The first commencement at Columbia University was held on June 21, 1758, when the university, then known as King's College, conferred seven degrees upon its first graduating class. Today, the university graduates several thousand students each year from its several undergraduate colleges, graduate schools, and affiliated institutions. University Commencement traditionally takes place on the third Wednesday of May.
Commencement at Columbia takes place over several days as each school and affiliated institution of the university holds its own Class Day, and culminates in the University Commencement, when degrees are conferred en masse by the university president. The tradition of celebrating commencement over several days has been a point of consternation to parents and other attendees: John McCain, whose daughter Meghan McCain graduated from the university in 2007, upon being informed that commencement was a multi-day affair, reportedly asked, "How many fucking times do I have to go to fucking New York this week? How many fucking times can you fucking graduate from fucking Columbia?” [1] : 238
Over several centuries, Columbia has developed a number of traditions around its commencement ceremonies. As a highly important symbolic event, a number of individual commencements have become historically significant, either due to notable guests in attendance or occasionally violent disruptions, such as in 1811, when several students were arrested and the ceremonies were never completed due to rioting. Recent changes, such as the introduction of Multicultural Graduation Celebrations, have garnered significant political controversy.
According to the New-York Gazette, the university's 1758 commencement was "conducted with much elegance and propriety." It began with an academic procession from the vestry room of the Trinity Church schoolhouse to St. George's Chapel, described as follows: "The President with his Honour the Lieutenant Governor, who graced the solemnity by his presence, were preceded by the candidates for Batchelors [sic] and Masters Degrees, with their heads uncovered, and were followed by the Governors of the College, the Clergy of all denominations in this City, and other gentlemen of distinction of this and the neighboring Provinces." [2] : 215–216 This was followed by a salutatory address delivered by Samuel Provoost, two debates on metaphysics between graduating students, an oration in English, and a debate between honorary degree recipients on heliocentrism. The president of the college, Samuel Johnson, then conferred degrees upon the seven members of the class of 1758 and fourteen honorary degree recipients, before the ceremony was concluded by a valedictory oration. [2] : 216
From 1785 to 1790, New York City served as the capital of the United States. Prior to 1797, the city also jointly served as the state capital with Kingston. During this period, the college's commencement ceremonies were often frequented by prominent politicians in the area. This includes the commencement of 1786, which the entirety of the Continental Congress and both houses of the New York State Legislature attended, and the commencement of 1789, which saw most of the new United States federal government attend, including George Washington, who had only been sworn in as president a week before, Vice-President John Adams, the Senate and House of Representatives, and members of the Supreme Court, in addition to Governor George Clinton, and other high state officials. [3] : 75 , [4] : 74
Before the 19th century, Columbia's graduation ceremonies generally did not take place on campus. For roughly a century following the college's founding, the commencement procession would march each year from College Hall, which was located on Park Place, to Trinity Church or one of its chapels, where the actual ceremony would be held. After the college moved to its Madison Avenue campus in 1857, commencements were usually held at the Academy of Music, the city's first opera house. Commencement only began to be held on campus following the university's final move to its current campus in Morningside Heights, which took place in 1898. For Columbia's first three decades in Morningside Heights, it held its graduations in the now-demolished University Hall, the university gymnasium. Since 1926, commencement has been held every year on the steps of Low Memorial Library with a few exceptions, including notably the 1968 ceremony, which was instead held in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine due to the protests that had shaken the university two months earlier. [5]
The 1786 commencement was the university's first commencement after its re-founding as Columbia College following the American Revolution, and was held on April 11 of that year in St. Paul's Chapel. After nearly a decade of suspended operations on account of the war, the event was regarded as "a most auspicious one in the annals of New York." [6] : 33 To celebrate the occasion, the entire Continental Congress and both houses of the New York State Legislature suspended operations that day in order to "support the important interests of Education by their countenance, and grace the ceremony by their august presence." DeWitt Clinton, the future governor of New York, gave an address in Latin as that year's salutatorian. [7] : 66
The so-called "Riotous Commencement" of 1811 took place on August 6, 1811, in Trinity Church. Graduating senior John B. Stevenson, having been chosen by his classmates to deliver an oration at the ceremony, intended to use his speech to polemicize on republicanism. Upon review, two faculty members demanded that Stevenson concede in his speech that "many intelligent men thought differently," and, assuming that he agreed, allowed him to speak. After he delivered the oration without the alteration, the faculty refused to grant him his degree, in response to which the audience broke into a riot that lasted for about an hour. [3] : 68 President William Harris and the faculty, fearing violent removal, were forced to flee the stage, and neither the valedictory address was given, nor were any Master of Arts candidates awarded their degrees. The riot only ended with the arrival of the police. [8] The next day, seven students, including Stevenson, Gulian Verplanck, and Hugh Maxwell, were charged with inciting to riot. DeWitt Clinton, who was preparing to run for governor, presided over the case, and, wishing to appease his Federalist constituents, determined that a riot had occurred, and fined Verplanck and Maxwell two hundred dollars each, and Stevenson ten. [3] : 68 The protest and trial reportedly "engendered bitter feelings that made themselves felt in New York politics for many years." [4] : 99
In a break from tradition, the university's 1968 commencement was held on June 4 in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, due the ongoing protests. [5] Approximately 400 students and faculty walked out of ceremony and joined another 2,500 students on Low Steps for a counter-commencement. The invocation was delivered by Rabbi A. Bruce Goldman. Later that day, about 1,000 students marched to Morningside Park and burned President Grayson L. Kirk in effigy. [9] : 5307
Commencement begins with the ringing of the St. Paul's Chapel bell, which is followed by the academic procession, and then the commencement address. Breaking with the practice of most universities, which invite distinguished guests to give commencement speeches, the only university-wide commencement address each year is delivered by the president of the university. The hosting of guest speakers is instead reserved for the Class Days of individual schools. [10]
Columbia degrees are awarded en masse during University Commencement, as only the president of the university has the actual authority to grant degrees. During University Commencement, each of the university's deans steps forward to beg the president to confer degrees upon their school's candidates; no candidate technically graduates until the entire ceremony is over. [10] During the conferral of degrees, students of each school by tradition wave or throw items representative of their studies: for Columbia College, apple cores (which have reportedly been used to pelt engineering students on occasion); the Graduate School of Journalism, shredded newspapers; the School of International and Public Affairs, the students' national flags; etc. [11] In addition to degrees, the university awards numerous medals, awards, and honorary degrees during the ceremony. Formerly, the Pulitzer Prize was awarded also during University Commencement. [12] : 57
Following the conferral of awards and degrees, the ceremony concludes with the singing of the university alma mater, "Stand, Columbia," among other songs, and the distribution of diplomas.
The University Mace is carried by a mace-bearer before the president on ceremonial occasions, including the academic procession at commencement, and symbolizes the latter's authority to confer degrees. The Jacobean-style mace was created in the 18th century. Its head is made of Sheffield plate, with a design of acanthus leaves and topped with a King's Crown, and its handle is of ebony and silver. It was gifted to the university in 1933 by John M. Woolsey. A mace-bearer is selected every year as an honor, and wears a unique red and white robe in lieu of their regular academic regalia. [13]
Graduating students are required to wear the academic regalia of the university to all graduation events. Faculty, likewise, must wear the regalia of their respective almae matres in accordance with the level of the degree earned at that institution. Academic dress was first introduced at the university's second commencement in 1760, and from the accession of President Myles Cooper in 1763 until the mid-19th century, students were required to wear it at all times. [14] : 83 Columbia's academic regalia served as the basis for the standard set out in the Intercollegiate Code of Academic Costume, passed March 16, 1895, to which a vast majority of universities in the United States still adheres. [15]
Columbia Bachelor's and Master's gowns are slate blue, with two black tabs sewn into the yolk seam on either side of the gown with crowns embroidered onto them. [16] Master's gowns are differentiated from Bachelor's gowns by their oblong sleeves, which open at the wrists. [17] Doctoral gowns have facings of black velvet, with three black velvet chevrons on each sleeve; their crowns are embroidered directly onto the facing. The velvet chevrons were formerly colored to indicate the wearer's degree. [18] Bachelor's and master's candidates wear traditional mortar-boards, while doctoral candidates wear octagonal black velvet tams with gold tassels. [17]
Since 2009, the Empire State Building has been lit blue and white annually to celebrate commencement at Columbia. [19]
Recently, Columbia began offering six separate and additional ceremonies for Native, Asian, Latino, Black, LGBTQ, and first-generation and low-income students. According to the university, these ceremonies are open to any students who wish to participate. [20] This practice has garnered controversy from conservative groups, which have accused the university of "segregation." [21]
A graduation is the awarding of a diploma by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it, which can also be called commencement, congregation, convocation or invocation. The date of the graduation ceremony is often called graduation day.
Academic dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, mainly tertiary education, worn mainly by those who have obtained a university degree, or hold a status that entitles them to assume them. It is also known as academical dress, academicals, and, in the United States, as academic regalia.
The University of Oxford has a long tradition of academic dress, which continues to the present day.
The Burgon Society is a society and educational charity for the study and research of academic dress. The society was founded in 2000 and is named after John William Burgon (1813–1888) from whom the Burgon shape academic hood takes its name. Its current president is Graham Zellick, CBE, QC, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of London. His predecessors were James P. S. Thomson, former Master of London Charterhouse (2011–16) and the organist John Birch.
School colors are the colors chosen by a school, academy, college, university or institute as part of its brand identity, used on building signage, web pages, branded apparel, and the uniforms of sports teams. They can promote connection to the school – or 'school spirit' – and help differentiate it from other institutions.
Academic dress at the University of St Andrews involves students wearing distinctive academic gowns whilst studying at the University of St Andrews. Undergraduate gowns in Scotland were once common at all the ancient universities of Scotland, with each having its own distinctive style. St Andrews undergraduates wear either a scarlet gown if they are part of the United College and studying in the Faculties of Arts, Medicine and Science, or a black gown if they are part of St Mary's College and studying in the Faculty of Divinity.
The academic dress of the University of Melbourne refers to the formal attire, including robes, gowns, and hoods, as prescribed by the Statutes and Regulations for undergraduates, graduates, officers, and honorands of the university. This follows the style of the University of Oxford for the gowns and hoods for Bachelors and Masters degrees. Melbourne adopts the style of the University of Cambridge for its doctorates. The hoods are all black, resembling the size and shape of the Oxford MA hoods, which are in the simple Burgon shape. These hoods are lined with the color specified for the corresponding faculty or degree and are bound with white on the lower edge for bachelors, while masters' hoods have no binding. The specific faculty or degree colors are outlined in the University Regulations. In the past, Pass degrees were bound in fur and Honours degrees in silk; however, this distinction no longer holds. Bachelors wear an Oxford Bachelors gown, while Masters wear an Oxford Masters gown. The gown for undergraduate students is the same as the bachelors', but its sleeves must not be split.
As the oldest college in the United States, Harvard University has a long tradition of academic dress. Harvard gown facings bear crow's-feet emblems near the yoke, a symbol unique to Harvard, made from flat braid in colours distinctive of the wearer's qualification or degree. Crow's-feet are double for earned degrees, and triple for honorary degrees.
The academic dress of the University of Kent is normally only worn at graduation ceremonies. In common with most British universities a graduand begins the ceremony wearing the dress of the degree to which they are being admitted. This is in contrast to the practice at some universities such as Oxford where a graduand only dons the dress of a degree after it has been conferred.
Academic dress at the University of Edinburgh is compulsory at official ceremonial occasions, such as graduation and the installations of Rector and Chancellor, and otherwise optional, usually only worn for events.
Academic dress prescribed at the Trinity College Dublin follows a relatively complex protocol which, nonetheless, shares some particular characteristics with other universities in Ireland and with its sister institutions at the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Graduates and associates of Imperial College London wear its academic dress. After gaining its independence from the University of London in 2007, graduates began wearing Imperial academic dress in 2008. The unifying colour for Imperial's academic dress is purple after the work by William Henry Perkin.
The Groves Classification is a numbering system to enable the shape of any academic gown or hood to be easily described and identified. It was devised by Nicholas Groves to establish a common terminology for hoods and gowns to remedy the situation of individual universities using differing terms to describe the same item. As such it is used in same manner as an heraldic blazon whereby a textual description enables a coat of arms to be drawn. The system was first described in the Burgon Society's annual in 2001 and adopted as standard by robe makers and scholars of academic dress.
The academic dress of the United Kingdom and Ireland has a long history and has influenced the academic dress of America and beyond. The academic square cap was invented in the UK as well as the hood which developed from the lay dress of the medieval period.
Academic dress has a history in the United States going back to the colonial colleges era. It has been most influenced by the academic dress traditions of Europe. There is an Inter-Collegiate Code that sets out a detailed uniform scheme of academic regalia that is voluntarily followed by many, though not all institutions entirely adhere to it.
The academic regalia of Stanford University describes the robes, gowns, and hoods which are prescribed by the university for its graduates. Stanford University was founded in 1891 and academic dress has been a part of academic life at the school since at least 1899. As in most American universities, the academic dress found at Stanford is derived from that of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, which was a development of academic and clerical dress common throughout the medieval universities of Europe. Today, also in common with most American universities, academic regalia is commonly seen only at graduation ceremonies. For most of its academic dress, Stanford follows the Intercollegiate Code of Academic Costume which was devised in 1895 and sets out a detailed uniform scheme of academic regalia. Stanford does make use of a distinct robe for its PhD graduates which is unique among American institutions of higher education in being based specifically on the doctoral robes of the University of Cambridge.
The procedures and traditions surrounding academic graduation ceremonies differ around the world.
The academic dress of McGill University describes the caps, gowns and hoods which are prescribed by the university for its degree candidates/holders. Until the mid-20th century, McGill also prescribed academic dress for its matriculating or enrolled students as well as its faculty. Founded in 1821, McGill University is consistently ranked as one of Canada's pre-eminent universities, and among the top 20 universities in the world.
Academic dress of King's College London describes the robes, gowns, and hoods worn by undergraduates, graduates and associates of King's College London. After being vested the power to award its own degrees from the University of London in 2006, graduates began wearing King's College London academic dress in 2008.
The academic regalia of Columbia University are the robes, gowns, and hoods which are prescribed by the university for its graduates. As one of the oldest universities in the United States, Columbia University has a long tradition of academic dress dating back to its founding in the 18th century, when it became the second university in the country to formally adopt academic robes. The development of Columbia's academic regalia has strongly influenced those of most universities in the United States. Since the passing of the Intercollegiate Code of Academic Costume in 1895, the style of academic dress worn at the university in the late 20th century has served as the basis of those of most other universities in the country. Though once worn daily by students at the university, caps and gowns now are only worn during commencement.
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