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Conferring of degrees

History

Degrees have been conferred in the name of the Senate since 1856. From that time, the Conferring of Degrees ceremony has undergone changes in name, nature and frequency.

1854 — Commemoration of Benefactors

The first Commemoration of Benefactors ceremony was held in 1854.

1856 — 'Encaenia' or annual Commemoration of the founding of the University

The University conferred its first undergraduate degrees on 18 February 1856. For the first few years the ceremony at which the degrees were awarded was known as the “Encaenia” or annual commemoration of the founding of the University.

The ceremony was held in the building previously known as Sydney College (now Sydney Grammar School) and which was where the University was situated before it moved to its current location.

1859 — Commemoration of Benefactors and Conferring of Degrees

At its meeting on 17 June 1859, the Senate decided that the term ‘Commemoration’ would be used to refer to the public occasion when the names of University benefactors were announced.

The first Commemoration was combined with the first conferring of degrees held in the Great Hall on 18 July 1859. This dual ceremony, at which the Registrar, Hugh Kennedy read the names of benefactors and their gifts, and the Provost (later Chancellor), Sir Charles Nicholson, conferred the degrees, set the pattern for future occasions.

At the time, Kennedy referred to the Commemoration of benefactors as an ancient usage of universities in the United Kingdom, and speaking many years later, in 1887, the Chancellor, Sir William Manning, said that the term 'Commemoration' had been adopted from Oxford and that, while it acknowledged the foundation of the University, it was 'more particularly significant of a gratefu remembrance of private benefactions'.

By the 1880's the annual Commemoration of Benefactors and Conferring of Degrees had become a notable academic and social event in Sydney, held in the Great Hall usually on Saturday afternoons. Read a detailed description of the Commemoration of Benefactors and Conferring of Degrees held in March 1861.

At the same time, these annual ceremonies increasingly experienced the problem of unruly student behaviour, especially during speeches. Students were noisy, flaunted faculty and other banners, and sang specially composed topical songs ... more.

1926 — Separate ceremonies for Commemoration of benefactors and Conferring of degrees

In 1926 Senate decided to separate the ceremony of Commemoration of benefactors from the ceremony for conferring of degrees.

There was one annual ceremony for conferring of degrees in 1926 and in 1927.

1928 — Multiple degree conferring ceremonies began

From 1928 there were multiple degree conferring ceremonies commencing with the separate conferring of degrees in medicine.

Examples:

  • 1935: 2 ceremonies: Owing to the large number of graduands in the several Faculties, it was necessary to hold two ceremonies for the Conferring of Degrees. The first ceremony was held on Saturday, the 4th May, for the Faculty of Arts. The second ceremony was held on Saturday, 18th May.
  • 1958: 5 ceremonies were held on 23rd January, 22nd April, 1st May, 7th May and 10th June to confer degrees in the several Faculties.
  • 1967: 13 ceremonies were held in the Great Hall on 25th January, 26th January, 30th March, 5th April, 11th April, 12th April, 19th April, 28th April, 2nd May, 4th May, 9th May, 10th May and 1st June, 1967, to confer degrees in the several Faculties.

1934 — Ceremonies for Commemoration of Benefactors ended

The final annual Commemoration of Benefactors took place in the Great Hall on Thursday, 20th September 1934, in the presence of a large number of guests.

After the formal ceremony the opportunity was taken to honour a distinguished English scholar, Dr Sydney Hugo Nicholson, the youngest son of the late Sir Charles Nicholson, one of the early Chancellors of the University. Dr. Nicholson, who was admitted to the degree of Master of Arts ad eundem gradum, delivered an address on English Church Music.

1951 — A special Commemoration of Benefactors service

A special service for the Commemoration of Benefactors was held in 1951 as part of the University's centenary celebrations ... more.

1993 — Special War Veterans Graduation Ceremony

A Special War Veterans Graduation Ceremony was held in the Great Hall at 11am on 14 May 1993. The ceremony was for those who had had to graduate in absentia because of membership of the armed service in World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

The Chancellor reported to the June 1993 Senate that the ceremony had been a great success, gaining much publicity, and that many letters had been received from those who had attended, all containing very favourable comments.

Conferring of degrees today

Nowadays, some 60 ceremonies for Conferring of degrees and award of diplomas and certificates - graduation ceremonies - are held annually in the Great Hall, with a few also held overseas (see below).

See the current graduation schedule.

Overseas graduation ceremonies

The University of Sydney now holds ceremonies overseas, as follows:

  • graduation ceremonies have been held in Hong Kong since 1991 ... more / UniNews item
  • graduation ceremonies have been held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia since 1992 ... more
  • graduation ceremonies have been held in Singapore since 1999 ... more / UniNews item
  • the inaugural Presentation Ceremony in Beijing was held in 2005 ... more / UniNews item
  • the inaugural Shanghai graduation ceremony was in 2006 ... more / UniNews item
  • the inaugural Guangzhou graduation ceremony was in 2007

Information

The above information comes from:

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