York University’s Keele campus convocation ceremonies are moving to a new home in the Centre of Excellence in the Rexall Centre. The Centre of Excellence is located adjacent to Stadium Court, home to Tennis Canada and the annual Rogers Cup tennis tournament.
Each year, Sheelagh Atkinson, York’s manager of convocation & special projects, coordinates the myriad of details related to convocation. This year, in addition to organizing the graduation details for more than 6,000 students who will attend the June 24 to 30 Spring Convocation ceremonies, Atkinson and her staff are also coordinating the move of convocation to the new venue.
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Above: The Centre of Excellence, at left, at the Rexall Centre will be home to York’s convocation ceremonies |
The ceremonies will be held in the Centre of Excellence. “York is using all of the space on the main level of the stadium for robing,” Atkinson explains. “Once robed, students will then be marshalled from the upper level of the stadium into the Convocation pavilion.”
In addition to the new venue, Atkinson and her staff worked with York’s Computing & Network Services to create a new online system for the issuing of guest tickets. “In keeping with our efforts to ‘green’ convocation,” says Atkinson, “students and faculty members have received their invitation to convocation electronically. Students submit their RSVP online, order their academic robes and tell us if they have any special needs, and order their guest tickets all in one application.” The Web application allows students to print their confirmation page which grants them access to the Rexall Centre and also allows them to print their guest tickets.
Each guest ticket has a unique bar code that is scanned on entry to the site. The bar code ensures that each ticket holder will have a seat in the pavilion. Students can reprint lost guest tickets in advance of their ceremony by revisiting their online RSVP. On the day of the ceremony, guests can visit the onsite Box Office to have lost tickets reprinted. Two hours prior to each ceremony a limited number of additional guest tickets will be available at the Box Office on a first-come, first-served basis.
Receptions following the ceremonies will offer students and faculty a place to mingle in an interactive setting. Students will be able to purchase a commemorative DVD of their ceremony. Souvenirs and memorabilia will be available for purchase and a professional photographer will be there to take family portraits.
Following the ceremonies, a free shuttle bus will make regular trips around the Keele campus, offering students and their families an opportunity to visit academic buildings, the colleges and other facilities.
The changes, says Atkinson, have been made with students and their families in mind. "We think the entire event, from start to finish, will be festive and fun," she says.
For more information or to RSVP for Spring Convocation, visit the My Convocation Web site.