Shaping the future of your University and alumni community
Our alumni have a unique opportunity to shape the future of Newcastle University through Convocation, an annual meeting of our alumni community.
What is Convocation?
Convocation is the formal name for our 250,000-strong alumni network. The meeting of Convocation occurs once a year, usually in October, and gives you an opportunity to join discussions with our Vice-Chancellor and President and other members of our leadership team about the latest developments at the University and future plans.
Here, you can share your unique perspective as a graduate with the University, influencing key decisions in our policy and future direction.
As a member of our alumni community, there’s nothing extra you need to do to formally join Convocation. You just need to sign up to attend our annual meeting to make your voice heard!
Every three years, we elect a new Chair of Convocation. As the name suggests, this person chairs the annual meeting and leads our global alumni community in offering guidance and ideas to the University.
Anyone can nominate themselves as Chair of Convocation, and everyone in our alumni community will have the opportunity to vote in the elections online. If you’d like to find out more about what it takes to be our Chair, visit here.
Convocation Election 2022
The results of the election for a new Chair and Deputy Chair of Convocation are available here.
The Chair of Convocation is Nick Richardson (BSc Zoology, 1977), and the Deputy Chair of Convocation is Clare Talbot-Jones (BA (Hons) Modern Languages, 2004).
We have 250,000 Newcastle University alumni around the world – a milestone we’re celebrating this year!
Our alumni community is made up of Newcastle graduates and honorary graduates, staff (both current and retired) and people who spent part of their time studying at Newcastle. Because we were part of the University of Durham before 1963, this also includes some members of Durham’s alumni community.
If you meet one or more of the below criteria, you’re part of our alumni community!
I hold a degree or other award from Newcastle University.
I am an alumnus of the University of Durham who was registered at the Newcastle Division of the University during my course.
I am an alumnus of the University of Durham who was a matriculated student at Sunderland Technical College during my course.
I completed one term at Newcastle University or the Newcastle Division of the University of Durham (before 1963) but didn't take an award.
I am a current or retired member of academic and academic-related staff of Newcastle University.
I hold an Honorary Degree or Honorary Fellowship of the University.
If you’re part of our alumni community, you’re automatically a member of Convocation – there’s nothing extra you need to do!
If you want to be involved in the annual meeting of Convocation each October, then you just need to sign up when registrations open in August each year.
We’ll send you an email inviting you to the meeting, and the registration link will also be available on our website and social media channels. To make sure you don’t miss it, update your details with us so we know how best to reach you.
The annual meeting of Convocation is your opportunity to hear about and have your say on the latest news from Newcastle University. The University’s Vice-Chancellor and President and other members of the Executive Board will update you on the past year, sharing our successes as well as the current issues facing the University and future challenges we anticipate.
You’ll be able to ask questions of our leadership team and connect, or reconnect, with members of our University community.
With the backing of other alumni, you can also raise matters with the University Senate, Council or Court, as appropriate, helping to shape our future.
Any member of our alumni community can nominate themselves as Chair of Convocation, as long as they are not a salaried member of staff at the University.
All alumni have the opportunity to vote for the next Chair in an online election. You’ll be notified when voting opens via email, so please make sure you have provided us with your up-to-date contact information.
Find out more about what it takes to be our Chair of Convocation.
