Information for people with disabilities

Students

The University encourages all students to attend their graduation ceremony. Clearly, we wish all those attending to be able to enjoy this special day and we would encourage anyone with a disability to contact the Registry in advance so that we can agree with you how we may best assist you on the day. The following brief description of the graduation ceremony is designed to highlight any extra support that graduands with disabilities may require in order to attend the graduation.

An hour before the ceremony graduands are assembled in rooms adjacent to the Bute Hall to ensure everyone graduating is present. They are then led into the Bute Hall where they may expect to be seated for as much as half an hour before the start of the ceremony. The graduation ceremony itself lasts approximately one hour and for much of the time graduands will be seated.

When it is time for their degrees to be conferred students leave their seats and are directed to the front of the Bute Hall. During the time you are waiting for your degree to be conferred it may be necessary to stand for up to five minutes. Degrees are conferred by the Principal who sits on a platform which is reached via a ramp, there is then a short walk across the platform during which the Principal will confer your degree and shake your hand.

You will also have your academic hood put over your head and will receive your degree parchment before descending a ramp from the platform. You will then return to your seat.

At the end of the graduation, the procession of academic staff and new graduates exits the Bute Hall via the main staircase outside the Hunterian Museum into the East Quadrangle.

If you think that you may experience difficulty sitting for the duration of the graduation ceremony or may experience mobility problems or if you have any other concern about the arrangements for graduation, such as access to the Bute Hall or arrangements if you have a visual or hearing impairment, please download, complete and return with your completed graduation enrolment forms, or no later than 10 days before your ceremony, the Disabled Access Form

Guests

The graduation ceremonies take place in the Bute Hall of the University located  on level 4 of the main Gilbert Scott Building.  Level 4 is accessible by staircase but elderly or disabled guests may find it easier to use the lift located outside the University Visitors Centre (A11 on the Campus Map).  Within the Bute Hall itself much of the guest seating is unfortunately only accessible by steep staircases.  We request that students inform us when they register on graduation day if any of their guests are elderly or disabled and may be unable to climb stairs so that we can ensure that they are allocated  tickets to seats in areas of the Bute Hall to which there is lift access.   

There is no public parking on campus and parking on the street in the vicinity of the University is difficult. We are however able to arrange parking on campus for guests who are disabled blue badge holders.  Please download, complete and return with your completed graduation enrolment forms, or no later than 10 days before your ceremony, the Disabled Parking Request Form

Disabled toilets are located at the Visitors centre.

Contact

Registry - Graduation Team
Level 2 - The Fraser Building
65 Hillhead Street
University of Glasgow
GLASGOW  G12 8QQ
E-mail: reg.grad@admin.gla.ac.uk

(If you are a student please include your student number, the date of your graduation and a daytime contact telephone number/e-mail address in all correspondence)