You have three options for July 2013 graduation.
These are:
PERSONAL ATTENDANCE WITH GUESTS
When you register for graduation via MAP, you are asked to denote how many guest tickets you would like. Please do not assume that your request for tickets on MAP is the same as actually booking the tickets.
Seating in the Birmingham Town Hall Auditorium is limited, your seat is pre-allocated, therefore you DO NOT need a guest ticket for yourself.
Every graduand can request up to 4 guest tickets. The first two tickets will be free when you book the tickets with the Town Hall Box Office. The other two tickets cost £10.00 each..
All tickets including the two free ones need to be booked with the Birmingham Town Hall Box Office.
After Graduation Registration on MAP has closed, the Graduation Office will contact you via email with the date and time of when the Box Office will open and give you the code needed to book your tickets over the internet or via telephone. You will find out at this point whether you have been allocated any extra £10 tickets and these tickets can be purchased from the Box Office at the same time as you book your two free ones. Please note that a £2.50 fee per transaction will be charged on all bookings, except purchases made in person at the Box Office.
Please do not contact the Box Office to obtain guest tickets before the Graduation Office has emailed you with a promo code as the Box Office will not allow you to book tickets.
Please be aware however that extra tickets ARE NOT GUARANTEED.
Extra tickets are allocated on a first come, first served basis (according to the date you registered for graduation via MAP). Therefore, please do NOT encourage any guests to book airline tickets or hotel accommodation without confirmation from the Graduation Office that your request for extra tickets has been successful.
THE UNIVERSITY DOES NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY FLIGHTS/ACCOMMODATION THAT YOU BOOK BASED ON OBTAINING ADDITIONAL GUEST TICKETS. PLEASE REMEMBER ADDITIONAL TICKETS ARE NEVER GUARANTEED.
Please also note that guest tickets are not transferable and cannot be sold or passed on to a third party. Should you book but no longer require the guest tickets, they should be returned to the Box Office so that they can be reallocated. The Box Office provides the University with ticket booking information and all bookings are carefully monitored. Any guest tickets obtained without permission will be voided by the Graduation Office.
There is strictly no admission to the Birmingham Town Hall Auditorium without a guest ticket. Please also be aware that there are no overflow facilities (the ceremonies are not filmed or web streamed).
Children under the age of seven years WILL NOT under any circumstances be admitted into the Birmingham Town Hall (regardless of whether you have managed to obtain a guest ticket for them) as these ceremonies are not suitable for young children.
Please book your robes and your guest tickets by the 21st JUNE 2013 at the latest. If you do not book your robes and tickets in good time, then the Graduation Office will assume you have changed your mind about attending your ceremony and amend your details to in absentia.
CONFERMENT IN ABSENTIA
If you do NOT wish to attend the ceremony, your degree can be awarded in absentia by the Chancellor. Your degree certificate will be despatched by recorded delivery in the week following the ceremony (after the Chancellor has validated the certificate at the degree ceremony) to the address shown on MAP, unless you advise us otherwise. Postal delivery can take up to three weeks. If you are an overseas student, you may wish to send an address label in your native language, including your student university number to Lisa Gregg, Registry, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET.
Alternatively, you may arrange collection of your certificate (in the week following the ceremony) from the HUB in the Main Building from THURSDAY 25th JULY (times from 10.30am - 2.30pm). If you elect another person to collect the certificate for you, they must have signed authorisation from you to do so, and show their identification when they collect the certificate, on your behalf.
Please note that many graduands who wish to go through in-absentia (not attend their ceremony or any future ceremony) ask for their certificate to be sent out in advance of the ceremony. This is NOT possible as the Chancellor needs to validate the certificate (the Chancellor does this at the ceremony). If you need any paperwork for job interviews, the Graduation Office suggests that you contact your relevant School and ask for a transcript.
DEFERRING OF CONFERMENT
If you cannot attend your graduation ceremony in July 2013, but still wish to receive your degree in person, you may defer conferment and attend a ceremony in March 2014 (Postgraduates and Foundation Degrees only in March) or the July 2014 ceremony. Note that if you take this option you will not receive your degree certificate until your award has been conferred at the future graduation ceremony.
Please also note, that you need to tell the graduation office at least 3 weeks before the ceremony date if you choose to defer to a future ceremony. If three weeks notice is not given, then you will automatically go through in absentia meaning that you will not be allowed to attend a ceremony in the future. The three weeks' notice is not negotiable and cannot be waivered.
FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT CHANGE OF ADDRESS PLEASE UPDATE MAP ACCORDINGLY.
IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT AS TO WHETHER YOU WILL GRADUATE IN JULY 2013, YOU MUST STILL REGISTER BY FRIDAY 7th JUNE 2013 DEADLINE. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR US TO WITHDRAW YOU FROM A CEREMONY IF YOU SUBSEQUENTLY CANNOT ATTEND, BUT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO INCLUDE YOU IN THE CEREMONY YOU AFTER THE REGISTRATION CLOSING DATE! ANYONE NOT RESPONDING BY THE DEADLINE WILL BE SENT AN ‘IN ABSENTIA’ EMAIL AS WE WILL ASSUME YOU DO NOT WISH TO ATTEND YOUR CEREMONY!
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