'Alternative graduation makes us feel seen'

Shannon McGoldrick is autistic and said she never expected to get a degree

An alternative graduation event has been held at Sheffield Hallam University for students who would have benefited from a quieter and less formal celebration.

The ceremony, held at Ponds Forge on Monday, was open to all graduates but was designed for autistic people and those who experienced social anxiety.

To make the event less overwhelming, noise levels were reduced and students could choose where to sit or stand and whether to wear a gown.

Psychology graduate Shannon McGoldrick, who is autistic, said: "Having a ceremony like this helps you feel more included as part of the university community."

Ms McGoldrick, 28, said she had found it hard to attend lectures or engage with others due to her anxiety, so the more relaxed graduation had made her feel that the university "sees" her.

"It's allowing us to have the space to feel comfortable and graduate like everybody else whilst accommodating for all the various needs that neurodivergent people have.

"There is probably a high percentage of autistic people here who wouldn't have gone to normal graduation and missed out that really important university experience."

Returning to university as a mature student and graduating with a first-class honours degree amid the challenges she faced had made her feel proud, she said.

"I've worked so hard to get to where I am today, I never thought I'd graduate."

Dr Luke Beardon said some students in the past did not attend traditional ceremonies as they found them too overwhelming

Senior lecturer Dr Luke Beardon said the alternative ceremony gave students a choice about how they celebrated their achievements.

"It's all about inclusion, accessibility, participation for students who might not feel comfortable going to the ordinary graduation," he said.

"It's offering that courtesy to those individuals so they feel engaged and can contribute to the university in the same way as any other student."

He said that in the past some students had avoided their graduation event because it was "too anxiety-inducing, too stimulatory, too potentially worrying for them".

Sheffield Hallam University is not the only site to have offered relaxed ceremonies for neurodivergent students.

Nottingham Trent University ran a pilot event in July 2023.

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