ACADEMIC REGALIA

As early as the 12th century, the first modern universities at Bologna and Paris were the centers of European learning. The usual garb of the time for both churchmen and laymen was a long gown, necessary for warmth in the unheated buildings of the day. Scholars, generally members of church orders, wore such robes, as well as hoods to protect their shaved heads. Later, skull caps were worn on the head and the hood became a cape that could be pulled over the head in unpleasant weather. The hood was also sometimes used to collect alms from the more affluent members of the community. As more universities were founded, distinctive forms of the gown and hood were adopted by their faculties. Variations indicated various ranks within the institutions. Strict rules were published, and sometimes tailors who departed from the authorized design were punished.

The academic hat was a later development adapted from the headdress of ordinary people. Academically, it was originally worn as a symbol of the master’s degree and existed in various forms: some were round, some square, and some had a tuft in the center. The flat, square mortarboard of today originated in Oxford.

Academic costume came to America in 1754 with the founding of King’s College, now Columbia University. Styles became quite varied, as they were in Europe, but in 1895, a group of American college and university representatives met to establish a uniform system of academic apparel for this country. This led to the establishment in 1902 of an “Intercollegiate Code of Academic Costume.” The American Council on Education formed a committee in 1932 to review the code, and it was again reviewed and revised in 1960.

THE GONFALON The gonfalon is a flag or banner that hangs from a crosspiece or frame. It originated in the medieval states of Italy as an ensign of state or office. It is used in many university ceremonies to designate the various colleges or schools of the institution. The gonfalon for each college usually precedes the graduates as they enter the ceremony. Distinguished graduates or faculty may carry gonfalons for their specific colleges. At UMaine, they represent the colleges, Maine Business School, the Division of Lifelong Learning and the Graduate School. The University Crest on the gonfalon embodies the history of the University of Maine and its position as the state’s flagship university.

THE MACE Originally a weapon of offense used in medieval warfare, the mace has been refined into a symbolic device used on ceremonial occasions. The design of the University of Maine’s mace was suggested by members of the Department of Art’s spring 1996 sculpture class. The mace is carried in an upright position into the ceremony. During the ceremony, the mace rests in its stand in full view of the assembly as the emblem of authority. At the recession, the mace is carried in a downward position to represent the completion of the ceremony.

THE CAP The mortarboard cap, worn flat on the head with one corner of the square facing the front, has a tassel that may be black or the color assigned to the field of study. Doctors in all fields may wear a tassel of metallic gold. Some institutions have adopted the biretta or tam (for doctoral degrees) instead of the mortarboard.

THE HOOD The institution by which the degree was awarded and the field of study in which the degree was earned are represented by the hood. The lining of the hood identifies the institution that awarded the degree. The length of the hood and the width of its border vary in relation to the degree held.

THE GOWN The cut of the gown indicates whether the wearer holds a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree. The bachelor’s gown is a simple, unornamented robe with bell-shaped sleeves. The master’s gown is more elaborate with long sleeves closed at the end, with the arm passing through a slit above the elbow. The doctoral robe is ornamented with three bars on each sleeve and panels on the front. The standard color of the robe is black, although some institutions have adopted other colors.