Spring Convocation

Congratulations, Royal Roads University Class of Spring 2025!

Faculty and staff look forward to welcoming you to campus to celebrate your Convocation on Friday June 6, 2025 in the Dogwood Auditorium.

A graduate smiles with joy and hugs another grad.

Show all / Hide all

Information for Graduates

Application

The application to attend Spring 2025 Convocation will be open from January 28 - March 11, 2025.

For further assistance, please connect with the Convocation Office.

Eligibility

If you are expecting to graduate on or before April 30, 2025 and would like to celebrate your achievements with us in person, please complete the application form to attend Spring 2025 Convocation at Royal Roads before the application deadline of March 11th, 2025.

December 2024 Graduates:

You are eligible to attend Convocation

January 2025 Graduates:

Eligible learners will have their degrees conferred on January 29, 2025.
Once you have graduated, you are eligible to attend Convocation.

April 2025 Graduates:

you must meet our graduation criteria and your final grades must be approved and submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the April 11, 2025 grade deadline.
Your credential will be conferred on April 30, 2025.
Once you have graduated, you are eligible to attend Convocation
If you miss the application deadline, you will be eligible to attend the next Convocation ceremony.

If you were eligible for Fall 2024 Convocation, but requested to defer your attendance, you are eligible to apply. Please email us at convocation@royalroads.ca to request your application form.

If you are unsure about your eligibility, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

You will have the option to select up to 3 guest tickets on your application form.

Due to fire code regulations, every guest must have a ticket, including infants

Graduates do not need a guest ticket for themselves.

If additional guest tickets become available, graduates will be notified mid-May; approximately 30 days before the event. We do not have a wait list, and we cannot guarantee the availability of extra guest tickets being available.

Additional guests are welcome to join you on campus and will be able to watch the ceremony livestream from a viewing room in the Sherman Jen building if they are unable to secure a ticket in the auditorium.

Please email convocation@royalroads.ca if you need any sort of special accommodations for you or your guests
This could include a room for prayer, an area for breastfeeding, special seating accommodations, accessible parking, service dogs, or extra time to get settled.
Captioning in English will be available on the screens inside the auditorium.
Translation services are not provided. Should you wish to bring your own interpreter, please email the convocation office to confirm your arrangements.

What should I wear?

Regalia will be provided for you when you check in.
Regalia will include a gown, hat, and hood if your program requires one.
Gowns can be quite warm; we recommend that you do not wear a suit jacket or sweater under it. Long sleeved collared shirts, blouses, or dresses are popular choices.
Wear comfortable shoes. There is a lot of walking on campus, and the ground is often uneven.

Should I eat before I arrive?

Yes, we recommend eating before you arrive to campus.
Food and beverage is not immediately available in West Campus.
Habitat Café is open for food and beverage in the Sequoia Building. It is approximately a 15 minute walk to West Campus, so please plan accordingly.

When should I arrive on campus?

Grad check in will open one-hour before your scheduled ceremony time.
Please leave time to park and take the shuttle bus to West Campus as parking to the area will be restricted to accessible use only.

Do you have a coat check?

We will have a designated self-serve area for you to leave jackets and non valuables.
Leaving items is done at your own risk, as Royal Roads is not responsible for any lost or missing items.
Please leave any valuables at home, with a friend or family member, or take them with you.

Arriving to campus and parking

When you arrive to campus, you will be directed to the best available parking lot by traffic control.
Convocation ceremonies will take place in the Dogwood Auditorium, located in West Campus.
Traffic will be limited to West Campus, and parking is restricted to accessible parking only.
Once parked, take the shuttle bus to West Campus.
If you choose to walk, it is a 12-15 minute walk to West Campus, with inclines and declines on the route.

STEP 1: Grad check-in

(note, Doctoral graduates will check in separately; further details will be sent by email)

Graduates will check in 1 hour before ceremony start time.
When you arrive to West Campus, look for the signs for “Grad Check-in” which will direct you to the check-in location inside the Sherman Jen Building in Room 114
Please direct your guests to the Auditorium, which will open one hour before the ceremony.
Please find the line up for your last name (A-M or N-Z)
Volunteers will provide you with a name card *Do not lose your name card* You cannot cross the stage without it!
Confirm the pronunciation of your name with our volunteers.
Time to get your gown! Go across the hall to room 113 to pick up your gown.

STEP 2: Gowning

Hand your name card to our gowning volunteers
Collect and put on your regalia, which will include a gown, hat, and a hood if your program requires one.
Our volunteers are there to help! Please ask if you need assistance with your gown, hat, or hood.
Once gowned, move into the line up area down the hall in room 119. You must be ready to line up 25 minutes before your ceremony start time.
Don't forget your name card!

STEP 3: Grad Line-up

You will be lined up according to the number on your name card.
The grad line up is specific to how you will cross the stage
Please listen to volunteers to ensure you are in the correct place.
If you are late, you will be asked to wait until the graduate procession has entered the auditorium so our volunteers can find a seat for you and try to place you with your program.

Crossing the Stage

Marshals will indicate when it is your row's time to stand up to cross the stage
Follow prompts from Staff and Marshals
DO NOT FORGET YOUR NAME CARD; you cannot cross the stage without it!
Your name card will be verified before you cross the stage
When on stage, hand your name card to the MC at the Podium and KEEP WALKING across the stage, even if someone is having their photo taken. The idea is for your name to be announced as you are shaking hands and having your photo taken mid-stage.
If you wish to shake the hand of the Chancellor or President, please extend your hand to initiate the handshake. They will not offer to shake your hand unless you have extended it for them.
Stop on the mark on the floor, and face directly to the audience for a photo. Photos will be available on our website 1-2 weeks after the ceremony for you to view and download free of charge.

After your ceremony

The procession will go outside for a hat toss (weather permitting)
A New Alumni celebration will take place in the Sherman Jen Building
You can shop at the Campus Store table for frames (order in advance HERE for pick up at the Campus Store in the Sequoia building from 9-5), buy a class ring, or have your grad portrait taken (book in advance HERE)
Visit Hatley Castle for photos

Returning your regalia

You may wear your regalia while you are on campus; please return it before you leave.
- Deadline for gown return on Friday June 6th is 7:00 pm.
Return your regalia to
- Sherman Jen Building in room 113 (where you went for grad check in)
- Hatley Castle in room 121 (at the end of the hall on the right)
Please do not leave regalia anywhere else on campus.
Keep your black mortarboard hat!
There is a $200 fee for late return of regalia after deadline, or for not returning it to the locations specified above.

Shuttle Bus

Shuttle bus service will end at 7:30 pm on Friday June 6th.
If you are at Hatley Castle, please ensure you catch the shuttle from West Campus by the Auditorium.

Graduates, keep an eye out for the email link in October for an opportunity to be part of a slideshow.

From May 1- May 22, 2025, you will have access to upload up to two photos for an opportunity to appear in the graduate slideshow photo montage that will play during the ceremony.

Make this photo fun and exciting – you are welcome to upload group shots with friends and family - so long as the photo includes you.

Late submissions cannot be accepted, so please be sure to meet the May 22nd deadline.

Show all / Hide all

Visiting the Royal Roads Campus for Convocation

Parking

When you arrive to campus, you will be directed to the closest available parking lot to the venue by traffic control.
Convocation ceremonies will take place in the Dogwood Auditorium, located in West Campus.
Public parking will be available in the Upper Parking, Central Parking lot and Lower Parking lots only.
Traffic will be limited to West Campus, and the West Campus Parking lot is restricted to accessible parking only.
Parking is complimentary for June 6th.

Shuttle Bus

Shuttle buses will be running on a loop from all parking lots.
Please leave enough time to include a wait for the next shuttle to arrive.
Once parked, take the shuttle bus to West Campus.
Shuttle service will run until 7:00 pm on Friday June 6.
The shuttle bus does NOT go directly to Hatley Castle; you will need to loop around campus get off at the four-way stop on College drive (please ask your driver).

Walking to Dogwood Auditorium

Parking is a 12-15 minute walk to the Auditorium, which includes steep hills.
We recommend wearing appropriate footwear when walking on campus
Pedestrian routes from the parking lots will be marked for easy navigation.

On-campus accommodation is not available at this time.

We are pleased to suggest the following options:

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Colwood