An Academic Tradition
The academic procession and the regalia worn by the faculty and officers of the University symbolically represent the continuing link between the modern American university and the founding of the great medieval universities in Europe – chief among them Bologna, Paris, and Oxford. As those institutions were derived from the Catholic Church, the universities adopted many of the ceremonial trappings of the church.
Faculty Marshals
The ceremony is both celebratory and solemn. This year, the following faculty marshals will direct the graduates before, during and after the ceremony:
- James Shellenberger (Chief Marshall)
Professor of Law - Alice Abreu
Professor of Law - Jane Baron
Professor of Law - Jules Epstein
Director of Advocacy Programs - Richard Greenstein
Professor of Law - Donald Harris
Professor of Law - Mary Levy
Practice Professor of Law - Andrea Monroe
Associate Professor of Law
The Gown
The caps and gowns worn in the procession also vary from place to place. Variations in design indicate the degrees held by the wearers, and many universities in the United States have introduced colorful gowns and other distinguishing details (in place of the customary clerical black from which all originated). The Bachelor’s gown is a simple robe falling in straight lines from an elaborate yoke. Its distinguishing characteristic is the long pointed sleeves. Master’s gowns are arranged so that the arm emerges from a long sleeve through a slit at the wrist (replacing a former slit at the elbow). In most cases, the Doctor’s gown is marked by velvet panels down the front and around the neck, and by three bars of the same material on the bell shaped sleeves. It is cut much fuller than the other gowns and may be ornamented in color. Faculty colors are occasionally seen in the sleeve bars and paneling.
The Cap
The caps also vary according to the customs of the university from which the wearer recieved a degree. Although most American universities adopted the “mortarboard” style of Oxford, others have chosen styles based on other European institutions. The color of the tassel worn with the cap may be black for any degree; or, the color may be that of the faculty of the major field of learning. Persons holding doctoral degrees and governing officials of institutions are entitled to wear tassels of gold metallic thread.
The Hood
The hood through length and color shows the degree and the specialization of the wearer, and the university that granted the degree. The color of the trim identifies the academic discipline. At the Law School graduation, the purple lining identifies the wearer as a recipient of a law degree.