Queensland University of Technology students slam institution as hundreds miss out on graduation ceremony tickets

One of Queensland’s top universities has been slammed after hundreds of students missed out on graduation ceremony tickets with a livestream offered instead.

Students have taken to social media to vent frustration after hundreds of students missed out on tickets to the graduations. Picture: Dan Peled

Hundreds of students of one of Queensland’s top universities have slammed the decision of a live streamed graduation ceremony after missing out on tickets.

This comes as Queensland University of Technology changed venues from the Star Brisbane from the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, with students raising concerns over venue change and capacity.

It is understood QUT signed a lucrative deal with The Star Brisbane for 2024 and 2025, with QUT securing the entire event centre in the heart of the Brisbane CBD, and will hold 25 ceremonies for graduates in December.

Students have taken to social media to share their disappointment in the “ridiculous” changes to the graduation ceremonies.

“The Star Events Centre has a 2,000 capacity and the BCEC has 4,000 capacity. This is ridiculous. And they want to act like this is due to unprecedented registrations,” a QUT student said.

“The gall to use the word “unprecedented” like they hadn’t set a precedent of a large number of people attending the graduation by previously holding it at a larger venue,” another QUT student said.

Queensland University of Technology students slammed limited capacity for some graduation ceremonies. Photo: Tony Phillips

For students attending the Tuesday graduation QUT advised students that the ceremony was at “capacity” due to “unprecedented amount of registrations.”

“We have received an unprecedented amount of registrations for your ceremony and we are now at capacity. A second allocation of guest tickets will not be released,” an email said.

“All graduation ceremonies will be streamed for the benefit of family members or friends who are unable to attend the ceremony.”

Each ceremony will have the capacity to accommodate up to 240 graduates with a total capacity of 1000 attendees per ceremony.

A QUT spokeswoman in a statement said a small number of students have contacted the university who have missed out on registration prior to the cut-off,

“All students eligible to graduate and who registered prior to the cut-off of 3 December have already been allocated tickets,” a QUT spokesperson said.

“We have had a small number of students contact us to say that they did not register prior to cut-off and so we are looking to accommodate them if possible in the ceremonies.

“Additional tickets may be available for purchase after, subject to final attendance numbers noting this is the same process used for all previous graduations.”

QUT students are forking out $85 for a graduation fee and $40 per guest. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

Students are able to purchase guest tickets for $40 each and this includes the post-ceremony function and students are expected to fork out $85 for a graduation fee.

A graduation fee did not apply to students last year, but paid $65 for gown hire and register attendance.

“Regarding price, previously the students paid the gown provider separately to the graduation ticket. This all-inclusive price which we now do reflects student feedback that the cost of graduations should be inclusive of ticket, academic dress (previously a separate cost to students) and also a post-ceremony function,” a spokesman said.

Another QUT student told the Courier Mail that some students were able to secure tickets before the registration deadline.

“Everyone eligible to graduate was allocated their ticket and three guest tickets,” she said.

“Additional tickets became available for my ceremony once the deadline closed and that enabled me to purchase two extra tickets if I needed to.

“More are opening up this morning. I guess I was initially disappointed to learn that I was limited to the number of guests I could invite, but I have since changed my perspective and now think that a smaller group in a nicer venue might be better. The live stream will enable others to watch if they want to. We are then celebrating at dinner with a larger group after the ceremony.”

QUT student Gem has forked out $245 for herself and her guests to attend her graduation ceremony.

“It was $85 for me to graduate and I paid an additional $120 for three guest tickets. Then I had to wait until the second release of guest tickets to buy a fourth for another $40,” she said.

“I could understand that it might be financially difficult to buy them at $40 each.

“I wasn’t impressed that they didn’t say when the additional guest tickets would become available any more than “after registration closes.”

She said most students were allocated three guest tickets during the registration window but after that cut off students were unable to secure further tickets.