​​Dear colleague

Stellenbosch University (SU) is preparing to celebrate the academic achievements of thousands of students who will graduate in December 2023.

The December graduation series will take place from Monday 11 December to Friday 15 December.

The venue for the ceremonies will once again be the Coetzenburg Centre. The full programme and name list of graduands will be uploaded on the SU website from 11 December onwards.

To read the notice regarding the graduation that was sent to prospective graduands on 16 October, please click here. The formal graduation invitation will be sent to graduands on Wednesday, 6 December.

Please click here for the graduation ceremony schedule and group allocations where we have more than one ceremony for a specific faculty. Please note, the first ceremony of the graduation series commences at 13:00 on Monday, 11 December and the last ceremony at 15:00 on Friday, 15 December.

Staff attendance of ceremonies

The following office bearers and staff members form part of the academic procession and ceremony:

1. the Chancellor
2. the Vice-Chancellor and Rector
3. the Deputy Vice-Chancellor(s)
4. the Chief Operating Officer

5. the Registrar
6. the Deputy Registrar(s)
7. the Dean(s)
8. the Vice-Dean(s)
9. Council Members
10. the respective supervisors/co-supervisors
11. Academic staff members who form part of the academic procession
12​​. Additional staff members who made special arrangements for the hooding of a family member

Hooding of a graduand

Academic staff and Professional Administrative Support Services (PASS) staff who wish to hood a family member may submit their request by completing the RSVP form by Friday, 3 November at 17:00. Please note, the hooding of a relative will only be permitted if the graduand is of close relation (e.g. son, daughter, grandchild, niece, nephew, spouse). Please click here to submit your request.

Admission tickets

The venue’s population certificate (a legal requirement) limits the number of individuals that may be in the Coetzenburg Centre at any given time, compelling SU to issue a specific number of admission tickets per graduand.

• Each graduand up to honours level will be allowed to invite two (2) guests.
• Master’s candidates may invite three (3) guests.
• Doctoral candidates may invite four (4) guests.

Graduand tickets and guest admission tickets will be emailed to graduands on Thursday, 7 December 2023. Family and friends who are unable to attend the event can follow the ceremony online at www.sun.ac.za/streaming.

Tickets can be printed or saved to cell phones and must be shown at the door. Note that this arrangement applies to graduands and guests.

Please note that members of the academic procession will not receive admission and parking tickets. Instead, all procession members will park at the Coetzenburg Centre's parking. Please click here for the map. If you have not done so already, please submit your RSVP here. Our dedicated security team will have the list of procession attendees on hand. They will ensure a smooth entry process for everyone involved.

Overflow venue

The venue’s population certificate (a legal requirement) limits the number of individuals that may be in the Coetzenburg Centre at any given time; guests arriving at the Coetzenburg Centre without admission tickets will be accommodated in the Sports Science Building.

Staff members – academic procession

Academic attire will be available in the foyer of the Coetzenburg Centre for staff members who form part of the procession and who do not have their own academic attire. Please note that these gowns need to be returned to the foyer immediately after the graduation ceremony. You are welcome to wear your own academic attire.

Staff members who indicated their participation in the procession are requested to report in the foyer of the Coetzenburg Centre 45 minutes before the start of the ceremony for the formation of the procession.

Parking arrangements

Members of the procession will be allocated dedicated parking in front of the Coetzenburg Centre. Please note that the parking will only be valid for the duration of the ceremony.

Dissertation of PhD candidates

To ensure that the proceedings run smoothly and efficiently when a PhD degree is awarded, I would like to draw your attention to certain procedural steps. Please click here for the guidelines that were approved by the Executive Committee of Senate regarding the declaration made by supervisors (or co-supervisors, where applicable) on the dissertation of their candidate during graduation ceremonies.

I trust that these guidelines will serve to facilitate your task during the relevant ceremony.

Yours sincerely

Dr Ronel Retief
Registrar