Before the Ceremony
Convocation Ceremony
While the Convocation schedule is available online, please check with your graduand for the specific date and time of the ceremony. The Convocation, which lasts approximately 75 minutes, will be held in the Fieldhouse which is part of the Carleton Athletics complex.
View the Campus Map with Parking Information (PDF, 4 MB)
Tickets for Guests
There are no tickets issued for Carleton’s Convocation ceremonies. Graduands are asked to bring no more than 4 guests. Upon arrival, guests will make their way to the Fieldhouse where the ceremony is held and seat themselves on a first-come, first-served basis.
Accommodation for Guests
The facility is wheelchair accessible. If you use a wheelchair or have any accessibility requirements, please contact the Registrar’s Office prior to the ceremony so that we can do our best to assist you.
Day of Ceremony
Time
The Fieldhouse will be open at 8:00 a.m. We recommend that guests arrive no earlier than 45 minutes before the posted ceremony time. The preliminary events get underway approximately 30 minutes before the ceremony. The formal ceremonies begin promptly at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. While the Convocation schedule is available online, please check with your graduand for the specific date and time of the ceremony.
Parking
All graduating students and guests will have access to complimentary parking in designated lots (PDF, 4 MB) on the day of the ceremony.
For those guests with restricted or limited mobility, there is a designated drop-off location near the Fieldhouse.
Seating
There are no seating tickets provided for Convocation. The ceremony is located in the Fieldhouse and will be open 45 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. Seat selection for guests will be on a first-come-first-served basis. There will be a designated area for guests with small children and strollers. Please do not leave children unattended.
Should you prefer to be seated further away from the main grouping, additional chairs will be available at the back of the room.
Personal Belongings
Graduands may not carry any belongings with them while crossing the stage and are strongly encouraged to leave them at home or with their guests. While food and beverage items are not permitted in the Fieldhouse, water stations are provided on-site. Graduands can leave items at the Graduating Students Storage located in the north hallway of Ice House (just outside the Norm Fenn Gym). The area will be staffed for 30 minutes following the last ceremony.
Reception
Immediately following the ceremony, there will be a reception for the graduands and their guests in the Ravens’ Nest (Alumni Hall). To find your graduate we have placed the alphabet around the room. Just proceed to the letter of their last name.
Lost and Found
Lost and found services will be located at the Athletics Welcome Desk in Alumni Hall. If you are inquiring about a lost item after Convocation, please contact the Registrar’s Office.
Other Important Information
As Convocation is a live streamed event, signs, noisemakers, or anything that may obstruct the audio-visual element of the ceremony is not permitted.
For additional information during Convocation, please review our Convocation Important Notes page.
Flowers and Gifts
Fresh flower bouquets will be available for sale in the Fieldhouse prior to the ceremony or are available by pre-order. Please note that graduands are NOT permitted to carry flowers during the ceremony.
A special Bookstore kiosk will be set up in Alumni Hall (just outside of the Reception) where you can purchase Carleton merchandise. If you purchase a diploma frame, they will provide free framing service. Please visit the Bookstore website for a list of graduation gifts.
Photography and Video
Guests are welcome to take pictures, but only within the designated areas of the Fieldhouse. In addition, there are multiple staged areas inside and outside the reception hall for photos. We recognize capturing this special moment is important, and request that you do not block the view of other guests when taking photographs.
Professional photographers will be backstage to take individual photographs of the graduands. These will be available for purchase and sent to the students’ Carleton email account approximately two weeks after the ceremony.
Carleton strives to make Convocation a completely accessible event. Live Captioning will be displayed on the large screens in the Fieldhouse. Each ceremony is streamed live free of charge online. Digital recordings of each ceremony will be posted to YouTube approximately 2-3 business days after the ceremony for viewing.
Privacy Statement
At Carleton, we respect the need to protect private information. By attending the event, students waive all rights to privacy with respect to the use of their image and/or voice by Carleton for promotional purposes. The authority for the collection, use and disclosure of such information is granted through the Carleton University Act, 1952 and complies with Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Participants acknowledge that, by attending Convocation, their images and/or voices may be captured by photograph, videotape, audiotape, live webcasting or otherwise reproduced during the ceremonies and may later be used by Carleton University for promotional purposes. Participants agree that such reproduction and use does not constitute an unjustified invasion of their privacy.