Graduation Terms and Conditions

A group of students in gowns at Falmouth University's 2023 graduation

In the event that any or all of the graduation ceremonies have to be cancelled, rescheduled or postponed, Falmouth University cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred. Falmouth University graduation ceremonies are considered to be non-compulsory, public events.

In these terms and conditions (“Terms”):

‘you’, ‘your’ means a graduand of Falmouth University.
‘us’, ‘we’, ‘our’ means Falmouth University, a higher education corporation whose principal place of business is at the Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE.

Acceptance of terms

1. Please read these Terms carefully as your registration, and/or purchase of tickets for your graduation ceremony constitutes your acceptance of these Terms. We reserve the right to update the Terms at any time by displaying amended Terms on the website. You will be deemed to have agreed to the amended Terms when you next use this Website following any amendment.

2. Where there is any conflict or inconsistency between these Terms and any of our other terms and conditions governing your use of the Website, these Terms shall prevail (solely to the extent necessary to resolve such conflict or inconsistency).

Registration and purchase of guest tickets

3. If you wish to attend your graduation ceremony you are required to register in advance. Your attendance at the graduation ceremony is free of charge, although you will need to pay us for any extra guest tickets. You will also need to book and pay for academic dress (cap and gown) separately with Edes & Ravenscroft our recommended supplier OR your own supplier in advance of your ceremony date. It is mandatory that you wear the appropriate, acceptable academic dress.

4. If you have any outstanding debt with us, you will not be able to attend a graduation ceremony until it has been settled.

5. If you are unable to attend the time and date of your allocated graduation ceremony, you will not be able to transfer to a different ceremony time and date and you will graduate in absentia.

6. If you register on or after the 2025 deadline, we cannot guarantee that your name will appear in the programme. The 2025 deadline will be provided in 2025.

7. Children aged 2 and under may attend the ceremony without a ticket provided that they sit on the lap of a parent or guardian. Children over the age of 2 require a guest ticket and will count towards your maximum ticket allocation. Children must remain quiet throughout the ceremony. If there is any disruption caused then you may be asked to leave the ceremony.

8. If you are a registered disabled student and need a carer to accompany you at your graduation ceremony, you should advise the Events team at the time of booking, as you might be eligible for a free of charge additional ticket. If this is the case, or if you or your guests have any other special access needs, please contact graduation@falmouth.ac.uk as soon as possible so that we can make appropriate arrangements.

9. In the summer of 2025, any unsold guest tickets may be released for sale as extra guest tickets via the Registration Portal and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until they have sold out. These additional guest tickets cost £15 each. Students will be informed via email and the Website if additional guest tickets are available for their ceremony time and date. The number of available tickets may change throughout the additional ticket sales period as places are cancelled and refunds issued. You should check the Website regularly for availability.

10. You will receive confirmation of registration and all guest tickets by email normally within 24 hours. You are advised not to make travel arrangements for you or your guests until you have received the confirmation email. If you do not receive the confirmation email please contact graduation@falmouth.ac.uk as soon as possible. We advise you not to make travel arrangements for additional guests until you have secured tickets for them.

11. Tickets will be available for collection from the registration point on the day of your graduation. You will need copies of the email(s) confirming your registration and purchase of any guest tickets, along with your student ID.

12. We do not accept any responsibility for any registrations or guest ticket reservations that you do not have confirmation of. This is for any reason, whether lost, delayed, corrupted, due to any technical difficulties, malfunctions or otherwise.

13. All guest tickets and additional guest tickets must be bought in advance. We cannot guarantee that any additional standby guest tickets will be available on the day. In the event of any additional standby tickets being available, they are only available for sale to a guest accompanied by a graduand. A graduand's photo ID card may be used in lieu of the graduand being present.

Cancellation and refunds

14. You may cancel your registration and any guest tickets by email to graduation@falmouth.ac.uk at any time before your ceremony and you will be eligible for a refund for any guest ticket fees paid. Requests for refunds for extra tickets made after the date and time of your ceremony will be issued at our sole discretion. If you are ineligible to attend your graduation ceremony because you have not met the criteria for conferment of an award we will automatically refund any ticket fees paid.

On the day

15. Graduation is a formal occasion and you are expected to dress appropriately in business or formal clothing. Denim is not permitted. You must wear full academic dress (cap and gown) for the ceremony in order to gain access to the graduation auditorium. This is available from Edes & Ravenscroft, the University’s recommended gown supplier OR your own supplier. We reserve the right to refuse you entry to the ceremony if you are not dressed appropriately.

16. All guests must be seated at least 15 minutes before the ceremony begins. We reserve the right to refuse entry or remove any graduand or guest where it appears to us in our sole discretion to be necessary for the good conduct of proceedings and/or the safety, health, and wellbeing of graduands, guests, or staff.

17. Large bags will not be allowed in the auditorium and should be left in the cloakroom at registration.

Data protection

18. By registering for a graduation ceremony you accept that we will publish your full name (as it appears in our student record system) and award title in the programme and on graduation merchandise.

Filming and use of images

19. All graduation ceremonies may be photographed, filmed, and/or live streamed via live webcast across the internet at www.falmouth.ac.uk/graduation by us or our agents. Your name will be announced as you process across the stage. This is a mandatory action for every student attending the graduation ceremony. By registering for graduation, you are giving your consent to the recording and transmission of images (both still and moving) of you and your guests. We retain all rights in any images and/or film, which may be used for publicity purposes and marketing materials. In addition to this, footage from graduation will be made publically available on YouTube and Vimeo after the graduation ceremony.

There may be a university photographer present and by attending you give us permission to use any general crowd photos you appear in for marketing purposes.

If you do not wish for your information to be used in this way, you must notify us by email to graduation@falmouth.ac.uk on or before June 2025.

Graduation third party services

20. We will share your personal data (student ID, name, course and award) with our third party suppliers for graduation in order to enhance the experience we provide to you and improve the service you receive from them. Third party suppliers include, but are not limited to: our official gowning provider, with whom we will share your data to improve their booking service.

21. Any services purchased such as hospitality or photography and gown hire by Edes & Ravenscroft and Tempest Photographers etc. are entered into with your own contract with suppliers and should be contacted directly about their refund policy. You agree that Falmouth University is neither liable to you whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise for any indirect or consequential losses and any losses arising from any contracts you enter into with any third parties in relation to your graduation ceremony.

22. Issues beyond the control of Falmouth University should be taken up with the relevant third party.

23. If your graduation ceremony cannot take place or is delayed because of circumstances beyond our reasonable control, we will not be liable for any direct or indirect losses incurred by you or your guests. Examples of such circumstances include (without limitation): war, terrorism, civil commotion; fire, flood, adverse weather, natural disaster, act of God; outbreak of communicable disease, epidemic, or pandemic; any strike or labour dispute; interruption or failure of any utility service; any law or government order, rule, regulation, or action by a government or public authority. You and your guests should ensure that you have sufficient insurance protection to cover any losses you may suffer as a result of a ceremony being cancelled or delayed.