Disabled Access
Main campus
Disability support for graduands and guests
We want all students graduating to be able to enjoy this special day and we would encourage anyone with a disability to contact us in advance so that we can agree with you how we may best support you.
Our graduation ceremonies take place in the Bute Hall of the University which is located on level 4 of the Gilbert Scott Building (main building). Level 4 is accessible to both graduands and guests by staircase or lift.
Disabled Access for guests
Access to the Bute Hall is via the main staircase. Lift access for guests is available outside the University Gift Shop (A11 on the Campus Map) or from the Concert Hall Foyer. Staff are available on the day to provide directions or assistance if required.
Disabled Access for graduands
Access to the Bute Hall (and the pre-ceremony graduand assembly points) is via the main and Randolph staircases. Lift access for graduands is located behind the South Front. Staff are available on the day to provide directions or assistance if required.
Get in touch
Please contact the Graduation Team by completing the Graduation Ceremony Access Request Form before enrolment closes to discuss your specific requirements with our team:
If you wish to discuss your requirements in privacy, you can contact the Graduation Team in confidence at graduation@glasgow.ac.uk.
Blue Badge parking
If you wish to apply for Blue Badge parking in the University during a graduation ceremony you must first register for either a Student Blue Badge Parking Permit or a Visitor Blue Badge Parking Permit.
Once you have applied for the permit, you will have access to book a parking space for the date and time required. The Blue Badge must be displayed on the vehicle whilst on campus and permits the vehicle to be parked in any marked bay. Spaces may be limited so we recommend that you book a space as early as possible.
Dumfries campus (summer graduation ceremonies only)
Disability Support
The University encourages all students to attend their graduation ceremony. Clearly, we wish all those attending to be able to enjoy this special day and we would encourage anyone who might require disability support to contact the school office via dumf-admin@glasgow.ac.uk (or in person, in the Rutherford McCowan Building) in advance so that we can determine how we may best assist you on the day. The following brief description of the graduation ceremony is designed to highlight any extra support that graduands with special needs may require in order to attend the graduation.
The graduation ceremony takes place in the Crichton Memorial Church on the Dumfries Campus.
Graduands are assembled in the foyer area of the Rutherford McCowan Building before the ceremony and names are checked to ensure everyone is present. They will then join the procession to the Crichton Memorial Church where they may expect to be seated for as much as half an hour before the start of the ceremony. The graduation ceremony itself lasts approximately one hour and for much of the time graduands will be seated.
When it is time for their degrees to be conferred, students leave their seats and are directed to the front of the Crichton Memorial Church. During the time you are waiting for your degree to be conferred it may be necessary to stand for a few minutes. Degrees are conferred by the Chancellor (or his representative, the Vice-Chancellor) who sits on a platform at the front of the nave. The platform is reached by a step, there is then a short walk across the platform during which the Chancellor (or his representative, the Vice-Chancellor) will doff your head with a cap. You may be required to lean slightly forward for this to occur. Once doffed, you will proceed across the stage and down another step. You will then be required to walk back to your seat.
At the end of the graduation, the procession of academic staff and new graduates exits from the Crichton Memorial Church and processes back to the Rutherford McCowan Building for a group photograph.
If you think that you may experience difficulty in sitting for the duration of the graduation ceremony or standing or climbing/descending steps, or if you have any other concern about the arrangements for graduation (eg. if you have a visual or hearing impairment), please email dumf-admin@glasgow.ac.uk or pop by the school office in the Rutherford McCowan building.
Parking
All parking on campus is free; no permits are required.
Accessible parking is available at the entrance of the Rutherford McCowan Building, at the front of Maxwell House, and at Easterbrook Hall.
See more information about parking and how to get to the campus: