Wits Graduation, Congratulations! You are about to become a graduate from Wits. You can now call yourself a true Witsie! This website provides a guide on how to experience a seamless graduation process from the time you have met the requirements to being a graduand.
The Examinations and Graduation Office (EGO) provides a service to students regarding graduations and examinations. The University runs approximately 26 graduation ceremonies annually and it is the responsibility of EGO to co-ordinate the ceremonies, keep records of each ceremony procedures and print the degree/diploma certificates.
GRADUATION CEREMONIES FOR FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS TO MOVE TO MARCH/APRIL 2019
Dear Colleagues and Students
The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment is committed to academic and research excellence, and to remaining a locally relevant and globally competitive faculty that meets the highest professional standards.
At the same time, we are focused on becoming more student-centred and administratively efficient. One of the recurring challenges in the Faculty relates to the year-end graduation processes, which impacts on both students and staff members.
There is often very little time for students to view and query graduation lists before the graduation ceremony, normally held in December. Due to the limited time between the examination period and the year-end graduation there is a reduced time that students have to confirm that they are graduating and for sponsors to make the relevant payments, so that the student can feature on the graduation list. Therefore, in order to allow for the sufficient processing and finalisation of final year grades and to ensure that students, sponsors and staff members have sufficient time to prepare for graduations, the graduation ceremonies for fourth year engineering students will move from December 2018 to March/April 2019.
This will be the norm for all future fourth year engineering graduation ceremonies. Students that meet all the requirements will be able to access their transcripts to apply for employment.
We appeal to you for your cooperation during the next few months as we work through the new processes and improvements. Please do not hesitate to contact your Head of School or my office should you require any further information.
With great appreciation
Professor Ian Jandrell
Dean: Engineering and the Built Environment
21 August 2018
Graduation Photographs
Gordon Harris Photographic offers two services at our graduation ceremonies.
- Stage photographs form
- Family/Studio photographs form
Graduation Gowns
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For ordering of gowns and hoods, please contact House of Graduates
Protocol for graduands and guests
- All graduation ceremonies take place in the Great Hall, East Campus.
- Each graduand will be allocated two guest tickets.
- Tickets are collected and academic attire is hired from CB228. Please note that the collection of tickets, academic attire and taking of photos requires at least an hour of your time, therefore it is recommended that you arrive at least 90 minutes before the commencement of the ceremony. Please ensure that you have your academic attire before entering the Great Hall.
- Graduands must please keep their graduand ticket with them at all times as they need it when crossing the stage.
- No children under the age of 7 are allowed into the Great Hall and no exceptions will be made.
- Flash photography is not allowed in the Great Hall and cell phones must be switched off during the ceremony.
- Kindly ensure that your guests are seated at least 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony. Guests who arrive once the ceremony has started will NOT be allowed into the Great Hall and will be guided to an overflow area from where they can watch a live broadcast of the ceremony.
- Vuvuzelas, whistles or any noise-emitting instrument is strictly prohibited and will be confiscated in the Great Hall.
- In keeping with the formal nature of our graduation ceremonies, we would like to remind you that the dress code is formal and respectable.
- Inappropriate behaviour towards University staff will not be tolerated and security staff may be requested to remove people who disrupt the proceedings at any stage.
Arrangements for Persons with Disabilities
Should you or your guests have a disability and require assistance during the graduations, please make prior arrangements with the Exams and Graduations Office (EGO), in order to be suitably accommodated e.g. blind, wheelchair users, Deaf persons requiring Sign Language interpreting, access to disability parking bays.
Hearing induction loop system: The Great Hall has been fitted with a hearing induction loop system for direct transmission of announcements over the public address system. To benefit from this system, persons with hearing aids fitted with a ‘T’ switch, must ensure that the hearing aids have been enabled with the Telecoil setting prior to the ceremony.
On the day of your graduation, EGO staff at the venue will be available to assist you.
For general enquiries, please contact:
Elizabeth King on 011 717 1281/72, [email protected]
Amanda-Jane Ringrose on 011 717 1280, [email protected]