The Academic Regalia
Of all the traditions associated with collegiate education, the wearing of academic regalia is one of the oldest and perhaps least understood. Formal academic dress has been worn in European colleges and universities since 1321. Academic gowns set students apart from the citizenry, a distinction between“ town and gown” that persists today.
The academic regalia seen on the JU campus today meets the requirements of the Academic Costume Code. Gowns for those with bachelor’ s degrees have pointed sleeves; for master’ s degrees, oblong sleeves; for doctoral degrees, bell-shaped sleeves. Doctoral gowns have velvet facing on the front and three velvet stripes on each sleeve. This velvet may be black or colored to indicate the field of study in which the doctorate was awarded. The most common ones seen at JU are listed below:
Arts and Letters, Humanities........................................................................................................................ White Business............................................................................................................................................... Olive Brown Communication / Journalism...................................................................................................................... Crimson Dentistry......................................................................................................................................................... Lilac Economics................................................................................................................................................... Copper Education............................................................................................................................................... Light Blue Engineering................................................................................................................................................. Orange Fine Arts...................................................................................................................................................... Brown Law.............................................................................................................................................................. Purple Library Science........................................................................................................................................... Lemon Music.............................................................................................................................................................. Pink Nursing....................................................................................................................................................... Apricot Philosophy.............................................................................................................................................. Dark Blue Science............................................................................................................................................. Golden Yellow
The most informative part of the regalia is the academic hood, worn around the neck. Hoods are often omitted for bachelor’ s degrees in the United States. Master’ s hoods are three and one-half feet long while doctoral hoods are four feet in length. The edge of the hood is bound with velvet in the color appropriate to the subject of the awarded degree. The lining of the hood shows the official colors of the institution which granted the degree. The Jacksonville University hood is green and white; the trim is dependent upon the degree awarded. The standard academic cap is appropriately known as a“ mortarboard.” The tassel may be black, colored, or gold in the case of those with doctoral degrees.
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