FAQ

Is the Open Campus Graduation Ceremony different from the other UWI Graduation Ceremonies at the Cave Hill, Mona and St. Augustine campuses?

The Open Campus Graduation Ceremony will be no different from those at the other UWI campuses. As the newest UWI campus, the Open Campus joins the other campuses in holding a University Ceremony for the Presentation of Graduates. The fourth formal Open Campus Ceremony will be held in St. Kitts and Nevis this year with all the usual ‘pomp and circumstance’ of the other campuses. Graduands from all Open Campus countries are encouraged to attend this Ceremony. Each year, a UWI contributing country amongst the ‘UWI-13’ will host the event.

 

What is the difference between the Open Campus Graduation Ceremony and my local Open Campus Site’s Recognition of Graduates event?

The University Graduation Ceremonies at all four UWI campuses are the official events where the Chancellor of the University acknowledges recipients of UWI certificates. It is a formal activity over which the Chancellor presides and the University Council and Academic Staff of the University attend in their formal academic regalia. Honorary Degrees are awarded at this event.

At your local Open Campus Site Recognition event your Head of Site chairs the function and you will be recognised as a graduate of the UWI. It is held after the last University Graduation Ceremony where the Chancellor declares all those present and all those not present as graduates of the UWI.

 

Am I required to attend the Graduation Ceremony in St. Kitts and Nevis?

All graduands are encouraged to attend one of the Graduation Ceremonies but attendance is not mandatory. As a UWI graduand, you are free to attend whichever campus Ceremony is most convenient to you – at Cave Hill in Barbados, Open Campus St. Kitts and Nevis, Mona in Jamaica or St. Augustine in Trinidad & Tobago. However, as an Open Campus student, we are encouraging you to attend the official Open Campus Graduation Ceremony in St. Kitts and Nevis this year.

 

When are the dates and times?

The Open Campus ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at theSt. Kitts Marriott Resort, 858 Frigate Bay Road, Frigate Bay, St. Kitts and Nevis.

Please see the following websites for the dates and times of the Cave Hill, St Augustine and Mona Campuses ceremonies.

Cave Hill: http://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/graduation/

St. Augustine: http://sta.uwi.edu/graduation/

Mona: http://myspot.mona.uwi.edu/graduation

 

What is the first thing I need to do to ensure I am graduating in October 2012?

Please contact your local Open Campus Site to verify that you are indeed on the graduation list for 2012. You are eligible to attend if you received a letter indicating that you have completed your programme and you are in good financial standing with the University.

 

Who is eligible to participate in the Open Campus Graduation Ceremony?

All graduate degree, undergraduate degree, associate degree, diploma and certificate candidates who have met the requirements of their programmes as of September 2012 are eligible to participate in the Graduation Ceremony.

 

Do I need to notify anyone that I am coming to Graduation?

Yes. If you are planning to attend the Open Campus Graduation Ceremony, you must notify the Assistant Registrar, Assessment, Awards & Records, Open Campus by completing the online graduation Reply Form.

 

What is the deadline for responding to say if I wish to attend the ceremony?

The deadline for responding is September 30, 2012 but if you receive your graduation information after this date, respond immediately.

 

Is there a rehearsal? How will I know what to do when I arrive at the venue for the Graduation Ceremony in St. Kitts and Nevis?

There is a formal rehearsal for the Graduation Ceremony on Friday, October 12, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort. 

In addition, on the day of graduation UWI Queue personnel (Marshals) will direct you to designated areas for robing in UWI graduation gowns and hoods and will provide you with the necessary instructions. You will be assembled according to your country and your programme.

NOTE: In case of inclement weather, please follow the directions of the UWI Queue personnel (Marshals).

Order of Ceremony

·         The Academic Procession

·         Fanfare

·         The Chancellor’s Procession

·         National Anthem

·         Chancellor’s Address

·         Conferment of Honorary Degrees

·         Graduation Address

·         Musical Presentation

·         Award of First Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates

·         Valedictory Address

·         Award of Higher Degrees

·         Closure of Ceremony 

 

What time do I arrive on the day of my Ceremony and what am I expected to do?

Graduands attending the Ceremony are required to assemble at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort at 8:00 a.m. SHARP to be briefed for the academic procession.  When you have been assembled you will be given a flash card with your name on it which you must keep carefully. This card must be presented in order for your name to be called.  (http://www.open.uwi.edu/graduation/venue-arrival-time-and-briefing-ceremony).

The flash cards are to be kept safely throughout the Ceremony as they will be used during the ceremonial line up process before presentation to the Chancellor.  At the platform, graduands are asked to pay particular attention to personnel operating the Digital Image Presenter whose purpose is to receive the flash cards for projection at the teleprompter’s screen so that your name will be called by the Director of Academic Programming (undergraduates) or by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Graduate Studies (postgraduates).

 

What am I expected to do after taking my place in the line?

Please maintain your position in the line and in your seat to ensure that when your name is called, you will be in position to step forward at once.

What am I expected to do while the Chancellor's Procession is entering the platform?

You are to remain standing until the Chancellor's Procession enters the main platform. You will be advised, by the Chancellor, to take your seat at the appropriate time.

 

How will I know when I am to be presented to the Chancellor and what am I expected to do?

At the point in the Ceremony when the University Registrar caps the Chancellor and invites the Head of academic programming or the Pro-Vice Chancellor to present graduands for the award of First Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates, and Higher Degrees, you will be invited to line up for presentation to the Chancellor and receipt of your certificate.

The Assistant Registrar will precede the UWI Queue personnel (Marshals) assigned to each Country group and you will follow row by row as directed. Please ensure that you are in possession of the flash card with your name.

What do I do when my name is called by the Director of Academic Programming or the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Gradute Studies?

You will walk across the stage at this point, bow to the Chancellor, shake his hand and walk toward the Campus Registrar who will hand you the canister in which you will later place your certificate for storage.

You are required to return to your seat after receiving your certificate and remain there until the Ceremony ends.

How long will the ceremony be?

Usually 2 to 2½ hours in duration.

 

When will I receive my certificate?

See Collection of Certificates (http://www.open.uwi.edu/graduation/collection-certificates.

 

I have a temporary/permanent disability. Would special arrangements be made for me to attend?

Yes, we would do our best to accommodate if you advise the Assistant Registrar, Assessment, Awards and Records in good time before the Ceremony.  Such a request must be made in writing.

 

How will I receive my refund cheque?

When you return your gown and hood after the Ceremony, your receipt will be stamped indicating this.  On return to your local Site you will be issued with your refund on presentation of your stamped receipt.
 

Can someone collect my refund cheque for rental of gown?

 Individuals collecting cheques on behalf of Graduates, should present an authorization letter and a valid form of identification for themselves as well as the graduate.

 

Academic Dress

Must I wear a gown and hood?

Participation in all official UWI graduation activities requires that you wear appropriate academic dress, the traditional gown and hood appropriate to your faculty.  Please go to this link for further information on renting the academic dress - http://www.open.uwi.edu/graduation/uwi-graduation-gowns-and-hoods.

Photographs

Will I have my photograph taken by an official, professional photographer at the Graduation Ceremony?

Yes, an official photographer, hired by the UWI Open Campus, will be photographing each graduate as he or she crosses the stage at the Graduation Ceremony in St. Kitts and Nevis.  Only the official photographer will be allowed to take photographs during the Ceremony.

Download the Photograph Registration Form here http://www.open.uwi.edu/graduation/photographs.

 

Who should I contact with any questions concerning my Graduation Ceremony photos?

You should contact the official photographer directly using the contact information on the Graduation Photograph Registration Form.

 

Family/Travel

Does my family need tickets, and how many family members may attend?

Graduands attending the Ceremony will be issued three (3) tickets by their local Site.  An invitation admits only one person.

Additional tickets may be available on request.        

 

Is there any assistance to help me and my family attend the Graduation Ceremony in St. Kitts and Nevis?

Yes.  The Open Campus is pleased to inform its graduands and their families that it has sought out special sponsorship for its students who would like to participate in the fourth UWI Open Campus Graduation Ceremony in St. Kitts and Nevis. Special travel and accommodation services have been arranged with LIAT to offer you reduced airfares and hotels have offered reduced rates. (http://www.open.uwi.edu/graduation/travel) and (http://www.open.uwi.edu/graduation/accommodation)

 

At what time will my family be able to enter the facility in St. Kitts and Nevis for the Graduation Ceremony?

For the Graduation Ceremony at 10:00 a.m., the doors to the St. Kitts Marriott Resort Ballroom will open at 8:00 a.m. The Ceremony begins promptly at 10:00 a.m. after the Academic Procession and the arrival of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Governor General, so persons are required to be inside the facility and seated by 9:30 a.m.

 

Is there any way for my family to know where I will be seated?

A diagram of the seating arrangements for the graduating candidates can be found in the Graduation Programme. Copies of the Graduation Programme will be available on the Open Campus Graduation Day as your family enters the St. Kitts Marriott Resort. UWI queue personnel (Marshals) or ushers will also be able to assist your family with seating information.

 

Will my family members in another country be able to see the event?

Yes.  The UWI Open Campus Graduation Ceremony will be streamed live on the Internet on Graduation Day.  Please inform your family members to go to www.open.uwi.edu to get the link necessary to see the live streaming of the event.

 

One of my relative is disabled and uses a wheel chair, could accommodation be arranged?

Yes, special accommodation can be arranged. This request must be made in writing to the Assistant Registrar, Assessment, Awards and Records who will forward it to the Head Usher for necessary arrangements.  Again this request must be made in reasonable time.