What’s with the robes?

What’s with the robes?  And other questions about convocation

Convocation – or Commencement as it’s also known at some institutions – is a ritual that dates back to the middle ages and the very beginning of universities themselves.

“Among the first universities to make it a ritual were Oxford and Cambridge” says Paul Stortz, professor of Canadian Studies and historian of higher education in the Faculty of Communication and Culture. “If you think about the way society was built in the middle ages, there was a great deal of ritual in everyone’s daily life.”

And there was a great deal of religion. In fact, most universities existed in some form under the auspices of religious orders. “They would train clergy and train the brains,” says Stortz. “The universities existed to impart religious knowledge, but also to educate in the liberal arts and legal and medical practices, as they were understood at that time.”

Many universities would hand out bachelors and masters degrees (the PhD in its modern form would come centuries later) and they’d also use the opportunity to bond with - and be accountable to - the community and university patrons.

In some parts of Europe, commencement could be very low-key, but in the larger universities, Stortz says: “Universities would be inviting everyone and his cousin, every luminary in society to ‘Come see what we’re doing!’”

And the robes? Well, it was cold so people wore robes to stay warm says Stortz. “It wasn’t unusual as a fashion statement that people would wear robes. Some robes were loose fitting but they wouldn’t open. They would look more like a minister’s or cleric’s robe.”

The mortar board with tassels was developed at Oxford, probably just based on the style of the day. And, different universities started using different colours – or hoods - to distinguish the lecturers from the students, and degrees from one another.

While much has changed over the centuries, the convocation’s ceremony’s main purpose remains: “It’s a rite of intellectual passage,” says Stortz. "Why not have a ritual to celebrate your prestigious accomplishment and have everyone embrace your success and congratulate you?”

More Information:

• http://www.ucalgary.ca/registrar/grad