Wow, how organised! In the UK, every institution makes up its own
colour scheme. First degree robes are generally black, but there is no
correlation between the hood colours for the same discipline from one
university to another, and PhD robes are all different. I think there
is some central registry that prevents clashes - obviously the oldest
universities had the first choices and the newer ones have to make do -
which may be why my husband's PhD gown, from a 1960s institution, was
cerise pink. Finding an outfit for me to go with that was a bit of a
challenge! There is one company, Ede and Ravenscroft, which has a
practical monopoly on hire and sale of academic gowns. They also do
judicial and ecclesiastical outfits.
Hats are also very individual. At Edinburgh you don't wear a hat, you
are tapped on the head with what is supposed to be John Knox's hat. At
St Andrews you carry your hood into the ceremony and the person
presenting the degrees puts it over your head. Everywhere has their own
traditions.
Jean
Ruth Anne Baumgartner wrote:
For Ph.D. hoods, at least in the U.S., the width of the velvet tells
the degree. The color of the velvet tells the discipline. The lining
of the hood tells the institution. Some institutions, such as Rutgers,
Columbia, Harvard, Yale, and the University of Rochester, also have
official robe colors, although the individual can always choose black.
Master's hoods have narrower bands the color of which, I believe,
tells only the type of Master's (M.A., M.S., etc.), and a lining in
the institution's colors. Bachelor's hoods, which contrary to common
practice should not be worn TO the ceremony but should be awarded AT
the ceremony, have the narrowest velvet, again coded only to type of
Bachelor's (B.A. white, B.S. gold), and a lining in the institution's
colors. Where I used to teach the graduates wore their Bachelor's
hoods to the ceremony, and that's why students in the program I used
to teach in looked distinctive: we always gave a champagne breakfast
for our graduates before the ceremony, and I was in charge of turning
their hoods right-side-up before they left for the ceremony, and they
were often the only ones there who had it right! The things ARE rather
counter-intuitive to put on, but if someone would explain to the kids
that the little loops are meant to go around a shirt button I think
they'd figur out how to get it on right-side-up eventually.
On the robe: the Ph.D. robe has full sleeves with three horizontal
velvet stripes and is worn closed; the M.A. robe has bat-wing sleeves,
traditionally sewn closed across the bottom and with a horizontal slit
at about the elbow for the arm to come through (but cheap robes may
have open sleeves that come down to the elbow in front and are angled
longer in back--yes, no place for tissues, car keys, or the Times
crossword) and is worn open, held in place by long crossing ties
attached to the inside of the robe (although cheap robes just have
zippers and therefore can't attractively be worn open). Bachelor's
gowns have full sleeves longer in back than in front, like typical
angel costumes in school pageants, and are worn closed. I believe
outside the U.S. there is a wider variety of robe styles.
Theoretically here only Ph.D.s are entitled to the soft square cap
instead of the mortarboard (and only they get the gold tassel), but
many M.A.s who own their regalia wear the soft cap too, but with a
black tassel. All due appreciation for tradition, but why BUY
something that makes one look like an idiot? Yes, my colleague from
New Zealand had a "floppy" cap of which I continue to be very jealous.
Now that I'm a Roads Scholar (one of the many nicknames for people who
teach part-time at several institutions at once) I don't get invited
to participate in graduation, so things may have changed over the last
decade or so.
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
On Apr 16, 2009, at 8:23 PM, Susan Farmer wrote:
Quoting R Lloyd Mitchell <rmitch...@staff.washjeff.edu>:
Yes, the hat I described is the floppy one...and now seems to be
the major style of Phds at W&J, Pa.
After reading some of the other replies, it would appear that the
color scheme is not totally understood. Math and all of the other
disciplines have a traditional color so that if you are watching a
'parade', you can identify what department the wearer represents.
The other color identifies what Institution the degree was gained.
The style of the hood itself identifies the Degree of higher
learning. Thus, ubless every one went to the same university the
colors will make their own honorific statement.
It's my understanding that the Color Scheme only applies to hoods.
The velvet is the color of the discipline -- the color(s) of the
satin are the colors of the institution. The velvet bands on the
front of the gown and the sleeves c either be the discipline colors,
trimmed in the discipline colors, or Your Basic Black.
Susan
-----
Susan Farmer
sfar...@goldsword.com
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Division of Science and Math
http://www.goldsword.com/sfarmer/Trillium/
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