ACADEMIC
COSTUME CODE AND CEREMONY GUIDE
Historical Overview:
The origin of Academic dress dates back to the first universities
in the world, presumably starting with Gondi Shapur in South
Persia. Evidence suggest that both the faculty and the student
body of this university wore special apparel more than 1500
years ago to indicate institutional deference. The tradition
was largely revived in 12th century Europe, where universities
as we know them today, were taking form. Probably under the
influence of the Christian Church, to which a number of scholars
of the time belonged, long gowns and hoods were worn until
superseded by the skull cap of the Jewish and Moslem teachers
of renaissance Spain.
European institutions have always had great diversity in their
specification of academic dress, resulting in a rich variance
of color and shape to the degree of becoming a source for
confusion. The tradition in the United States of America was
subjected to a basic uniform modification, mostly through
the intervention of Gardner Cotrell Leonard, whose article
on academic dress published in 1893, formulated the code adopted
by the Intercollegiate Commission in 1895, which besides regulating
the cut, style and material of the gowns, prescribed the colors
which were to represent the different fields of learning.
The present code has been adapted from the recommendations
of the Committee on Academic Customs and Ceremonies, appointed
by the American Council on Education in 1959, and the subsequent
changes and updates of the same.
The Academic Costume Code:
Gowns
The material of the gown is normally poly-cotton. Although
black is recommended for ease of ability to rent, but in the
event of a campus or study center deciding uniformly to adapt
the Navy Blue color of the University, this is permissible.
Gowns recommended for use in the ceremonies of InterAmerican
should have the following characteristics:
The gown for Bachelor's degree has pointed sleeves, designed
to be worn close.
The gown for Master's degree has an oblong sleeve with the
rear part cut square and the front part with an arc cut away,
open at the wrist, the sleeve base hanging down in the traditional
way.
The gown for the doctor's degree has bell-shaped sleeves.
All gowns are supplied with front fasteners, and may be worn
open or closed.
Gowns for bachelor or master's degrees are untrimmed.
Gowns for doctorate degrees are faced down with velvet or
velveteen and three bars of the same velvet or velveteen are
used across the sleeves over the upper arms. The facings and
sleeve cross bars may be of velvet or velveteen of the color
distinctive of the discipline to which the degree pertains,
thus agreeing with the binding or edging of the hood appropriate
to the particular doctor's degree in every instant.
For all academic purposes, including trimmings of doctor's
gowns, edging of hoods and tassels of caps, the colors associated
with the different disciplines are as follows:
Arts, Letters and Humanities White
Commerce, Accountancy and Business Drab
(Brownish Yellow)
Economics Copper
Education Light Blue
Engineering Orange
Fine Arts, including Architecture Brown
Journalism and Mass Communication Crimson
Law Purple
Medicine Green
Music Pink
Nursing and Paramedical Apricot
Philosophy Dark Blue
Public Policy, including Diplomacy Peacock
Blue
Public Health and Natural and Alternative Medicine Salomon
Pink
Sciences, including Computer Science Golden
Yellow
Social Sciences and Social Work Citron
Hoods
Only worn by the faculty during ceremonies and also presented
to Postgraduate students at graduation.
The color of the hood is black in all cases and should be
as similar to the material and fabric of the gown worn as
possible.
Members of faculty with a Bachelor's degree will wear a hood
in the simple pattern three feet (90 Cms.) long.
The hood for a master's degree is in the simple pattern, three
and one-half feet (105 cms.) in length.
The hood worn by a doctorate holder or for recipients of a
doctoral degree ONLY should have panels at the sides, and
with a length of four feet (120 cms.)
The hoods are to be lined with the official Navy Blue color
of the University, with one chevron of 5 inches (18 cms.)
in width, indicating the subject to which the degree pertains
(see above) added to the lower part of the lining, with the
apex of the chevron pointing down.
Trimmings are applied to the hood in the form of a binding
or edging of the hood. The material is to be velvet or velveteen
in the color of the discipline pertaining to the degree.
The trimming for a Bachelor's degree hood will be two inches
(5 cms.) wide.
The trimming for a Master's degree hood will be three inches
(7.5 cms.) wide.
The trimmings for a Doctorate degree will be five inches (12,5
cms.) wide.
The trimmings for a Doctorate of Philosophy degree will be
in a DARK BLUE color, showing mastery of discipline and general
scholarship in nay field, and is not intended to represent
the field of philosophy.
No academic hood of the University should ever have its border
divided to represent more than a single degree or discipline.
Graduation Cap (mortarboard) with Tassel
Graduation cap is made of a hard square cardboard, 9.5x9.5
inches (24x24 cms.) covered with the same material as the
gown and with a matching button in the center of the topside
for attachment of the tassel. A simple hat of the same material
is secured to the lower side in such manner that it positions
the cap DIAGONALLY and securely on the head of the wearer
when worn.
Tassels are made of silk or silk-like thread, of heavy braided
type, 11 inches long, to form a loop with two equal parts
of 5.5 inches (14 cms.) each, the folded top of which will
be attached to the button on top of the cap. To the free end
a bind of 1 inch (2.5 cms.) is applied by collecting the top
of around 50 strands of the same thread together and sewing
or clamping it with a black metal ring, and from which the
free ends in form of a fringe of 14 cms. will hang, . All
in black or the Navy Blue of the University only according
to the color of gown worn.
The only permissible exemption is in the case of holders or
recipients of a Doctor of Philosophy degree, when a black
velvet cap with a gold tassel and gold clamp may be used.
Other Apparel
Shoes and any other visible articles of apparel worn by the
faculty or the graduates should be of dark colors (black,
navy-blue, charcoal-gray, dark brown, etc.) that harmonize
with the academic custom. No ornaments may be worn on the
academic gown.
Miscellaneous Permissible Exceptions
· Members of the Board of Trustees, and the Senate
of the university, regardless of their postsecondary education,
are entitled to wear a doctoral gown (with Navy Blue velvet).
Those holding a university degree may choose to wear their
appropriate hoods, or the simple hood prescribed for the members
of the governing bodies of the University.
· The Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and President, and
the Provost of the University may wear a specially designed
costume, approved by the Academic Committee of the University.
· The members of the Governing Bodies of the University
and members of the faculty and recipients of honorary degrees
may wear the official national and international honors that
they may have received (such as decorations and medals) in
an appropriate way and in the manner prescribed by the pertinent
ordinance of the honor bestowed.
· Invited dignitaries, members of the governing bodies
and the faculty of the University, and recipients of honorary
degrees who hold degrees from other institutions of higher
learning may wear their entire appropriate academic custom,
including cap, gown and hood.
· Members of religious orders may suitably wear their
customary habits. The same principle applies to persons wearing
ceremonial military uniforms or special attire of a distinctive
civil office.
· In those campuses and study centers of the University
and articulated or affiliated institutions that an Associate
Degree is offered the gown worn by the graduates will be the
same type as worn by recipients of a bachelor's degree, but
that the color of the gown will be light gray in every instant.
· In case of graduates of interdisciplinary areas or
emerging disciplines using the color of the discipline most
nearly indicative of the new field is recommended.
· Visitors to a graduation ceremony who will appear
with the officialdom of the University on the rostrum, if
not wearing a ceremonial gown, should be provided with a simple
black gown.
Official Class Rings
The official InterAmerican University rings, customized with
yeardate, degree and Major details are crafted from either
Ultrium or 10,14 and 18 karat gold, can be worn to the graduation
ceremony.
The Academic Ceremony Guide::
The following is a guide on academic ceremony. It should be
noted, however, that in the case of a Multimedia and Global
University like ours, it is impossible and probably improvident
to lay down enforceable rules without respect to national
and regional cultures and customs. Furthermore, many factors
such as the constitution of the campus, study center or articulated
and affiliated institutions, the size of the graduating class,
the weather and the physical location of the ceremony, etc.
will effect the details of various kinds of ceremonies that
can be held. Institutions associated with the University have
wide latitude in relation to the prevailing conditions.
Academic Procession in General
The procession is led by the Chief Marshal of the ceremony,
who has been responsible for arrangements, and who is normally
a senior authority of the University, such as Provost or Senior
Vice President of the University, Rector of a Campus, Regional
Director or Administrator, Dean of a Study Center, Vice President
of an articulated or affiliated institution, and so on.
Commencement Exercises : :
The General (Preliminary) Procession
The commencement procession is composed in the following manner:
· Chief Marshal
· President of the University
· President of the articulated or affiliated institution
· The speakers, including students' representative(s)
· Trustees and Members of the Senate of the University
· Trustees and Members of the Governing Bodies of the
articulated or affiliated institutions
· Regional Directors, Administrators and Deans
· The Faculty
· Candidates for degrees, with candidates for advanced
degrees in the lead, and others in groups according to the
degrees for which they are candidates.
At some institutions there may be more divisions in the procession
than are indicated above, e.g. local officialdom and religious
dignitaries. Such groups will have their own special place
in the procession, dictated by local tradition.
With the entrance of the Marshal into the locality of the
ceremony all present will stand up.
The rostrum party will reach their seats and standing up,
will wait for the candidates to reach their seats.
When the members of the procession are all in place, the most
senior official presiding over the ceremony will first bow
to the rostrum party, who bow back.
He/She will then Bow to the floor, and invites them to be
seated. With the floor in their seats, the rostrum party will
take theirs, with the presiding official the last to be seated.
The presiding official will then bow to the Chief Marshal
first, while seated, who will invite the first speaker to
the podium, and the ceremony will officially begin.
The Commencement Ceremony
The essential elements of the ceremony are the commencement
addresses and the conferring of degrees. The most junior speaker
will start first and the most senior speaker will address
the convocation last. Earned degrees are conferred in the
ascending order, with the baccalaureate degrees first, and
professional doctorates and doctorates of philosophy last.
The Chief Marshall calls out the names of recipients in the
order of Grade Pont Average, and the called candidate will
present himself/herself at the rostrum to receive his/her
diploma, honors and hood if applicable, presented by the presiding
official and helped with the most senior academic personage
present.
Honorary degrees are conferred, with individual citations,
after the earned degrees, and each recipient will have a maximum
of three minutes to convey his/her reflections at the podium,
immediately upon being admitted to the degree.
The Baccalaureate Service
The preliminary procession for the baccalaureate service differs
from that for commencement exercises in that the candidates
for degrees are not required to march in a special order determined
by degrees to be conferred.
The Final Procession
The ceremony will come to an end when the presiding official
arises form his/her seat. All present will stand up.
The rostrum party and the faculty leave the hall in the same
order of entry. Recipients of degrees are permitted to disperse
from their seats when these two divisions have left the ceremony
locale.
Inauguration Exercises
1. Chancellor of the University
2. Vice Chancellor and President of the University
The office of the Chancellor of the InterAmerican University
is an honorary position, bestowed on a global personality
for a period of four years.
The office of the Vice Chancellor and the President of the
InterAmerican University is for life, meaning that a replacement
is only selected upon the volitional retirement or demise
of the incumbent.
When a new Chancellor or a Vice Chancellor and President is
to be inaugurated, the tradition for the academic procession
dictates that at least the following divisions be included
in the given order:
· Delegates of Colleges of the University and Campuses,
Study Centers, Regional Offices and Affiliated and Articulated
Institutions according to the dates of establishment in relation
to the University, with the most recent leading the procession.
· Delegates of Learned societies and institutions in
accordance with order of seniority, with the latest to have
been established leading
· Invited local officials and dignitaries
· The Faculty
· Members of the Senate of the University
· Members of the Board of Trustees of the University
· The Speakers and other dignitaries in the elected
official's party
· The person to be inaugurated marching alone at the
very end of the procession
The Ceremony
The essential components of the ceremony are the installation,
usually by the chair of the Board of Trustees of the University,
and the inaugural address by the newly elected official.
With the entrance of the Inaugural Procession into the locality
of the ceremony all present will stand up.
The rostrum party will reach their seats and standing up,
will wait for the members of the procession to be all in place.
The most senior official presiding over the ceremony will
first bow to the official to be installed, and then to the
rostrum party, who bow back.
He/She will then Bow to the floor, and invites them to be
seated. With the floor in their seats, the rostrum party will
take theirs, with the presiding official the last to be seated.
The presiding official will then take the podium and the ceremony
will officially begin. This is followed by the response from
the inaugurated official.
Representative of governments, churches, other institutions,
alumni, students' union, etc. may make additional addresses
preceding the inaugural address as appropriate.
The Final Procession
The ceremony will come to an end when the inaugurated official
arises form his/her seat. All present will stand up.
The rostrum party leaves the hall in the reverse order of
entry, with the newly inaugurated official leading the procession,
followed by the presiding official, the speakers and so on.
· Rectors of Overseas Campuses and Similar Positions
The inauguration ceremony for the newly appointed rectors
of overseas campuses of the University will follow the same
guidelines as above, except that :
· Vice Chancellor and President, or Provost, or Senior
Vice President of the University will preside
· The rostrum party will be limited to national and
local personages
The Ceremonial Dress Guide::
Beyond observing the content of Academic Costume Code, participants
in the University's ceremonies are given certain indicators
as to the dress etiquette for such occasions, as follows:
Caps
Those wearing academic costumes always wear their caps in
inaugural and academic processions and during the ceremony
of conferring degrees. Men may remove caps during religious
prayers if so dictated by tradition, and the playing of the
national anthems and the alma mater of the University and
the associated institutions. Such actions should be done in
unison, and hence plan for each ceremony should be carefully
prepared in advance. The participants should be notified beforehand
to observe the cues given by the Chief Marshal of the ceremony
for removing and replacing caps. Caps will not be removed
during the course of baccalaureate sermons or the commencement
addresses.
There is no general rule for the position of the tassel on
a mortarboard. However since the InterAmerican University
has dispensed entirely with bachelor's hood, it is required
of the candidates for a bachelor degree to wear the tassels
on the right front side before the degrees are conferred,
and to shift them to the left at the moment when the degrees
are handed to the them by the presiding official, and before
the departure handshake or bowing, whichever the local custom
dictates. This rule substitutes for individual hooding.
Gowns
All persons wearing an academic gown to the ceremonies of
the University should wear the gown appropriate to the degree
received or to be received.
Hoods
If a person holds more than one academic degree, he/she may
wear only one hood at a time. The hood should be appropriate
to the gown.
A candidate for a degree should not wear the hood for that
degree until the actual conferral. The candidates are normally
hooded during the commencement ceremony, and should not wear
the hood prior to being hooded by the presiding official.
In the event of en masse conferrals, when a large number of
individuals will receive their diplomas without time for individual
hooding, the candidates will be informed by the Chief Marshal
prior to preliminary procession to wear their hoods, which
they will keep on during the procession and throughout the
ceremony.
Beyond observing the content of Academic Costume Code, participants
in the University's ceremonies are given certain indicators
as to the dress etiquette for such occasions, as follows:
Caps
Those wearing academic costumes always wear their caps in
inaugural and academic processions and during the ceremony
of conferring degrees. Men may remove caps during religious
prayers if so dictated by tradition, and the playing of the
national anthems and the alma mater of the University and
the associated institutions. Such actions should be done in
unison, and hence plan for each ceremony should be carefully
prepared in advance. The participants should be notified beforehand
to observe the cues given by the Chief Marshal of the ceremony
for removing and replacing caps. Caps will not be removed
during the course of baccalaureate sermons or the commencement
addresses.
There is no general rule for the position of the tassel on
a mortarboard. However since the InterAmerican University
has dispensed entirely with bachelor's hood, it is required
of the candidates for a bachelor degree to wear the tassels
on the right front side before the degrees are conferred,
and to shift them to the left at the moment when the degrees
are handed to the them by the presiding official, and before
the departure handshake or bowing, whichever the local custom
dictates. This rule substitutes for individual hooding.
Gowns
All persons wearing an academic gown to the ceremonies of
the University should wear the gown appropriate to the degree
received or to be received.
Hoods
If a person holds more than one academic degree, he/she may
wear only one hood at a time. The hood should be appropriate
to the gown.
A candidate for a degree should not wear the hood for that
degree until the actual conferral. The candidates are normally
hooded during the commencement ceremony, and should not wear
the hood prior to being hooded by the presiding official.
In the event of en masse conferrals, when a large number of
individuals will receive their diplomas without time for individual
hooding, the candidates will be informed by the Chief Marshal
prior to preliminary procession to wear their hoods, which
they will keep on during the procession and throughout the
ceremony.
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