Graduation

Eligibility

You are eligible to attend a graduation if you have:

• Successfully completed a qualification with TAFE Gippsland in a financial year. E.g. Between 1 January 2023 to 29 February 2024 (excluding the VETDSS students)
• No outstanding fees.

Invitations will be sent to students who are eligible by email. Please contact us if you have any queries.

Registration

Finishing your course doesn't mean you're automatically registered to attend a graduation ceremony. If you'd like to attend a ceremony, you'll need to register. Eligible students will receive an email with all the relevant graduation details, as well as information on how to register.

To confirm your attendance, eligible students must register themselves and their guests by the 8 April 2024.

Please note: You will not be allocated a seat or be presented on stage if you don’t register your attendance by the cut-off date specified in the email.

Cost

Tickets are:

• Registration is free for Graduand

Graduand registration is free and includes gown hire, photography and light refreshments before the ceremony.

Once Graduands have registered, you will be sent an invitation at a later date to purchase tickets for your guests.

Guest tickets will be $20 each and include light refreshments before the ceremony.

Please note: Guests will not be seated with graduands. Please take this into consideration when arranging seating for children.

What to wear

Dress code

Smart casual. Jeans, t-shirts, trainers and similar casual items are not considered appropriate attire for a graduation ceremony.

Appropriate footwear should be considered for graduands, as they are required to enter and exit the stage via stairs.

All graduands are required to wear gowns. The gowns are black, three-quarter length and open at the front. Please keep this in mind when selecting your outfit.

Gowning

Your ticket cost includes the cost of hiring your academic regalia. All graduands are required to wear academic regalia, which includes:

• Black Gown
• Stole in the colour of study area

Gown sizes are selected when registering online. All efforts will be made to accommodate sizing requests, however due to a limited number of each size you may be allocated the next closest size.

Once you have registered your attendance on the night of the event, you will be directed to the gown collection area.

Gowns must be returned after the ceremony. If any academic dress is damaged or lost, you will be charged with an additional fee.

The ceremony

Arrival times

Event details will be sent to you when you register for your graduation ceremony, including the time you need to arrive at the venue. You will need to register on arrival before proceeding to gowning. If you arrive late, you may not be able to join the graduation ceremony.

Tea and coffee will be available all evening. Drinks are available to be purchased from the bar at your own cost.

The ceremony is expected to go for 1.5 hours, depending on the number of graduating students.

Light refreshments will be provided post ceremony for those at the venue, catering for a range of dietary requirements.

Seating arrangements

You will be given a seat number when registering on the day. Please ensure you sit in your allocated seat during the entire ceremony. Do not swap seats with other graduands.

You will be called onto the stage by course. An usher will direct you to stand, exit your seat and show you to the stage entrance. You will be called on stage individually, receive your certificate and exit to the stage. An usher will direct you back to you allocated seat. All belongings (jackets, drink bottles etc.) must be left on or under your seat while you are on stage. There is nowhere to store your belongings through the ceremony process. Alternatively, you are welcome to leave your belongings, particularly your valuables, with your family and/or friends.

Photography

A professional photographer will be engaged to photograph the graduation ceremony.

Graduating students will be photographed before the ceremony and whilst on the stage.

The photos will be uploaded to their website for easy and fast viewing. A link will be sent to you in the week following the ceremony.

Please note: This will take a few days to edit photos so please be patient.

High resolution images can be purchased directly from the link.

The venue

Parking

Ample parking is available at venue.

Click here to download the venue map

Assistance

There is no disabled ramp access to the stage. Should you require assistance to receive your award please advise us prior to the event.

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require any additional information.

Smoking

GPAC is a smoke free venue. There will be designated smoking areas outside of the venue.