ANU Graduation Ceremony Changes Spark Outrage Among Students

Written by Maya Auld and Brianna Elliott

The Australian National University recently announced significant changes to its graduation ceremony schedule, eliciting strong reactions from its student body. 

Effective 2025, ANU will consolidate its graduation ceremonies into a single week in early April. This decision impacts the December 2024 graduation, moving it to the week of 31 March 2025.

According to current students, this last-minute shift has left many students and families scrambling to adjust their plans. 

One international student told the Observer, “international student visas have recently doubled in price. I am currently paying $2000 to be a student in Australia.” 

Currently, international students have to pay all tuition fees up front. Regarding this, the student who did not wish to be named, said “I think it is completely unfair that ANU has made the decision to change the date. 

“I will now not be able to afford to attend the ceremony that I have been waiting for my whole degree to complete. ”

The announcement has caused widespread discontent among students, many of whom had already begun preparations for the December 2024 ceremonies.

The abrupt change has been perceived by some as prioritising institutional convenience over student experience, leading to a surge of frustration and a petition demanding reconsideration.

The primary points of contention from the petition include:

1. Frequency of graduations: Students are calling for a reinstatement of the biannual graduation ceremonies, traditionally held in July and December. Students say that this schedule allowed for greater flexibility and accommodation of personal and familial commitments.
2. Visa concerns for international students: The rescheduled dates pose a significant challenge for international students, who may now need to apply for new visas to attend their own graduation. This process can be costly and time-consuming, adding an unnecessary burden on students.
3. Immediate impact on December 2024 graduates: Many students slated to graduate in December 2024 have already made extensive plans, including travel arrangements for family members. The sudden shift to March 2025 disrupts these plans and undermines the certainty and stability that graduates expect.

The petition demands the following actions from the university administration:

• Reinstatement of biannual graduations: Returning to the traditional two ceremonies per year to accommodate students’ diverse needs and schedules.
• Consideration for international students: Ensuring that graduation dates do not compel international students to secure new visas, which can be an expensive and cumbersome process.
• Restoration of December 2024 graduation: At the very least, allowing students graduating in Semester 2 of 2024 to have their ceremony in December as originally planned.

ANU’s Official Statement

The university’s announcement, emphasising the benefits of a single annual graduation week, stated, “From 2025, all ANU graduation ceremonies will be streamlined to a single week per year. This change will enhance the student graduation experience and address previous scheduling challenges.”

An ANU Spokesperson notes that this decision “was looked at closely by a dedicated group.” This group included “student representatives, including ANUSA.”

The petition calling for the reinstatement of biannual graduations was created by ANUSA, and is currently accessible on their website. 

ANU assures students that digital access to testamurs, academic transcripts, and the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement will still be available via MyEquals for those completing their courses in Semester 2, 2024. However, the physical ceremony will only occur in March/April 2025.

While the July 2024 graduation ceremony proceeded as usual, the ANU Open Day will be moved to 29 March 2025, to coincide with the new graduation week. 

An ANU Spokesperson further highlighted, “the new schedule will bring the full graduating year together to celebrate at the same time.” 

Graphics by Shé Chani

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