Information for guests

Convocation day.

Family at Convocation.

Are you attending convocation to support a graduand? Please review the information below. 

Venue & Seating

UVic convocation ceremonies take place in the Jamie Cassels Centre Farquhar Auditorium.

The auditorium opens for seating one hour before each ceremony. Accessible seating is available upon request; graduating students can note special seating requirements of their guests when registering online for convocation.

Tickets

Graduating students can reserve when they register to attend the ceremony. Tickets are emailed to the students closer to the ceremony date. 

  • Due to fire-code regulations, every guest must have a ticket (including babies).
  • Graduands participating in their Convocation ceremony do not require a ticket.
  • Your guest tickets will be sent electronically to the email address you provide in your registration closer to the date of your ceremony.

Additional guests

Extra tickets, for each Convocation ceremony, will be released one hour before the start of that ceremony on a first-come, first-served basis at the UVic Ticket Centre in the lobby of the Jamie Cassels Centre. One ticket will be provided per person in line. To be fair to all graduands we do not issue extra tickets ahead of time.

If you're not able to get extra tickets for your additional guests, they'll be able to watch the ceremony on a live feed in the lobby of the Jamie Cassels Centre.

Family and friends can watch the live webcast or view a recording at a later date.

Parking

Parking is complimentary for graduating students and their guests. Parking passes are emailed with guest tickets in advance of the ceremonies. Parking demand is high during Convocation. All lots are busy so please ensure you leave ample time to find a parking space.

Note: Complimentary parking does not include meters, "reserved" spots or the  Jamie Cassels Centre parkade.

Alumni celebration (after the ceremony)

All attending grads and their guests are invited to stop by Mystic Market following the ceremony for a celebration and official welcome to the UVic Alumni Association.

There will be photo booths, giveaways, grad merchandise and diploma frames available for purchase, and more! Flowers are available to purchase on the day or in advance. 

Health & Safety

The health and safety of our university community and our visitors is a top priority. As such, UVic follows the public health guidelines set out by the BC Provincial Health Officer (PHO) and WorkSafe BC.

We Share the Air! Please help make Convocation a fragrance-free environment.

For the health and comfort of other graduates and guests, please do not use products with scents or fragrances (e.g. colognes, perfumes, cosmetics, anti-perspirants, lotions, etc. or other products with a distinct scent or fragrance). These products impact the health of some individuals.

For more information, including steps to address concerns with scented products, please review the Scent safety guidelines.