Venues and catering facilities
Please see below for information on:
- Catering facilities
- Student Union catering facilities
- The ceremonial halls venues
- Ticket Collection and Information Centre Marquee
- Wippells location for academic dress
- Gifts/Photography/DVDs
- All extra guest venues with live link plasma screens
- Other facilities during Graduation – SU Shop, music over the lunch time, Alumni, Clarkson Room for additional health requirements, quiet room and Muslim prayer room.
A Layout plan of all Graduation Facilities and Venues
Catering Facilities:
- The Piazza Restaurant
- The Terrace Restaurant
- The Blue Room Restaurant
- Food on the Go
- Staff Social Club
For details on the above catering and fine dining facilities please see the University Catering website.
Student Union Catering Facilities
- The Stags Head Pub
- The SUSU Cafe
- The SUSU Shop
For details on the above facilities please see the Student Union website.
Ceremonial Halls:
Location of the ceremonial halls:
The graduation ceremonies are held on the Highfield Campus in the Turner Sims Concert Hall and the Nuffield Theatre. The University of Southampton expects 24000+ graduands and guests over this time; as you can imagine organisation and timing is crucial to ensure your satisfaction on the day.
Please invite as many family and friends as you wish to share in your special day. Two guests will be able to accompany you into the ceremonial hall. All other guests will feel included by being able to view your ceremony on live link plasma screens in a selection of further venues.
For further details on the ceremonial halls please see below:
Turner Sims Concert Hall:
A seating plan of the Turner Sims Concert Hall
A layout plan of the Turner Sims Concert Hall Foyer
The Nuffield Theatre:
A seating plan of the Nuffield Theatre
A layout plan of the Nuffield Theatre Foyer
Other Venues you will need to locate for Graduation:
The Ticket Collection and Information Centre Marquee:
A layout plan of the Ticket Collection and Information Centre Marquee.
Set on the grass in front of the Staff Social Centre, this is where ALL graduands must come to register their arrival on the day and collect their guest tickets, for entrance into the ceremonial halls.
NB Only graduands with a printed copy of their e-ticket and in academic dress may queue to collect their guest tickets.
At this time graduands will also receive their copy and one copy for their guests of the Ceremonial Programme. This is the centre where all enquiries should be directed as it holds the Information Desk, where a trained member of staff will be able to deal with all enquiries.
Opening times: 8.15am - 5pm (closed for lunch 12noon – 1pm).
Academic Dress collection and drop-off:
Takes place in The Bridge Bar of the Students' Union Building, behind the Jubilee Sports Centre. Click here for layout of facilities on offer in the Bridge Bar. Wippells the University’s Robe Makers are open from 8am – 6.30pm for collection and drop-off of pre-ordered academic dress.
Photography, DVDs and University Gifts:
Available in The Cube, located in the Students' Union Building lower level. For further details on these services please see the Photography, DVD or Gifts section on this website.
All other extra guest venues offering a live link to the ceremonies on plasma screens
Please invite as many family and friends as you wish to share in your special day. Two guests will be able to accompany you into the ceremonial hall. All other guests will feel included by being able to view your ceremony on live link plasma screens in a selection of further venues, those being:
The Graduation Family Marquee:
A layout plan of the Graduation Family Marquee
Set in the middle of the proceedings this marquee provides a large 8ft x 6ft live-link cinema screen of the ceremonies as they happen. This marquee seats 120 persons, in rows, and as it is on level ground is ideal for guests with mobility difficulties and children in buggies/pushchairs. As this is the University of Southampton Family Marquee there are also some extra provisions for children, including bean-bag seating, buggy parking and a TV showing ‘CBeebies’ children's programmes. Open from 8.30am – 6pm.
NB there is no provision for leaving children unaccompanied in this venue at any time. A responsible parent/guardian must remain with each child at all times. If you wish to leave your child in Nursery care there is an Ofsted regulated Nursery on campus, places must be booked in advance.
The Hartley Bar:
Inside the Staff Social Centre enjoy the ceremonies relayed live on three plasma screens. The Hartley Bar is open for refreshments and you may relax on the brown leather sofa's - a relaxed but celebratory venue.
Arlott Bar:
Situated in the Staff Social Centre, this facility offers tables, chairs and comfy sofas and the chance to view two plasma screens with live links to the ceremonies. Food, (including breakfast) and drink are also served here for you to purchase.
Lecture Theatre A in the Nuffield Theatre:
Situated in the foyer this facility is for the provision of guests who cannot be accommodated into this ceremonial hall. We offer the facility of a live-link video screen set-out in lecture theatre style. Please note: this lecture theatre has limited facilities and is steeply raked and therefore not ideal for guests with mobility difficulties or children in buggies/pushchairs; we would ask you to be accommodated in the Graduation Family Marquee.
The Concourse Café outside of Wippells the Robe makers in The Bridge Bar:
Relax whilst the graduands collect their academic dress from Wippells. Watch the ceremonies live on two plasma screens whilst having a cup of coffee, tea or soft drink. Sandwiches and cakes available as well.
Other facilities on offer during graduation:
The Students' Union Shop:
Located opposite the Student Services Centre the Students' Union Shop will be open each day 8.30am – 4.30pm for you to purchase a good range of ‘necessities’ if required, such as water, stationery and grocery items. Here you will also find greeting cards, drinks and confectionery.
Musical Entertainment:
There is a gazebo set near the Staff Social Centre where musicians from the University’s Musical Department will play over the lunch period.
Alumni:
Please visit your Alumni in the Graduation Ticket Collection and Information Centre Marquee and find out details about your free membership. As a Southampton Alumnus, you can take advantage of the many services and benefits, including:
Alumni Smart ID card for continued access to the library and other on site facilities
Careers Information
Invitations to reunions
Business networking events for your career industry
Find a friend service
Email forwarding service for life
Students’ Union life membership
Use of University sports facilities
Support in organising your own reunion
Plus take the opportunity to get in early and come and buy your Graduates’ Christmas Party tickets.
The Clarkson Room for graduands and guest with additional health requirements:
The location of the Clarkson Room is off of the Nuffield Theatre foyer. This room is pre-bookable for academic dress collection. Graduands, or Guests, with mobility, hearing, visual, unseen health concerns, late stage pregnancy, broken bones etc. can be booked into here to receive this extra level of service. Please give the Graduation Team at least four weeks to make the arrangements. Please see the graduation additional health requirement section on this website for further information. First Aid representatives are based in this room during graduation.
The Quiet Room:
If you need to get away from the hustle and crowds of graduation for a while we offer you the Quiet Room. This room is located off of the foyer of the Nuffield Theatre.
The Muslim Prayer Room and Chaplaincy:
The Muslim Prayer Room is located under the Catering outlet, Garden Court and is accessed through the garden entrance.
For further faiths facilities please check the Chaplaincy website.
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