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ISSUE FOUR HUNDRED, TUESDAY 12TH MARCH 2024, FREE
GRADUATION COST ANGER
A new charge for guest tickets for Concrete Celebrates the ceremonies has caused concerns. by Eleanor Radford
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FEATURES on behalf of the Graduation asked “why students weren’t Student’s Union will be reaching The Concrete Story - The history of Concrete since 1992 Revisiting a 2015 investigation into homelessness in Norwich Articles across our sections reflecting on Concrete's history
ARTS Interview with booksellers from Waterstones, The Book Hive and Dormouse Bookshop Friends, Wife Swap and Footballers' Wives: What was on TV in 2003? Film, music and other arts reviews and listings
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On 22nd February, an email sent
did not have an answer when
on students and families. The
Team at UEA announced the cost of graduation tickets. Graduating students will have their ticket free of charge, whilst any guests must pay an additional cost.
consulted,” and “why the poorest students have to bear the brunt of UEA’s cost-saving measures.” They suggested that while “UEA won’t u-turn and remove the charge… The [SU] officers are currently exploring plans for… a more affordable alternative.”
out to the colleagues at the university to understand the rationale behind this decision and to fight against these changes. It is clear from this decision today that the UEA believes that graduation is only for students that can afford it.”
Many students have taken to the anonymous Facebook submission page: ‘Concrete Confessions Between UEA Seshions’ to raise their concerns with the university. One student said, “I finished my degree last year and have struggled financially since and finding work. I was looking forward to celebrating my achievement at graduation but I’m not sure how I’m going to afford it now.”
Some other universities have also started charging for graduation ceremonies, such as the University of Aberdeen charging £13.20 last year and University of London charging £35 overall. These events take place on The Old Campus, and The Barbican Centre respectively.
Whilst previous years had entitled each graduating student to three free tickets for the ceremony, the university are now charging £20 for these ‘whole event’ guest tickets. The £20 ticket includes a seat in the ceremony hall and admission to the festival area. Each graduating student can purchase up to three ‘whole event’ guest tickets. There are also ‘Festival only’ tickets, costing £10 per head, which include admission to the festival area in the Sportspark grounds with a live screening of the ceremony and live music. These ticket prices come as part of an already expensive experience for many students. With gown and hat hire coming to £69 for the day and between £40100 for photos, the graduation ceremony last year already came with a £109 minimum price tag. This doesn’t include the price some graduates’ guests may pay for accommodation or travel. The Student Union team calculated that the average student will easily be paying over £150 for their ceremony.
Another, highlighting the anger felt by students, said “The university can just... start charging £20 for a graduation ticket with no consequences? No consultations? The mask is off. They do not care about students in the slightest. It is pure greed. We have students offering to pay other students for the tickets. We have plenty of goodwill on our side. What does the university have? Not even an ounce of shame. £9250 is just a number to them. Students are just cash cows.”
After meeting with the university on 5th March, the SU’s Postgraduate Officer Elise Page posted on Instagram that UEA had explained “They need to save £500k on graduation costs, and expect the ticket charge to raise £180-200k… Even though the event is in a university venue, they have to modify the space a lot, which in turn costs a lot.” They also explained that the university
The anger continued across social media with a joint officer post by the Student’s Union garnering 1,656 likes and 69 comments on Instagram alone. In their officer statement they highlighted that “We are extremely disappointed by the announcement today of graduation costs for the guests. In a cost-of-living crisis it is irresponsible for the university to place extra cost burdens
Speaking to the BBC, Taylor Sounes (Undergrad SU Officer) and Luke Johnson (Activities and Opportunities SU Officer), highlighted this fact once more. “This is going to price out a subset of students and families who will not be able to afford that. We have had students come to us saying ‘£40 is my parent’s food budget for the week’.” The university stated that the event would not make a profit and the £20 ticket included entry to a ‘festival zone” with live music. They also said that “A charge for guest tickets has been introduced for this year to support some of the running costs and to ensure that we can continue to provide an event of this standard on campus. Charging for guests to attend graduation ceremonies is a standard practice in many universities and we believe that our ceremony offers value for money and an excellent celebration for our students and their guests.”
Concrete's first issue being printed in 1992 (Thuy La) Today Concrete celebrates the release of its 400th issue since it’s launch in January 1992. Concrete's Co-Editors-in-Chief Eve Attwood and Matthew Stothard said, " Happy 400 issues to Concrete! A massive thanks to our team and lovely writers for contributing this issue as we look back at how Concrete has changed from when it first began all the way back in 1992. We hope you enjoy reading as much as us!" UEA’s Pro-Vice Chancellor for Student Experience and Education, Prof. Emma SuttonPavli said, “Since its launch in 1992, Concrete has provided a space for student writers to develop and showcase their skills in investigating, researching, and writing the stories that matter to them and their peers. As the publication reaches its 400th edition, we
look forward to reading and reflecting upon many more articles and contributions from all areas of our study community, building upon an enviable legacy that places Concrete amongst the very best student papers at any university.” This comes as the paper celebrates 6 nominations at the upcoming national Student Publication Association awards. The paper is up for Best Science Section and Best Sports Section, whilst Venue is nominated for Best Culture Section and Best Magazine Design. Additionally, Co-Editor-in-Chief Matthew Stothard is nominated for Best Arts or Culture Piece for his article on The Gloucester exhibition at Norwich Castle in March 2023, while Sports Editor Sofia Royal is up for Best Sports Reporter. Matthew Stothard