A petition has been launched by students at Cardiff University following an announcement about plans for graduation ceremonies this year.
The university announced in October last year that graduation would take place at the 73,000-seater Principality Stadium hosting graduates from the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022.
The "unique" ceremonies are set to take place on July 20, 21, and 22 this year.
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An email sent to those set to graduate in the ceremony said that graduates will not cross the stage but "will stand and celebrate as a school from your place on the pitch."
Graduates are set to be seated in front of the main stage area with guests watching from the stadium stands.
However a petition has been launched by students at the university to 'give Cardiff graduates the graduation they deserve.'
Signed by more than 3,500 people at the time of writing the petition reads: "[I]f you've read the graduation schedule you'll have noticed that not only do we not get to do the one staple of graduation – going up onto the stage to receive your award – but instead of being congratulated individually we'll be congratulated amongst the entire block of our individual schools (i.e. likely 1k+).
"Most of whom we won't have even seen since the respective introductory lectures many, many years ago."
The petition gave examples of how other universities were conducting their ceremonies including Exeter University, Swansea University, and Manchester University.
The Cardiff University ceremonies are all set to follow the same format with gowning and official photography at City Hall and school reception events around the Civic Centre from mid-morning to early afternoon. The main ceremony at the stadium will start at 6pm with speakers and performances.
A Cardiff University spokesman said they recognised that "graduation is the highlight of our students’ academic journey with us" but added organising an in-person ceremony for the three year groups affected by the pandemic "presents a huge logistical challenge".
"We are different in terms of size and scale to many other universities and we have been planning this event around constant changes in Wales’s Covid-19 restrictions and continued levels of uncertainty," they added.
"Our previous venue was not big enough nor suitable and we explored all available options on campus and around the city. It’s for this reason that we took the decision to host three years of graduation ceremonies in the Principality Stadium. We consulted with students on the venue and the feedback was universally positive. It allows more friends and family to attend which has been restricted by our previous venue. It also allows some flexibility if Covid-19 restrictions were to return to Wales."
They said the university had been "open and transparent" that there would be changes to the format of ceremonies and this and timings had been discussed with student representatives throughout the planning process.
They added that the "sheer size and scale of numbers" means that it would be difficult to keep some elements of traditional ceremonies.
"I can assure you this decision was not taken lightly and we are extremely conscious of the need for personal and individual recognition," the spokesman said. "That notwithstanding it is important to stress that we are still finalising the format of the event."
They added: "I can assure you that Cardiff’s graduation events will be bigger and better than ever before and will include individual photograph opportunities in the stadium, live music, and entertainment. There will also be individual school-level celebration events around Cathays Park prior to the formal event at the Principality Stadium which will be an opportunity for students to celebrate with university academics and fellow graduates."
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