Graduation ceremonies
Who arranges graduation ceremonies
Graduation ceremony schedule
The Great Hall, Quadrangle
The Mace and the Esquire Bedell
The Lady Hailsham Staff
Conferring degrees/diplomas
Conferring honorary awards
Awarding Vice-Chancellor's University awards
Academic dress
The occasional address
The Great Hall organ
The Carillon
Graduates
Who arranges graduation ceremonies
Graduation ceremonies are arranged by the Graduations Office, Student Centre.
— Graduations Office website
Graduation ceremony schedule
Senate, which used to approve dates of graduation ceremonies, has delegated authority to the Registrar to approve dates of graduation ceremonies, and to change the disciplines to be presented at any ceremony or the scheduled time of any ceremony, after appropriate consultation with the faculties, colleges and boards of studies concerned and after appropriate notice to the graduands concerned.
— this year's graduation schedule
The Great Hall, Quadrangle
Graduation ceremonies are held in the Great Hall, Quadrangle.
— about the Great Hall
— about the Quadrangle ... then
— about the Quadrangle ... now
The Mace and the Esquire Bedell
The Mace is the symbol of the authority of Senate, and at graduation ceremonies and other official occasions it is normally carried in procession before the Chancellor by the Esquire Bedell.
— about the Mace
— about the Esquire Bedell
The Lady Hailsham Staff
The Lady Hailsham Staff, presented to the University in February 1982 by the Sir Robert Menzies Oration Committee, is a memorial to Lady Hailsham who died tragically in a horse riding accident in Sydney two days before her husband, Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone, delivered the Inaugural Oration in the Great Hall in May 1978. The staff was designed by Mr D Connolly MP and crafted by V Hemmingsen of Adelaide and P Noakes of Sydney. It is surmounted by a Viscoutess's coronet (a mark of Lady Hailsham's rank) on top of a thistle of silver and a ball of Connemara marble. All metals used are of gold and silver. The coronet is studded with sapphires from Sri Lanka, where Lady Hailsham spent part of her childhood. The marble was donated by Lord Mayo and is from the county in Ireland where Lady Hailsham's family originated from. The thistle symbolises the association with Sir Robert Menzies. The staff is made of Tasmanian blackwood with tip and joins in silver. It is carried in procession by the Yeoman Bedell.
Conferring degrees/diplomas
Under the University of Sydney Act 1989, the Senate of the University of Sydney confers degrees (including ad eundem degrees and honorary degrees) and awards diplomas and other certificates.
Senate has delegated authority to the Chancellor, the Deputy Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, the Chair of the Academic Board and the Pro-Chancellor to admit to the appropriate degree/s, and to award the appropriate diploma/s at graduation ceremonies to, those who have qualified for degrees and diplomas concerned and whose names appear in the printed lists contained in the official programs.
— about the Chancellor
— about the Deputy Chancellor
— about the Vice-Chancellor and Principal
— about the Chair of the Academic Board
— about the Pro-Chancellor
Conferring honorary awards
Senate, on the recommendation of its Advisory Committee for Honorary Awards, approves the award of honorary degrees and Honorary Fellowships, which are conferred at graduation ceremonies.
— about the Advisory Committee for Honorary Awards
— about honorary degrees and Honorary Fellowships
— recipients of honorary degrees and Honorary Fellowships
Awarding Vice-Chancellor's University awards
Winners of the following Vice-Chancellor's University awards receive citations from the Academic Board at their respective Faculty graduation ceremonies:
— Outstanding Teaching
— Excellence in Research Higher Degree Supervision
— Support of the Student Experience
— Systems that Achieve Collective Excellence in Teaching and Learning
Academic dress
Academic dress for the Chancellor is a robe and cap similar to those worn by the Chancellor of the University of Oxford, i.e. a black silk gown with yoke and facings trimmed with gold, and sleeves barred with gold; and a black velvet trencher with gold tassel, the cap edged with gold.
Senate has delegated authority to the Registrar to approve Resolutions of the Senate relating to academic dress for degrees/diplomas.
— Resolutions of the Senate relating to academic dress
The occasional address
After the graduands have been admitted to their degrees/diplomas, the Chancellor invites the guest speaker to give the occasional address.
— guest speakers by name
— by year
— by ceremony
— photo galleries
The Great Hall organ
The University Organist, Amy Johansen, gives a recital on the Great Hall organ before each graduation ceremony, plays the Processional Rondeau by J Mouret as the academic procession enters the Hall and the assembly stands, and at the end of the ceremony, as the academic procession retires and the assembly stands, plays the Recessional Toccata by J Weaver.
— about the Great Hall Organ
— about Amy Johansen
The Carillon
The Carillon is played by the University Carillonist, Jill Forrest, at the end of each graduation ceremony.
— about the Carillon
— about Jill Forrest
Graduates
— Alumni Sidneienses - allows you to search for graduates of the University of Sydney from 1857 to 1977.
— Faculty of Medicine graduates - allows you to search for Faculty of Medicine graduates since 1856
— Calendar Archive - includes historical information about graduates, e.g. names of graduates of the University, women graduates by their married name, undergraduates.
— Graduates can join:
- the University's Alumni web community
- Alumni networks
- the Alumni Council
— Graduates can be elected to membership of Senate, the University's governing body, as Graduate Fellows of Senate