Durham 2020 Congregation ceremonies rescheduled for April 2021

An email sent by the Ceremonies Unit to Durham graduands this morning has stated that the Congregation ceremonies planned for this summer have been rescheduled for April 2021.

Although full details of the rescheduling are to be confirmed in autumn, the email states that ceremonies can be expected to take place from the week commencing Monday 12th April.

The original correspondence, sent shortly after 5am, opens with discussion of the collection of degree documents. Its opening section starts, “Registration to confirm details for delivery of your degree documents will open on Tuesday 16 June 2020.

“You need to complete the registration process by Friday 17 July 2020, even if you do not wish to attend the rescheduled Congregation ceremony, to confirm details are correct for delivery of your degree documents”.

The email then moves on to the subject of ceremonies, stating: “Providing you are registered on an eligible programme of study, you will then be asked whether you wish to be invited to the Congregation ceremony rescheduled for week commencing 12 April 2021. The timetable for the April 2021 ceremonies will be published in the Autumn term and you will be contacted to register your attendance in February 2021”.

The original Congregation ceremonies for students graduating in 2020 were due to take place between Tuesday 30th June and Friday 3rd July, with dates and times varying depending on the student’s course of study.

Until the rescheduled events take place next year, the Ceremonies Unit has also confirmed that as of Wednesday 4th August 2020, all awards will all be legally conferred “in absentia”. This means that degrees will have effectively been awarded to students in their absence, but are to be given to them, either at a ceremony or via post, at a later date.