Students placed on graduation waiting list face 'not being able to complete journey' with course mates
Students were informed graduation places were on a first come first served basis
For 21 years of the University of Sunderland hosted its two annual graduation celebrations at Sunderland AFC’s Stadium of Light.
However, in May last year, university chiefs announced plans to move graduation ceremonies to The Fire Station, in the city centre.
The university said the move was to provide a more central location for students and their families to “celebrate in the city centre and access all the bars, cafes and restaurants”.
However, due to a reduced capacity at the Fire Station compared to the Stadium of Light, it has now transpired that, to accommodate demand, the university set-up a booking system and now have a waiting list, meaning some students face the prospect of not being able to graduate with their peers.
Confirming the situation, a University spokesperson said: “The university is planning a record 19 graduation ceremonies this summer which will be held at the Fire Station.
"All students involved in the celebrations were advised, in invitations sent on 30 March and through the University's booking system, that places are limited, allocated on a first‑come, first‑served basis, and early booking was essential to secure a preferred ceremony. This had been the case when graduation ceremonies were held at the Stadium of Light, particularly in the winter when there was a cap on hall numbers.
"Our approach is always to enable cohorts to graduate together wherever possible. A small number of students are currently on waiting lists due to unusually high demand affecting some ceremonies.”
The University of Sunderland’s Student Union president, Ade Adeoye, said students he represents had raised concerns about the limited capacity at the new venue once they heard Stadium of Light was no longer going to be used.
He said: “After the announcement last year that graduation ceremonies would move from the Stadium of Light to the Fire Station from January 2026, students shared with me their concerns over what this would mean for their graduation experience.
“One of these regarded the new venue’s capacity, which is significantly smaller than the Stadium of Light.
“Students were concerned about being able to graduate with all their classmates and how many guests would be able to attend. I raised this issue with the university last year and they assured me every student and their guests who wish to attend graduation would be able to.”
The change to a new venue passed without any issues for those cohorts who graduated this winter.
However Ade said: “With the summer graduations usually larger, I once again brought up the capacity situation. I was further informed that steps were being taken to address the issue, which included an increased number of ceremonies.”
Ade added that final year students have been left “disappointed” after being told they will be kept on a waiting list and face “not being able to complete their journey through their studies together”.
A student petition has been set-up calling for the university to ensure “fair graduation access for all students”, which has so far garnered 350 signatures.
The University spokesperson said they’re doing “everything reasonably possible” to support students on the waiting list and are “actively exploring options which will be communicated to them soon”.
Ade added: “The university have reassured me students impacted will have the opportunity to graduate this summer and are working on solutions to address waiting lists, with every effort to keep students on the same cohort together”