CONVOCATION

CONGRATULATIONS!

Graduation is an exciting part of each student’s life on campus. We are pleased that you have decided to join us onstage at the graduation convocation ceremony and look forward to making this day a memorable one for you and your guests.

VIU’s graduation convocation ceremonies are a mixture of academic traditions and modern celebration. In addition to distributing parchments to graduates, the university may also grant honorary credentials or recognize the efforts and achievements of graduates and faculty.

This booklet has been designed to assist you, answer any questions you may have, and help you understand what is involved before, during, and after the graduation convocation ceremony.

If you have any further questions about the ceremony, or if you or your guests have any special accommodations that need to be met, please phone 250.753.3245 local 2234 or email convocation@viu.ca.

VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY

Convocation Ceremony Information

June 23, 2017

VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY

Monday, June 5, 20172:30 pm

Faculty of Health and Human ServicesHonorary Degrees and Special Awardsmay also be presented

The Port Theatre125 Front Street, Nanaimo, British ColumbiaReception to follow at the

Vancouver Island Conference Centre101 Gordon Street, Nanaimo, British Columbia

JUNE 2017 CONVOCATION

TICKETS

Inside the accompanying envelope, you will find your guests’ tickets to the graduation convocation ceremony. Please hand these out to your guests before the ceremony as they are required for admittance to the theatre.

Please note that if you did not receive all the tickets you requested you will be contacted if some become available for you.

If you received tickets but won’t be using them, please return them to the Registration Centre in Building 200. Your fellow graduating students will appreciate receiving these tickets.

VANCOUVER ISLAND

UNIVERSITY

Monday,

June 5, 2017

2:30 pm

Faculty of Health

and Human Services

Honorary Degrees

and Special Awards

may also be presented

The Port Theatre

125 Front Street, Nanaimo,

British Columbia

Reception to follow at the

Vancouver Island Conference Centre

101 Gordon Street, Nanaimo,

British Columbia

JUNE 2017 CONVOCATION

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INFORMATION FOR YOUR GUESTS

Location of the ceremony: Vancouver Island University holds its graduation convocation ceremonies at the Port Theatre, located at 125 Front Street, Nanaimo, BC.

Parking: Pay parking is available adjacent to the Port Theatre or across the street in the parking complex on Wharf Street. As parking downtown is limited, please make sure that you arrive early to ensure you get a spot. For more information about parking downtown, please visit dnbia.ca/parking

Ceremony Information: The main doors to the Port Theatre lobby will open one hour prior to the ceremony. The house doors will open 30 minutes prior to the ceremony; guests must be seated at least five minutes before the ceremony begins. Seating is general and first-come, first-served. If one of your guests is in a wheelchair or requires special seating arrangements, please email convocation@viu.ca to make these arrangements.

The graduation convocation ceremony is usually two hours long with no intermission. We ask that your guests remain seated in the theatre for the duration of the ceremony.

The Campus Store will have a display of merchandise and flowers for sale in the theatre lobby before and after the ceremony.

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STREET

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FRONT STREET

FRONT STREET

CEREMONY INFORMATIONCEREMONY 1 – JUNE 23, 2017 AT 10:00 am

9:15 am Be at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre in Mount Benson Ballroom C to get ready for the ceremony. It is important that you arrive on time. Upon your arrival, meet up with your instructors and other students from your program at the designated area. You will be given a card with your name and a number on one side and the Graduate Candidate Oath on the other.

9:30 am Final instructions are given and the procession is lined up according to the numbers on the oath card.

9:45 am Procession begins to the Port Theatre. Please turn your cellphone to silent before leaving the Ballroom.

10:00 am Ceremony begins.

ORDER OF CEREMONY EVENTS

1. Procession

2. Snuneymuxw First Nation Welcome

3. O Canada and Opening Remarks

4. Official Opening of Convocation by the Chancellor

5. Presentation of Honorary Credentials

6. Alumni Association Welcome

7. Valedictory Address

8. Graduate Candidate Oath

9. Presentation of Graduates

10. Remarks from the University President

11. Official Closing of Convocation by the Chancellor

12. Recession

12:00 pm Ceremony is estimated to end.

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CEREMONY 2 – JUNE 23, 2017 AT 2:30PM

1:45pm Be at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre in Mount Benson Ballroom C to get ready for the ceremony. It is important that you arrive on time. Upon your arrival, meet up with your instructors and other students from your program at the designated area. You will be given a card with your name and a number on one side and the Graduate Candidate Oath on the other.

2:00pm Final instructions are given and the procession is lined up according to the numbers on the oath card.

2:15pm Procession begins to the Port Theatre. Please turn your cellphone to silent before leaving the Ballroom.

2:30pm Ceremony begins.

ORDER OF CEREMONY EVENTS

1. Procession

2. Snuneymuxw First Nation Welcome

3. O Canada and Opening Remarks

4. Official Opening of Convocation by the Chancellor

5. Presentation of Honorary Credentials

6. Alumni Association Welcome

7. Valedictory Address

8. Graduate Candidate Oath

9. Presentation of Graduates

10. Remarks from the University President

11. Official Closing of Convocation by the Chancellor

12. Recession

4:30pm Ceremony is estimated to end.

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THE DAY OF THE CEREMONY

Where do I go? The students and instructors meet at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre in Ballroom C before the ceremony. The Vancouver Island Conference Centre is located at 101 Gordon Street, next to the Port Theatre. The Ballroom C is located on the upper floor of the Vancouver Island Conference Centre and can be accessed from Gordon Street or Commercial Street. Please note that there is no secured, locked area for leaving valuables. Leave these at home or with your guests.

What time should I be at the Conference Centre? Please arrive no later than 45 minutes before your ceremony.

What do I do when I get there? When you arrive at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre, your instructor or program chair will give you an oath card with your name and a number on it. You will be lined up in the order according to the number on your card.

How will we get to the stage? About fifteen minutes before the start of the ceremony, the procession will leave Ballroom C and walk over to the theatre. You will enter the Port Theatre from the second-level side entrance, and follow a bagpiper into the theatre and onto the stage. You will be seated on stage facing your friends and family in the audience. When you reach your seat on stage, remain standing until the Master of Ceremonies asks you to take your seat.

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What if it’s raining? If it starts to rain before the procession leaves the Conference Centre, the procession will make their way through the parking garage linking the Conference Centre and the Port Theatre and enter the Port Theatre by the lobby entrance. It’s not pretty but at least we’ll stay dry!

What can I expect during the ceremony? The ceremony commences with a welcome from the Snuneymuxw First Nation, a blessing from VIU Elders, and the singing of “O Canada.” The Master of Ceremonies asks everyone to be seated and announces the Convocation “duly assembled”. The Chancellor then officially opens the convocation and the ceremony begins.

During the ceremony, there is often a special presentation of an Honorary Doctorate or other university award. Following the presentation, there is a welcome from the Alumni Association, the Valedictorian Address, and the Graduate Candidate Oath. This is where your oath card will come in handy!

Following the oath the members of the graduating class will be presented individually to the Chancellor and the President:

1. Each program will be presented in turn. Remain seated until it is your program’s turn. Your instructor will signal for your group to rise and line up at the podium.

2. When it is your turn to be presented, you will hand your oath card to the reader at the podium to have your name read out. If your name is difficult to pronounce, please whisper the pronunciation.

3. Once your name has been announced, walk at an even pace to the centre of the stage.

THE GRADUATE CANDIDATE OATH is a traditional part of university graduation ceremonies. The Chancellor will ask the graduating class as a whole:

“Will each of you accept this credential to which you are entitled, with its inherent rights and privileges, and the responsibility and loyalty which it implies?”

In answer, you will read the Oath from your card:

“I accept, with all inherent rights and privileges, and the responsibility and loyalty which it implies.”

The Chancellor will then declare that you are now a graduate of Vancouver Island University.

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4. At centre stage, you will shake hands with the Chancellor and the President, and pose for a photograph.

5. Continue across the stage to the Registrar and the Dean. If you have requested to receive your parchment at the ceremony, the Dean will hand yours to you; if you have already received your parchment or if you haven’t yet met your program’s graduation requirements, then you will receive a certificate of attendance.

6. You will then be invited to participate in a new scholarly tradition unique to VIU, which is to touch the inside of the lid to the bentcorner box, which will be open onstage. This symbolizes that you have left your imprint on the university.

The ceremony will conclude with closing remarks from the President and the Master of Ceremonies. At the end of the ceremony, the piper will play while everyone proceeds off stage as directed by the instructors.

Do you have mobility concerns? At the start of the convocation ceremony, the stage party will follow a procession that will travel from the Vancouver Island Conference Centre to the Port Theatre. This route goes down a hill and up and down several flights of stairs, including the stairs in the theatre itself. If you are unable to follow the procession’s route or feel that you may need additional support in order to participate in the ceremony, please contact either of us as soon as possible.

Disability Services Nanaimo campus Building 200, Room 214 Phone: 250.740.6446 Email: disabilityservices@viu.ca

Carrie Johns Nanaimo campus Building 200, Room 338 Phone: 250.753.3245 x 2234 Email: convocation@viu.ca

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AFTER THE CEREMONY

Over at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre, join other alumni, faculty and staff members, tutors and guests for a reception in the Newcastle Lobby – your first VIU Alumni event!

This is a great opportunity to celebrate with your classmates, instructors, and guests. A commemorative backdrop and photographer will be set up to take free pictures of you with your friends and family. These pictures will then be posted online at VIU Alumni Association’s Facebook page (facebook.com/viuaa) This reception is free for all graduating students and their guests. Refreshments and finger foods will be provided.

The Campus Store will also have commemorative parchment frames and other souvenirs for sale at the reception.

WEBCASTING THE CEREMONIES

Each ceremony is broadcast over the web at viu.ca/convocation/live/ The live feed will start just before the ceremony. If you have family or friends who are unable to attend the ceremony in person, we hope that they will be able to share in your experience from afar.

The video will be hosted online at livestream.com/vancouverislanduniversity for viewing and downloading after the ceremony.

PHOTOS TAKEN AT CEREMONIES

Portrait photography at the ceremony is undertaken by Lifetouch Inc. from Victoria, BC. The photograph taken of you with the Chancellor and President will be posted to the Lifetouch website (lifetouchevents.com) after convocation. We will contact you after the ceremony with more information on how to view and purchase these photographs if you are interested.

Candid photographs taken during the ceremony and reception by VIU staff members will be made available on VIU’s Facebook page (facebook.com/viuniversity).

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WELCOME ALUMNI

Congratulations on successfully completing this phase of your studies, and welcome to the Vancouver Island University Alumni Association. With the completion of your program, you are now a member of an Alumni Association of more than 75,000 graduates world-wide!

Your Alumni Association is focused on establishing a strong, vibrant, network of graduates and is dedicated to building lifelong relationships with current and future alumni that celebrate, engage and connect our alumni. If you haven’t already done so, please take two minutes to update your alumni profile at viu.ca/alumni/register to receive alumni benefits and your free copy of VIU’s alumni magazine. We’re also always wanting to hear how your time goes after studies so please let us know about any new job, promotion, wedding, family addition, travels, or further academic achievements.

To find out more information on your Alumni Association, please visit viu.ca/alumni. To stay connected like our Facebook page VIUAA, tweet us @VIU_Alumni, and join our LinkedIn Group Vancouver Island University Alumni - VIU, MUC, MC and VTS.

All VIU Alumni Association members are eligible to receive the FREE Alumni Benefit Card. Your Alumni Benefit Card allows you to enjoy discounted rates in the community and on campus. Details on the Alumni Benefit Card can be found at viu.ca/alumni/benefits.

The Alumni Relations office is here to help. If you ever need assistance in your transition or if you want to get involved or share ideas about the Alumni Association, you can reach us at 250.740.6215 or alumni@viu.ca.

Thank you for choosing Vancouver Island University for your post-secondary education and best of luck in your future endeavours.

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Congratulations Grads!Your university is proud of you.

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