After four years of dedicated hard work, studying, and growth, Convocation is a milestone celebration marking students’ graduation from the University of Guelph-Humber.
Have you ever stopped to wonder what it takes to plan the big day? Urmila Puran, Administrator, Convocation and Institutional Events at Guelph-Humber, leads the team at the University responsible for planning Convocation. She gave a behind-the-scenes look at what’s involved in planning this special milestone.
Q: You play a major role in making the magic happen for such a monumental event. Would you share what goes into planning for Convocation?
A: Convocation is filled with details encompassing the entire university – everyone who works here – students, alum, staff. There are a lot of components that are involved within Convocation, like making sure that we have a platform party that consists of our [program] chairs and our associate heads, plus instructors, graduands attending the event, and our wonderful staff to support and make sure that the day runs smoothly.
Note: A graduand is a student who has completed all degree requirements and is about to graduate (typically at Convocation), while a graduate is someone who has already had their degree conferred.
Q: What’s something that might surprise students and graduands to know about the behind-the-scenes planning of Convocation?
A: The planning process for Convocation actually starts in November. There are lots of details that go into every aspect of it, from when the application to graduate opens, how we communicate with students, making sure that everybody is encompassed within all the communication components, making sure that we are hitting different vendors and booking them ahead of time. There are so many different layers to making sure that the day runs smoothly, and we're making sure that our graduates are celebrated.
Q: What is the most challenging part about planning this wonderful day?
A: I think making sure that you keep everything in order. There are so many different people to communicate with between the University of Guelph, Humber Polytechnic, and the University of Guelph-Humber, as well as the external vendors, making sure that communication remains on a certain timeline. Communicating with the different departments within Registrarial Services, such as Student Financial Services and Academic Advising, and making sure that everyone is aware of all the timelines and deadlines that are needed to be met in order to make sure that we have all items as we need them.
Q: You are a Guelph-Humber alum yourself (Justice Studies, class of 2009). From being a participant in Convocation to now being a planner, what has changed since you crossed the stage?
A: The graduating class itself has grown. Year after year, Guelph-Humber’s classes are becoming larger. Also, our venue has changed. We went from a smaller venue, now to a larger venue to accommodate for the number of graduates that we are celebrating on Convocation day. But I think overall, we've tried to keep that sentiment that this is the Guelph-Humber community, and this is the family that you are now joining as an alum.
Q: Could you share some fond memories of your Convocation in 2009?
A: It was just so refreshing to see that I did four years of my undergrad with a set of people, and I was able to celebrate that day with those individuals. I've been graduated for a very long time now, but even up until today, I still keep in touch with those individuals because we've created that family, we've created that community amongst each other and we're able to hold that as a home.
Q: What’s it like for you now to see graduands cross the stage?
A: Coming from my previous role as a student life coordinator to my current role, it's interesting to see students who I was mentoring, now to students who are crossing the stage to see how hard they've worked throughout their program. And then to see that relief of, “I did it. I worked really, really hard,” and, “Here I am now, I'm able to cross the stage and start this new chapter of my life.” It's very rewarding to see that we've put in the work, not only from a staff side, but for the students to say that they've put in the work to come out stronger, happier, and more accomplished.
Q: What parting advice do you have for graduands as they prepare to cross the stage?
A: Nerves are going to take over. There is no doubt about that. But enjoy every single moment as it comes. You've worked very hard for this moment, and you should be very proud of how far you've come. We are proud of you here at the institution and we wish you all the best.
Convocation will take place on June 15, 2026, at the Toronto Congress Centre, North Building, located at 650 Dixon Road, Etobicoke. For more information on Convocation, click here.