Congratulations to all our upcoming graduates!

We are excited to share some details about the Convocation Ceremonies

UCW Spring 2024 CONVOCATION

UCW Spring 2024 Convocation will take place on Tuesday, May 28, Wednesday, May 29, Thursday, May, 30, and Friday, May 31.

Ceremony 1 

Tuesday, May 28 at 10 am, followed by a reception until 12:30 pm
Students should arrive at 8:30 am and must arrive by 9:15 am
Guests should arrive at 9 am

Ceremony 2

Tuesday, May 28 at 3 pm, followed by a reception until 5:30 pm
Students should arrive at 1:30 pm and must arrive by 2:15 pm
Guests should arrive at 2 pm

Ceremony 3

Wednesday, May 29 at 10 am, followed by a reception until 12:30 pm
Students should arrive at 8:30 am and must arrive by 9:15 am
Guests should arrive at 9 am

Ceremony 4

Wednesday, May 29 at 3 pm, followed by a reception until 5:30 pm
Students should arrive at 1:30 pm and must arrive by 2:15 pm
Guests should arrive at 2 pm

Ceremony 5

Thursday, May 30 at 10 am, followed by a reception until 12:30 pm
Students should arrive at 8:30 am and must arrive by 9:15 am
Guests should arrive at 9 am

Ceremony 6

Thursday, May 30 at 3 pm, followed by a reception until 5:30 pm
Students should arrive at 1:30 pm and must arrive by 2:15 pm
Guests should arrive at 2 pm

Ceremony 7

Friday, May 31 at 10 am, followed by a reception until 12:30 pm
Students should arrive at 8:30 am and must arrive by 9:15 am
Guests should arrive at 9 am

Ceremony 8

Friday, May 31 at 3 pm, followed by a reception until 5:30 pm
Students should arrive at 1:30 pm and must arrive by 2:15 pm
Guests should arrive at 2 pm

Location

Queen Elizabeth Theatre
630 Hamilton Street, Vancouver

Getting There

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is easily accessible by public transit. The venue is a six-minute walk from the Granville SkyTrain Station on the Expo Line or a seven-minute walk from the Vancouver City Centre SkyTrain Station on the Canada Line.

Paid parking is also available at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre parkade. The entrance is off Cambie Street between West Georgia and Dunsmuir Street. Parkade parking is limited so we recommend arriving early.

For additional information, driving directions and parking information, please visit the Queen Elizabeth Theatre website.

Privacy Notice

As part of our convocation celebration, student names, program(s), degree(s), honours earned and year of graduation will be printed in a convocation program. We distribute these programs at convocation and online and consider the information within to be a matter of permanent public record. The convocation ceremony will be streamed live. You consent to your image being so captured, and its use by the University for administrative, historical and promotional purposes in print and online.

If you would prefer not to have your name appear in the program, please contact [email protected] at least four weeks before the date of your ceremony.

FAQ

Ceremony times are listed above. Graduating students will be emailed with the ceremony they must attend.

The doors will open for graduating students 1 hour and 30 minutes before the ceremony starts (8:30 am for the 10 am ceremonies and 1:30 pm for the 3 pm ceremonies). However, please note that all graduating students must arrive at least 45 minutes prior to their ceremony to get ready. Students must arrive by 9:15 am at the very latest for the 10 am ceremony, and by 2:15 pm at the very latest for the 4 pm ceremony. Late students will not be allowed to take part in the ceremony, so please ensure you arrive on time.

Guests should arrive 60 minutes before the scheduled ceremony start time so they are seated for when the ceremony starts.

Convocation is a public event where photographs and videos will be taken, and the ceremonies will be streamed live on the internet. By attending the convocation, you are giving University Canada West permission to use any photos and/or videos (and to include your name) in all media, future promotional materials, programs and websites, as the case may be.

No. You must attend the ceremony you have been assigned to.

Each graduating student may bring up to two guests.

After the initial ticket window for getting a convocation ticket closes and our graduating students have had a chance to secure two tickets for their guests, any remaining tickets will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Graduating students will receive an email if more tickets become available.

Yes, your guests will need tickets. More details regarding tickets will be shared in the coming weeks.

No. There will be general admission for convocation, so guests are encouraged to arrive early to get the seats they want.

Yes, everyone attending the convocation needs a ticket, even children three years old or younger. Tickets for children three and under won’t count against the two-guest limit per grad as long as they sit on a lap.

Yes. However, all wheeled items other than wheelchairs must remain in the lobby or at the coat check during the ceremony. These items are considered hazardous if an evacuation becomes necessary.

Guests should arrive 60 minutes before the scheduled ceremony start time so they are seated for when the ceremony starts.

The Convocation Ceremony is free, but you will be required to enter your UCW Student ID number to secure tickets. There is a limit of three tickets per graduating student (one graduating student + two guests).

Late students will not be allowed to take part in the ceremony, so please ensure you arrive on time.

You will be able to arrange to pick up your degree parchment and graduation gift.

Only students who finished their course work and fulfilled graduation requirements during the Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 terms are eligible to graduate during these ceremonies.

There will be a Fall 2024 Convocation Ceremony for students finishing their courses in the Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 terms.

You can pick up your convocation regalia at Queen Elizabeth Theatre before your ceremony and you MUST drop the gown and hood off before you leave. You can keep your graduation cap.

Students who fail to return their gown and hood (students can keep their caps) will be charged for them.

The Pop Up Shop will not be at the UCW Spring 2024 Convocation ceremony, but check out our online store to shop for UCW merchandise.

No. There are four flower shops near the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, where you or your guest can purchase flowers for convocation:

  • Flower d’amour – 437 Robson St, Vancouver, BC
  • Bay Fresh Flowers – 650 West Georgia Street #1b21, Vancouver BC
  • Kado Flower Studio – 449 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC
  • D&D Flowers – 531 Richards St, Vancouver, BC

After graduation, you can sign in to the UCW Alumni Portal and stay informed about networking opportunities, mentorship programs and events such as career development workshops and panel discussions. You can also learn about exclusive discounts and services available to the UCW Community. Feel free to email [email protected] if you have any questions, concerns or issues signing in.

When our grads secure tickets for convocation, they will be offered the opportunity to write out their name phonetically or record their name to have the phonetic spelling auto-generated, which they will be able to correct. This will help the orator pronounce your name correctly.

All students attending the Spring 2024 Convocation will have the opportunity to have a graduation portrait taken. The portraits will be available online one hour after the ceremony has ended and it will be free of charge. A QR code linking to the photos will be shared at the convocation.

Only certified service and guide animals may accompany graduands and guests with disabilities.