Ceremonial Symbols

• Academic Regalia
  Academic institutions throughout the world have created a wide variety of customs including distinctive dress, color and ceremony to indicate the accomplishments of scholars.

  History of Regalia
  The dress worn by faculty and graduates during commencement ceremonies is based upon costumes used in fourteenth and fifteenth century universities, particularly Oxford and Cambridge in England.

• Ceremonial Mace
  The University mace leads the academic procession at commencement and on other special ceremonial occasions.

• Gonfalons
  The gonfalon, a flag that hangs from a crosspiece or frame, originated in the medieval republics of Italy as an ensign of state or office. Gonfalons have been adopted in many universities around the world as college or institutional insignias.