Faculty, Staff and Official Guests

• Eligible faculty, staff and official guests are invited to join the Academic Procession. Registration is not required.
  
  
• If you are joining a ceremony on the Halifax Campus, please assemble on the main level of the Dalhousie Arts Centre, in academic dress, half an hour before the start of the ceremony.
   
• If you are joining a ceremony on the Truro Campus, please check-in at the CIBC Multicultural Centre, Room 242/243, in the MacRae Library, in academic dress, half an hour before the start of the ceremony.
   
• If you do not own academic dress, you may borrow some, at no charge, through our third-party vendor. See 'Academic Dress' below for more information.
  
  
• The academic procession will begin approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled start of the ceremony.

The following individuals are eligible to participate in the Academic Procession:

• Dalhousie University Chancellor
• Dalhousie University President and Vice-Chancellor
• Dalhousie University Provost, Vice-Provosts, Assistant Vice-Provosts, Vice-Presidents, Associate Vice-Presidents and Assistant Vice-Presidents
• Dalhousie University Faculty
• Dalhousie University Deans, Associate Deans and Assistant Deans and Directors of Faculties and Schools
• Members of Dalhousie University Senate
• Members of Dalhousie University Board of Governors
• Dalhousie University’s Alumni Association President
• Dalhousie University Processor Emeriti
• Dalhousie University Honorary Degree Recipients
• Dalhousie University’s Director of African Nova Scotian Community Engagement
• Dalhousie University’s Director of Indigenous Community Engagement
• Academic Visitors from other institutions
• Senators and Members of Parliament
• Provincial Government Members, including the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, Mayors, Ministers and Councillors
• PhD Supervisors
• Elders
• Dalhousie University Beadle

• Marshals are representatives appointed by the faculty to assist with lining up graduands, leading them into the auditorium, and assisting during the ceremony.
  
  
• Training documentation will be provided by the Convocation Team.
  
  
• Marshals are required to wear academic dress, which can be borrowed, at no charge, through our third-party vendor. See 'Academic Dress' below for more information.
  
  
• If you are joining a ceremony on the Halifax Campus, please check-in on the upper level (4^th floor) of the Dalhousie Arts Centre 1 hour before the scheduled ceremony start time.
  
  
• If you are joining a ceremony on the Truro Campus, please check-in at the MacRae Library 1 hour before the scheduled ceremony start time.

• PhD supervisors will join the academic procession and sit on stage and will stand when the name of their PhD graduate is read.
  
  
• PhD supervisors are asked to confirm their attendance with the Admissions and Convocation Officer (fgs.convocation@dal.ca) in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
  
  
• If you are joining a ceremony on the Halifax Campus, please assemble on the main level of the Dalhousie Arts Centre, in academic dress, half an hour before the start of the ceremony.
  
  
• If you are joining a ceremony on the Truro Campus, please check-in at the MacRae Library, in academic dress, half an hour before the start of the ceremony.
   
• Academic dress is required to join the academic procession. If you do not own academic dress, you may borrow some, at no charge, through our third-party vendor. See 'Academic Dress' below for more information.

There are many ways to get involved with Convocation, including:

• Greeting and directing graduates and guests
• Assisting graduates during graduate line-up
• Volunteering for parchment distribution

Connect with the Convocation Team by emailing graduation@dal.ca if you are interested in volunteering.

Faculty and staff are asked to wear the hood and gown to Convocation that represents their highest degree in the style of the awarding institution.  If you are unable to obtain academic dress, a black gown with our Faculty Hood may be borrowed for the day of Convocation. For those who do not own their own academic dress but are Dalhousie graduates, academic dress can be borrowed.

Academic dress is available through our third-party vendor, B'Spoke Apparel.

• If you borrowed academic dress during Fall 2025 Convocation or later, log in using your existing portal credentials here and email graduation@dal.ca for a discount code to ensure there is no cost at checkout.
• If you are a first-time borrower, email info@bspokeapparel.com from your @dal.ca email address to request access to the portal.

Academic dress can be picked up from the Convocation Hub up to one business day before the ceremony and must be returned before closing. View the Convocation Hub section on the Graduate Information page for location and hours.

There will be limited availability of academic dress on-site for those who did not reserve in advance. To guarantee availability, we strongly encourage placing an advance reservation.

Those who graduated from Dalhousie University who wish to wear their specific program hood must reserve in advance to ensure these items are available. The vendor will make every effort to accommodate on-site rental requests; however, if program-specific academic dress is unavailable, a black gown with our Faculty Hood will be provided.