Graduation ceremonies at Canterbury University in April have been cancelled.
While the students will graduate in absentia, the university says the events could not go ahead because of earthquake damage to the venue and strain on the city's infrastructure.
The Canterbury University Student's Association says it would have prefered the ceremony was delayed instead of cancelled.
But president Kohan McNab says that option was refused and the association and university are now both holding unofficial graduation celebrations for students in Christchurch and Auckland.
