The Academic Procession
In colleges and universities, academic degrees are awarded at the graduation ceremony. Originally, the term meant the commencement of the graduating student as a teacher and his or her recognition as such by the senior teacher and other members of the profession. Thus, the term once marked a real beginning.
The procession and recession of students and professors dressed in academic attire is a traditional part of the graduation ceremony. The history of academic dress dates back to medieval universities. In the 12th and 13th centuries, when universities were taking shape, the dress of an academic, whether student or teacher, was the same as that of a cleric. With few exceptions, this is because medieval academics were likely to be affiliated with an academic order. As a result, those studying wore a habit or mantle to which was attached a hood that could be pulled over the head or thrown back, depending on the weather conditions. Later, the gown served the dual purpose of providing warmth in unheated halls as well as uniformity in dress. Today, academic dress includes three standard garments: the gown, cap, and hood.
The Graduation Gown
The flowing gown symbolizes the democracy of the fellow, as it covers clothing that would otherwise indicate an individual's rank and social status. The gown commonly worn at colleges and universities in this country has pointed sleeves for the bachelor's and associate's degrees, long closed sleeves (with an arm slit) for the master's degree, and open bell-shaped sleeves for the doctor's degree. The doctor's and master's gowns are unadorned. The gown for the doctor's degree is face down with black velvet and three bars of it on the sleeves; or these trims and barrings may be velvet in the signature color of the professor or subject to which the degree pertains. You can see these differences in the vestments among the professors, while Dallas College graduates wear a royal blue gown to represent the unity of academic experiences across disciplines.
The Cap
The cap, also known as the mortarboard, is a symbol of academic freedom. According to legend, enslaved Romans were given the privilege of wearing a cap after their freedom. It is an essential part of academic dress and is worn during the academic procession and throughout the ceremony. The cap also features a tassel that may designate honors or another academic designation, as noted in special recognition. While there is no general rule for tassel placement, numerous institutions have adopted the practice of instructing graduates to wear tassels on the front right before degrees are conferred and to move them to the left at the time degrees are awarded. This is the practice at Dallas College, which serves as a substitute for individual capping by graduates.
The Hood
The hood appears to have had three uses: a covering, a shoulder cape, and a bag for collecting alms. It is thought that when large wigs were worn, the cape portion of the hood was cut off in front and the entire garment, cape and hood proper, was allowed to fall back, producing roughly the effect seen today. After wigs went out of fashion, the original form was not restored. The master's hood is longer than the bachelor's hood, and the doctor's hood is longer than the master's hood. Associate's and bachelor's hoods are the same length, while bachelor's hoods are traditionally lined with velvet. You can see these differences in the dress of the professors, while Dallas College does not include the hood in its graduate's official attire.
All hoods are lined with silk displaying the official colours of the institution that awarded the degree, and all are trimmed in specific widths with velvet signifying the title as follows:
- Agriculture – Corn
- Arts, Letters, Humanities – White
- Commerce, Accounting, Business – Monotone Gray
- Dentistry – Lilac
- Economy – Copper
- Education – Sky Blue
- Engineering – Orange
- Fine Arts – Brown/Coffee
- Forestry – Reddish
- Journalism – Carmine
- Law/Laws – Purple/Purple
- Library Science – Lemon
- Medicine – Green
- Music – Pink
- Nursing – Apricot/Apricot
- Language – Silver Grey
- Pharmacy – Olive Green
- Philosophy – Dark Blue
- Physical Education – Sage Green
- Public Administration – Turquoise Blue
- Public Health – Rosa Salmon
- Science – Golden Yellow
- Social Worker – Bright Lemon
- Theology – Scarlet
- Veterinary Science – Grey
Graduation Traditions
Chancellor's Medallion
The chancellor's medallions feature a large metal seal of Dallas College. Directly above the seal is a bronze leaf banner with the chancellor's label.
Provost's Medallion
The provost's medallions feature a large metal seal of Dallas College. Directly above the seal is a bronze leaf banner bearing the provost's label.
Staff Bearer
Formal academic processions include a crosier bearer, whose metal mace is the symbol of the College's authority. During medieval times, this person's role was to defend the chancellor of the college or university. As a result, custom dictates that the crosier bearer always be in full view of the chancellor. During commencement, the mace is placed on a shelf in full view of the audience and easily accessible to the bearer. This indicates that the University's faculty are present to conduct formal, legal business. The Dallas College crosier bearer is traditionally one of seven campus presidents. The crosier features a large bronze seal of Dallas College with the new logo, adopted in 2020. This is the inaugural presentation of the Dallas College crosier.
Marshal of the Gonfalon for Schools
Gonfalons are ceremonial banners or flags suspended from a crossbar and descended from medieval Italy where they were used as state symbols. They have been adopted by many colleges and universities to enhance the ceremonial nature of graduation and to designate each of the groups within a college. Dallas College presents its inaugural gonfalons, which feature a red banner to stand out among the sea of blue graduation gowns. Each gonfalon features the Dallas College logo, School Name, and a unique color-print feature.
At Dallas College, there are seven schools that represent a collective of programs, which are:
- School of Business, Hospitality and Global Trade – Green
- School of Creative Arts, Entertainment and Design – Rojizo
- School of Education – Purple/Purple
- School of Engineering, Technology, Mathematics and Sciences – Café Claro
- School of Health Sciences – Sky Blue
- School of Law and Public Service – Royal Blue
- School of Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies – Café
- Workforce Education – Carbon Grey
Alumni Traditions
Dallas College Alumni Network is excited to see our graduates go on to do great things, such as...
Inventing global flavors. Ngoc Trinh went from being an aspiring dentist to pursuing her culinary dreams at Dallas College. She has since worked at Frito-Lay, creating popular flavors including Doritos Locos Tacos.
Shining in NBA headquarters. Iris Diaz, chief marketing officer for the Dallas Mavericks and the first Latina to become CMO of an NBA franchise, has her educational roots at Dallas College.
From Campus to Justice. Vonda Bailey took classes at Dallas College's Mountain View campus—her first steps toward earning a law degree and becoming the 255th Family District Court Judge in Dallas County.
Join the
Alumni Network for free.