on a waitlist for graduation this summer will be allocated to a ceremony, grouped with their cohort where possible.

The graduation team will do their best to group students who have volunteered to move ceremonies together with others from their cohort, although this cannot be guaranteed.

Once all ceremony allocations have been confirmed, full information on timings and tickets will be sent out.

I would like to hear from students who have been impacted if there is anything else you feel should be done to make the situation right for you this summer, so that you can have a great experience and create lasting memories. The venue cannot be changed at this stage, but what else do you think the University could do?

I also want to highlight the Students’ Union’s Student Communities Fund, which any current student can apply to in order to organise a community-building event. I encourage all students to apply for financial and staff support to put on an end-of-year celebration for your course Finance and Funding @ University of Sunderland Students' Union, applications close 30 June 2026.

Moving forwards

It is clear from student feedback that many would value the ability to invite up to five guests to their ceremony. This needs to be factored into venue capacity, alongside accessibility requirements and ensuring that all eligible students can attend a ceremony alongside the peers they have shared their student journey with. The Fire Station can accommodate around 150 graduating students in one ceremony (plus 300 guests), and some cohorts alone exceed this capacity by 150%. I will continue to emphasise that students’ sense of belonging to their course is important right up to the end of their journey at graduation, and that cohorts should graduate together wherever possible.

I do not want students to face this situation again next summer, so I will continue to advocate for greater student involvement in graduation planning. This includes ensuring that three students (one from each faculty) due to graduate in summer 2027 are included in the working group, and similarly for winter graduations. If you would be interested in taking part in the working group for future graduations, please get in touch at: yourcommunities@sunderland.ac.uk.

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