Historical Notes on Academic Regalia
Academic costumes originated in the Middle Ages, when scholarly institutions were religious or monastic and the daily attire of teachers, scholars, and students was that of the religious orders. Today’s ceremony continues that tradition of pageantry. As the ancient European universities became secularized, they adopted their own version of academic dress. Modeled upon their clerical predecessors, these costumes became elaborate, with bright, distinctive collars and gowns, often embellished with fur, gold chains and braid, and topped with elaborate hats with feathers. In the United States, solemn clerical black academic dress predominated in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1895, a standardized code was accepted by a majority of American colleges and universities. By that code, slightly revised in 1932, the academic attire is designed to reflect both the level of a degree and the institution that granted the degree. Dean College Regalia Dean College graduates wear maroon-colored caps and gowns with an embroidered Dean College seal on the left lapel. Baccalaureate degree gowns are distinguished from associate degree gowns by the addition of piping down the front of the robe. Dean faculty and staff wear academic regalia appropriate to their highest degree earned. You will see bachelor’s degree robes with pointed sleeves, master’s degree robes with oblong sleeves, and doctor’s degree robes with bell-shaped sleeves trimmed with three velvet chevrons. The hoods they wear are lined with the official colors of the university that conferred their degree, with the edging color indicating the discipline of the degree. The President and the Chair of the Board of Trustees wear special gowns to signify their roles. The Chair wears a black doctoral gown with burgundy velvet chevrons and wears a distinctive shield-style hood. The unique features of the President’s gown are the addition of the fourth chevron to each sleeve and a medallion featuring the College’s seal. The official colors of fields of learning most often represented in an academic procession are:
Brown Fine Arts, Architecture Citron Social Work Copper Government, History, Law Enforcement, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology Drab (Light Olive Brown) Commerce, Business, Accountancy Economics Dark Blue
Golden Yellow Science Green Medicine Lemon Library Science
Peacock Blue Public Administration Pink Music Purple Law Sage Green Physical Education Scarlet Theology White Arts, Humanities, Letters, Liberal Studies
Light Blue Education Olive Green Pharmacy Orange Engineering
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