MESSAGE FROM COMMON AWARDS

As you know, eligible student awards are formally conferred during a Durham University Graduation (Congregation) ceremony, typically held in January at Durham Cathedral for Common Awards students. This timing ensures that students can participate in the earliest available ceremony after their awards have been confirmed by the Durham Board of Examiners, which meets twice a year, in late summer and early winter.

As attendance at the winter graduation ceremonies continues to grow, the University’s Ceremonies Unit has asked the Common Awards Team to consult with TEIs and students about the possibility of moving the Common Awards ceremony to the summer ceremonies, usually held in early July. Qualifications would still be conferred at the January ceremony to enable students to receive their documentation at the usual time.

The main disadvantage to moving to a summer ceremony is that this will need to follow the Durham Board of Examiners, therefore often taking place one year after students have completed their programme.

There is no requirement for us to make this change; however, following the above request, we received permission from the Ministry Development Team to run a consultation to gather views on the timing of the ceremony.

We would therefore be grateful if staff and students (noting that not all awards are eligible to attend a Congregation ceremony - only MA, PGDip, PGCert and BA awards) could provide any feedback you have using the short consultation form by 3rd June 2025. A summary of responses will be considered by the Common Awards Management Board after this time. Thank you very much.

If you have any questions about any of the above, do not hesitate to get in touch with the team.

With best wishes

Common Awards