Stornoway

How to register

We are excited to welcome you to our Graduation ceremony. Once you have received your official invitation, there are a few tasks we need you to complete:

• Register your attendance 
• Hire a gown for the ceremony
• Pre-order photography packages (optional)
• Request extra guest tickets (subject to availability)
• Provide dietary preferences and accessibility requirements

Register here

gown booking

Ceremony and Guest Information

What happens on the day

• 9.15am
  Gowning will take place at Stornoway Town Hall for those receiving a PhD, Postgraduate award, Degree with Honours, an ordinary Degree, a Diploma in Higher Education, a Certificate in Higher Education, a Higher National Diploma, a Higher National Certificate or higher award – our staff will assist you. 
• 9.30am – 11am
  Professional photography will also be available for individual and group family photos. Please take your photographic form with you on the day (you will receive this in the post along with your guest tickets). 
• 11.15am
  Graduands must assemble in the Town Hall for rehearsal.
• 12.30pm
  Graduands to assemble in Town Hall for the procession to commence and guests to be seated in Martin’s Memorial Church.
• 1.00pm
  Ceremony commences in Martin’s Memorial Church 
• 2.20pm 
  Group photo
• 2.45pm
  Celebratory event for graduates and guests will be held at UHI North, West and Hebrides, Stornoway campus.

Please note, these timings may change slightly. 

Dress code and robe hire

Our graduation ceremony is a formal, celebratory occasion, so all students should dress smartly.  This could be national dress, dark tie, dark suit, dark skirt or dress, white shirt or blouse.

If you have studied a Higher Education course, you will be wearing a graduand gown hired from Ede & Ravenscroft.  Please note that academic hoods are designed to hook onto the top button of a shirt or blouse so please bear this in mind when choosing your outfit for the day.

Do I need a gown/hood?

You are required to wear a gown/hood if you have been awarded with a PhD, Postgraduate, Degree with Honours, an ordinary Degree, a Diploma in Higher Education, a Certificate in Higher Education, a Higher National Diploma, a Higher National Certificate or higher award. We do not wear mortar boards as part of the academic dress for our ceremony.

The hire charge for gowns for the day will be £32.00. To hire your gown, you need to visit the Ede & Ravenscroft website and type "UHI North, West and Hebrides" in Institution Details, click continue and follow the steps from there.

The deadline for hiring gowns is Wednesday 28th August 2024. These are delivered to the college for the day of the graduation.

Where do I go to be gowned?

If you have hired a gown, it will be delivered to us and will be available to collect in Stornoway Town Hall between 9.30am and 11.30am. Our staff will help gown you.

Contact us and FAQs

Contact us

If you have any questions about our graduation ceremony, please get in touch with graduation.nwh@uhi.ac.uk or Mabel Finlayson on 01851 770 207.

FAQS

Frequently Asked Questions about our Graduation Ceremony

How will I be informed whether or not I can attend Graduation?

We will send you a letter confirming your invitation and including relevant information using the mailing address that you provided when you enrolled on your course with us unless you have updated them. Please note, it is very important that you keep your personal contact details including email address and mailing address up to date with us, so that we can contact you.  You can do this by:

NC, NQ, SVQ awards – emailing registry.nwh@uhi.ac.uk

HNC, HND, Degrees awards – updating on your student hub

Please remember to also:

• Inform us of any changes to the contact details we hold for you
• Register for your graduation ceremony in Fort William, Stornoway and Thurso.

If you haven’t received an email and feel you should have, please contact us on 01847 889000 or graduation.nwh@uhi.ac.uk.

Where will my guests be sitting?

Your guests won’t be sitting with you for the ceremony, they will be seated in the main part of the audience just behind you. You will be sitting with the rest of your fellow students in alphabetical order, by course, so that we can more easily present your award.

Who is the guest speaker for the event?

Our guest speaker will be announced nearer the time.

How do I confirm my attendance?

You must accept your invitation to attend in this year’s ceremony no later than Wednesday 4th September 2024. Ideally, you can do this by completing this form or by contacting graduation.nwh@uhi.ac.uk as soon as possible.

This is also where you will be able to find links to order your gown if necessary and to confirm to us how many guests will be attending with you.

What happens if I forget to confirm my attendance?

We want to include everyone who wishes to attend, but only in exceptional circumstances will applications be considered after the deadline of Wednesday 4th September 2024.  If you are late in responding, but still wish to attend, contact our Customer Services team urgently on 01847 889000.  Please note however that the deadline for hiring gowns is 28th August 2024.

What do I do if I don’t want to attend the ceremony?

If you do not wish to attend please let us know by completing this form.

How many guests can I bring?

You are allocated 2 seats for guests and these are reserved for you. Our numbers are limited, however, we may have space to accommodate additional guests so please confirm whether you would like your allocated guest places and whether you would like us to notify you of any additional seats over and above this allowance that may become available. We hope to open these additional seats for allocation on Monday 9th September 2024 and will inform you as soon as possible after that date. Please ensure we have your correct contact details.

Do I need a Gown/Hood?

You are required to wear a gown/hood if you have been awarded with a PhD, Postgraduate, Degree with Honours, an ordinary Degree, a Diploma in Higher Education, a Certificate in Higher Education, a Higher National Diploma, a Higher National Certificate or higher award. We do not wear mortar boards as part of the academic dress for our ceremony.

The hire charge for gowns for the day will be £32.00. To hire your gown, you need to visit the Ede & Ravenscroft website and type "UHI North, West and Hebrides" in Institution Details, click continue and follow the steps from there.

The deadline for hiring gowns is Wednesday 28th August 2024.

Will I receive an official certificate?

Your certificate will have been posted to your registered address (normally your home address) by your awarding body. You will, however, receive a commemorative letter scroll in a tube on the day as a memento of the occasion.

Will there be formal photography on the day? Any other publicity?

Your official portrait photographs to commemorate your day will be available both before and after the ceremony.

During the day, UHI North, West and Hebrides' staff and our photographer will be taking photographs and possibly video footage which may include participants and guests. These marketing shots may be used by us in promotional material and on our website. If you do not wish your photograph to be used, please let us know in writing or by email to graduation.nwh@uhi.ac.uk.

Names and awards (including those in absentia) will be published in our Graduation Programme and will also appear in the press. Again, please let us know in writing or by email to graduation.nwh@uhi.ac.uk if you have any issues with this.

I have outstanding fees to the college/university – will I be able to attend graduation?

No. If you have outstanding debts to the University or one of its Academic Partners, i.e. UHI North, West and Hebrides, you will not be able to attend the Ceremony. If you have an outstanding debt, please contact our finance department as soon as possible on 01847 889000.

Can I request ground-level seating?

If you will be bringing a pram/pushchair or are bringing guests with limited mobility or accessibility needs, just let us know and we will try to find appropriate seating to make the ceremony as comfortable as possible.

I have additional support needs – how do I advise the College of this?

We are happy to make appropriate arrangements for any graduand with additional support needs. If you have mobility challenges, or any other disability or condition that may affect your enjoyment of the ceremony, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate all needs.

I have a question – who can I speak to?

If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please contact Graduation.nwh@uhi.ac.uk and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Ùisdean - our graduation bear!

Data protection

Privacy Notice: Learn how we handle your personal data regarding our graduation ceremonies.

Filming and Photography:

UHI North, West and Hebrides’ graduation ceremony is a significant event for our graduates, their guests and our staff. This ceremony is a public event and therefore there is no expectation of privacy under data protection legislation for any attendees. Our Privacy Notice explains how personal data will be processed for, and during, the event and provides guidance should you not wish your personal data to be processed in this way. This applies to all students who are intending to graduate or may be eligible for an award, whether they attend the ceremony or not. Please read this important information and ensure your invited guests are also aware of the information relevant to them. Your name will appear in the graduation programme and other print media. If you object to the publication of your personal data in this way please email graduation.nwh@uhi.ac.uk no later than 3 weeks prior to the date of the ceremony. All graduands and guests should be aware that the graduation ceremony and Reception are public events. Audio/visual images of the ceremony and Reception are publicly available and may well be used in College webpages and publications. Notices are posted around the Nevis Centre on the day to remind you and your guests of this.