The Graduation Ceremony
Graduation is a big day – it’s a milestone event that you can celebrate with your friends and whānau. There are important formal aspects to the ceremony, and lots to take in about where to go and what to do.
Read through the information below so you’re prepared and know what to expect on the day.
The Autumn Graduation ceremony is at Wolfbrook Arena (formerly known as Horncastle or Christchurch Arena), at 55 Jack Hinton Drive in Addington.
There is free carparking on site and bus stops nearby. For more information, including details on accessibility, parking and directions, check out their website.
There will be two ceremonies, at 10am and 2pm. Your ceremony time will be confirmed closer to the graduation date. Estimated timings are below, but please note these are subject to change, and will not be confirmed until after registrations close.
10am: Trades; Applied Sciences & Social Practice; Health Practice; Humanities
2pm: Creative Arts & Digital Information; Hospitality, Business & Service Industries; Engineering & Architectural Studies
All graduands must be at the Arena one hour before the ceremony start time. Please don’t be late – if you’re not there on time, you may miss out on taking part in the ceremony.
- Morning Ceremony start time 10am – arrive by 9am
- Afternoon Ceremony start time 2pm – arrive by 1pm
Detailed timings for the day are below:
- The graduation ceremonies begin at 10am and 2pm.
- The graduation procession begins 15 minutes before the ceremony starts (this is when you will enter the arena, after waiting backstage).
- You need to arrive at Wolfbrook Arena 45 minutes before the graduation procession begins. This means you must arrive at the venue one hour before the ceremony start time. There will be signage and instructions onsite to let you know where to go.
- Please be on time! Traffic can be busy around the arena, so make sure you leave yourself lots of time to arrive. If you’re late, you will NOT be allowed to cross the stage.
- Doors to the venue open one hour before the ceremony start time. Guests of graduates are to be seated 20 minutes before the ceremony start time.
You will need to assemble one hour before the ceremony start time. When you arrive:
- Find the row your department is in (A, B, C or D)
- Find the name of your qualification.
- Find your department sign and the sign on the ground that has your qualification name on it and stand behind it.
- The Marshals will then arrange you in alphabetical order, ready to proceed into the hall.
- You need to stay in this order to ensure you’re ready to cross the stage when your name is called.
- The Head Marshal will brief you on the details of the graduation ceremony. Then at a signal from the Head Marshal you will move in procession into the hall. Follow the directions of the marshals, who will direct you to your seat.
Don’t worry, there will be lots of signage onsite and people around to help if you need!
If you or any of your guests have special mobility or access needs, please let us know before the day by contacting us at graduation@ara.ac.nz. Our graduation venues have accessible seating, and we will have lots of staff on hand to help if needed.
If you or any of your guests communicate by NZ Sign Language, we will have an interpreter at the ceremony.