graduation

For Kanye West's upcoming album, see Graduation (album)

Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the associated ceremony. The date of event is often called degree day. In the United States and Canada, it is also used to refer to the advancement from a primary or secondary school level. Many colleges have different traditions associated with the graduation ceremony, the best-known probably being throwing mortarboards in the air.

United States and Canada

Graduation ceremonies in the United States are often orchestrated procedures involving a march of students onto the stage, the reading of speeches, the giving of diplomas, and an official moment when the students are declared graduated, also called the commencement exercise. The march is often set to music, usually Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1. In respect for the graduates, the audience is asked to rise to their feet during the processional as the graduates enter the auditorium and remain standing through the invocation. In United States colleges and universities, the speakers will include the salutatorian, an alumnus of the institution, possibly a famous speaker not associated with the institution, and the valedictorian. The giving of diplomas usually takes up the longest portion of the ceremony: One by one the graduates come forward as their names and major/minor announced. Each of them is given a diploma by an academic administrator or official such as the dean. It is very common for graduates not to receive their actual diploma at the ceremony but instead a certificate indicating that they participated in the ceremony or a booklet to hold the diploma in. At the high school level, this allows teachers to withhold diplomas from students who are unruly during the ceremony; at the college level, this allows students who need an extra quarter or semester to participate in the official ceremony with their classmates.

At most colleges and universities in the US, the faculty technically will recommend that each candidate be given a degree, which is then formally conferred by the President or other institutional official. Typically, this is accomplished by a pair of short set speeches by a senior academic official and a senior institutional official: "Mr. President, on behalf of the faculty of Letters and Science, I hereby declare that these candidates have met all the requirements for the degree of...and request that such degree be conferred upon them." "Under the authority vested in me by the State of Iowa and the Trustees of Podunk College, I hereby confer upon these candidates the degree of..."

Graduation speech

A graduation or commencement speech, in the U.S., is a public speech given by a student or by alumnus of a university to a graduating class and their guests. Common themes of the graduation speech include wishing the graduates well in the "real world," cautioning that the world of academe is a special place where they were taught to think (a common variation contradicts this view). Most recently, especially in prestigious institutions, the trend has been to find a celebrity (often one with no apparent connection to the specific institution or education in general) or a politician to deliver speeches.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, unlike the United States, students do not usually 'graduate' from school below university level. They will normally leave secondary school and sixth form college (if applicable) with specific qualifications, often GCSEs and A-levels respectively (Standard Grades and Higher National Courses in Scotland). However, these are not diplomas and are not necessarily presented in a formal ceremony.

Many university graduation ceremonies in the United Kingdom begin with a procession of academics, wearing academic dress. This procession is accompanied by music, and a ceremonial mace is often carried. However, Pomp and Circumstance is not played, since this is a patriotic hymn. After this, an official reads out the names of the graduates one by one, organized by class of degree or by subject. When their names are called, the graduates walk across the stage to shake hands with a senior official, often the university's nominal Chancellor or the vice-chancellor. Graduates wear the academic dress of the degree they are receiving. Serving members of the armed forces may wear their military uniform underneath. Some of the older universities may hold their graduation ceremonies in Latin, whilst member institutions of the University of Wales hold their graduation ceremonies almost entirely in the Welsh language, even though few students understand either of these languages. The Latin section of the ceremony may include a rendition of an anthem, sometimes called the unofficial anthem of all universities, the De Brevitate Vitae, also known as The Gaudeamus.

University of Cambridge

At the University of Cambridge, however, each graduation is a separate act of the university's governing body, the Regent House, and must be voted on as with any other act. A formal meeting of the Regent House, known as a Congregation, is held for this purpose.

The ceremony commences when the Vice-Chancellor's procession enters the Senate-House, led by the Esquire Bedells. All stand. When the Vice-Chancellor or her deputy reaches their place on the dais, the audience sits. The University Officers remain standing.

The Congregation itself begins when the Proctors cross the House and take their place on the dais. They leave their Statute Books on the table.

After welcoming visitors, the Senior Proctor proposes any special Graces relating to individual graduands. After each Grace the Proctors allow a pause to permit any member of the Regent House present to call a vote, which is done by saying 'Non Placet' ('It does not please.'). If this does not happen, the Junior Proctor indicates the tacit approval of the Regent House by saying 'Placet' ('It pleases'). All formal proceedings are thereafter in Latin.

The Senior Proctor puts the following Grace:

"Supplicant reverentiis vestris viri mulieresque quorum nomina juxta senaculum in porticu proposuit hodie Registrarius nec delevit Procancellarius ut gradum quisque quem rite petivit assequantur." "Those men and women whose names the Registrary has today posted in the arcade beside the Senate-House and which the Vice-Chancellor has not deleted beg your reverences that they may proceed to the degree for which each has properly applied."

If there are no objections, the Junior Proctor says 'Placet'.

One of the Bedells then leads the Vice-Chancellor to the Chair at the front of the dais and the presentation of graduands starts.

upto four graduands are led forward by the praelector and each holds a finger of his right hand. The praelector presents each graduand individually:

"Dignissima domina, Domina Procancellaria et tota Academia praesento vobis hunc virum (hanc mulierem) quem (quam) scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneum (idoneam) ad gradum assequendum (name of degree); idque tibi fide mea praesto totique Academiae." "Most worthy Vice-Chancellor and the whole University, I present to you this man (this woman) whom I know to be suitable as much by character as by learning to proceed to the degree of (name of degree); for which I pledge my faith to you and to the whole University."

The graduand's name is called and they step forward and kneel. Clasping the graduand's hands, the Vice-Chancellor says: "Auctoritate mihi commissa admitto te ad gradum (name of degree), in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sanctii." "By the authority committed to me, I admit you to the degree of (name of degree) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (The 'Trinitarian formula' may be omitted at the request of the graduand).

The new graduate then rises, bows to the Vice-Chancellor, and exits through the Doctor's door of the Senate-House to receive their degree certificate.

After the first group has been presented for the same degree, abbreviated formulae are often used; the Praelector saying:

"Hos etiam praesento et de his idem vobis praesto." "These I also present and of them I give you the same pledge."

and the Vice-Chancellor saying in turn:

"Te etiam admitto ad eundum gradum." "I admit you also to the same degree."

The graduation is by the Trinitarian Formula, "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (original Greek: εις το ονομα του πατρος και του υιου και του αγίου πνεύματος, eis to onoma tou patros kai tou huiou kai tou hagiou pneumatos), but it may be omitted or replaced for religious or personal reasons.

Graduates receiving an undergraduate degree wear the academic dress that they were entitled to before graduating: for example, most students becoming Bachelors of Arts wear undergraduate gowns, which are black with a plain white fur trim, and not BA gowns. Graduates receiving a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD or Master's) wear the academic dress that they were entitled to before graduating, only if their first degree was also from the University of Cambridge; if their first degree is from another university, they wear the academic dress of the degree that they are about to receive.

See also

• Academic dress
• Encaenia
• Matriculation

External links

• Graduation songs from Brainy Music
• Lyrics of graduation songs
• Friends forever lyrics
• Resources for Recent Graduates