Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the associated ceremony. A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing The date of event is often called degree day. The event itself is also called commencement, convocation or invocation. At the University of Cambridge, it is known as general admission. In the United States and Canada, it is also used to refer to the advancement from a primary or secondary school level. Beginning at the secondary school level in the United States, such ceremonies usually include a procession of the faculty and candidates. The candidates will almost always wear academic dress, and increasingly faculty will do the same. Academic dress or academical dress is traditional Clothing for academic settings primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary At the college and university level, the faculty will usually wear academic dress at the formal ceremonies, as will the trustees and degree candidates. Trustee is a Legal term that refers to a holder of property on behalf of a beneficiary. "Graduation" at the college and university level occurs when the presiding officer confers degrees upon candidates, either individually or en masse, even if graduates physically receive their diploma later at a smaller college or departmental ceremony.
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United States of America
The American Council on Education is the authority on academic regalia in the United States, and has developed an Academic Ceremony Guide that is generally followed by most institutions of higher learning. Established in 1918 the American Council on Education (ACE is a United States organization comprising over 1800 accredited, degree-granting Colleges Academic dress or academical dress is traditional Clothing for academic settings primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary The ceremony guide and the related Academic Costume Code provide the core of academic ceremony traditions in the United States.
At many large U. S. institutions, where many hundreds of degrees are being granted at once, the main ceremony (commencement) in a sports stadium, amphitheater, parade ground or lawn, or other large - often outdoor - venue is followed by smaller ceremonies (diploma ceremony) at sites around campus where deans and faculty of each academic organization (college, department, program, etc. An amphitheatre (alternatively amphitheater) is an open-air venue for spectator sports concerts rallies or theatrical performances ) distribute diplomas to their graduates. Another means of handling very large numbers of graduates is to have several ceremonies, divided by field of study, at a central site over the course of a weekend instead of one single ceremony. The final problem that arises is the large number of family members / guests that each graduating student wants to attend. Universities try to circumvent this by allocating a specified number of graduation tickets to each student that will be graduating.
In any case, typically each candidate is given a diploma by an academic administrator or official such as the dean or department head. An academic administration is a branch of University or College employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the In Academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit or over a specific area of concern or both It is also 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 portfolio 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 satisfy their academic requirements to nevertheless participate in the official ceremony with their classmates before receiving their degree. High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution In Education, a teacher is one who helps Students or pupils often in a School, as well as in a Family, religious or College ( Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an Educational Institution. An academic term is a division of an academic year the time during which a School, College or University holds classes An academic term is a division of an academic year the time during which a School, College or University holds classes
At most colleges and universities in the U. S. , 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 (?) and the Trustees of ? College, I hereby confer upon these candidates the degree of . The question mark (? also known as an interrogation point, question point, query, or eroteme, is a punctuation mark that replaces . . "
For students receiving an advanced degree, many colleges, including MIT, UNC and UCLA, have added a Hooding Ceremony to their roster of commencement events. At Fordham University, graduates of a college self-hood en masse after the university president confers the degree upon them from the podium during commencement (doctorates are hooded upon the stage). Fordham University is a private University in the United States, with three campuses located in and around New York City. The hood is a part of traditional academic dress, whose origins date back many centuries. Academic dress or academical dress is traditional Clothing for academic settings primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary Academic dress or academical dress is traditional Clothing for academic settings primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary Today, the hood is considered by some to be the most expressive component of the academic costume. The hood’s length signifies the degree; with the school’s colors in the lining and a velvet trim in a color that signifies the scholar’s field. Academic dress or academical dress is traditional Clothing for academic settings primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary Today’s hoods have evolved from a practical garment to a symbolic one, and are worn draped around the neck and over the shoulders, displayed down the back with the lining exposed.
Graduation speech
A graduation or commencement speech, in the U. UNHGradjpg|thumb|right| George H W Bush and Bill Clinton speaking at the University of New Hampshire commencement UNHGradjpg|thumb|right| George H W Bush and Bill Clinton speaking at the University of New Hampshire commencement 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 the speech. A notable exception is the annual Columbia University Commencement, at which the tradition has been that only the current university president shall give the commencement address. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Individual colleges and schools of Columbia often invite a speaker at their individual graduation ceremonies, however.
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, high school or sixth form college (if applicable) with specific qualifications, often GCSEs and A-levels respectively (Standard Grades and Higher National Courses in Scotland). Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational Institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling known as Secondary education, takes High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 The General Certificate of Secondary Education ( GCSE) is the name of an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject generally taken in a number of subjects by The A-level, short for Advanced Level, is a General Certificate of Education qualification in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, Standard Grades ( Scottish Gaelic: An Ìre Choitchinne) are Scotland 's educational qualifications for students aged around 14 to 16 years In Scotland the Higher ( Scottish Gaelic: An Àrd Ìre) is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. However, these are not diplomas and are not necessarily presented in a formal ceremony. A high school diploma is a Diploma awarded for the completion of High school.
Many university graduation ceremonies in the United Kingdom begin with a procession of academics, wearing academic dress. Academic dress or academical dress is traditional Clothing for academic settings primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary This procession is accompanied by music, and a ceremonial mace is often carried. The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal and wood carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a Mace-bearer, intended 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 Chancellor or the vice-chancellor. A Chancellor is the head of a University. Other titles are sometimes used such as President or Rector. A Vice-Chancellor (commonly called the VC) of a University in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, Graduands wear the academic dress of the degree they are receiving. Academic dress or academical dress is traditional Clothing for academic settings primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary Serving members of the armed forces may wear their military uniform underneath. For the military meaning see Armed forces. For the Soviet sports society see Armed Forces (sports society Armed Forces A uniform is a set of standard Clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity Member institutions of the University of Wales hold their graduation ceremonies almost entirely in the Welsh language. The University of Wales ( Prifysgol Cymru in Welsh) is a confederal University founded in 1893. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic Some of the older universities may hold their graduation ceremonies in Latin, even though few students understand this language. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. 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. The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music (in Music theory and religious contexts or more generally a song (or composition of De Brevitate Vitae ( on the Shortness of Life) perhaps more commonly known by its first words Gaudeamus igitur ("Therefore let us rejoice" is a song in
University of Cambridge
There are, however, a number of variations. At the University of Cambridge for example, 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. The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the The Regent House is the name given to the official governing body of the University of Cambridge. A formal meeting of the Regent House, known as a Congregation, is held for this purpose. A congregation is a formal meeting of senior members of a University, especially in the United Kingdom.
Graduates receiving an undergraduate degree wear the academical dress that they were entitled to before graduating: for example, most students becoming Bachelors of Arts wear undergraduate gowns and not BA gowns. In some Educational systems undergraduate education is Post-secondary education up to the level of a Bachelor's degree. Graduates receiving a postgraduate degree (e. g. PhD or Master's) wear the academical 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 academical dress of the degree that they are about to receive, the BA gown without the strings if they are under 24 years of age, or the MA gown without strings if they are 24 and over. "PhD" redirects here for other uses see PhD (disambiguation.
In all cases, graduands wear the hood of the degree which they are to receive. Where two or more degrees are being received at once, as is now commonly the case with science graduates, the hood of the higher degree is worn.
The Open University
Due to the large number and geographical dispersion of students, unlike most UK universities, degree ceremonies at the Open University are not the occasion on which degrees are formally conferred. This happens in absentia at a joint meeting of the University's Council and Senate ahead of the ceremony. The University's ceremonies –- or "Presentations of Graduates" — occur during the long summer throughout Britain and Ireland, as well as one ceremony in Versailles. Versailles (vɛʀsaj in French) formerly de facto capital of the kingdom of France, is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and is still an important
Japan
In Japan, because the school year begins in April, the graduation ceremony usually occurs in early March. Third-year Senior High School students (equivalent to 12th grade in Canada and the United States) take their finals in early February, so they are able to pass entrance examinations in universities prior to graduation. This break may contribute to the emotional charge of the event.
Although Japanese schools differ greatly in size (from a mere dozen to thousands of students), the nature of the graduation ceremony itself remains similar. It usually takes place in the school auditorium or agora, or for poorer schools, in the gymnasium. Special drapes, curtains and scrolls are hung to the walls and doors. A certain number of chairs are reserved for parents (usually mothers) to come, as well as local officials. The students do not wear robes or mortarboards. Depending on the school, they might have to buy and wear a one-time only graduation uniform. Most of the time they simply wear their regular school uniform.
At first, all students from the 1st and 2nd grades (equivalent to 10th or 11th grade) wait. Then the graduates march in to the sound of a classical march, often rendered by the school's brass band. A complex series of announcements are made, which cue the students to stand up, bow, sit down. The homeroom teacher for each class calls out the names of his or her students in the usual gender-split alphabetical order. This means that boys are called out in alphabetical order first, then the girls. Upon hearing their names, the students say はい (Hai) or "Yes" and remain at attention until all students have been called. Recently some schools have discontinued splitting the class by gender. Both the national anthem and school song are sung by everyone. The head of the student council reads a short congratulatory address to the graduates. This is different from a valedictorian speech. Unlike a valedictorian's speech, it is somewhat pre-set and heavily edited by the teachers responsible for the ceremony. Afterwards, the principal launches into a long-winded speech as is the tradition in most schools. Perseverance, hard work and patience are the most common themes brought up on the occasion.
The principal might wear a full tuxedo, complete with handkerchief and white gloves. The student’s ID number and name are read out loud, the diploma is handed over in full size (not rolled-up). The student receives it with both hands, raises it up in the air and bows to the principal before leaving the stage. There can be background music playing in the meantime, either from tape or CD, or provided by the school's brass band. Common songs include "Aogeba tōtoshi" and "Hotaru no hikari" (Sung to the tune of Auld Lang Syne)
Once the diplomas have been all handed out, a few more announcements and speeches are made, by PTA (parent-teacher association) representatives or someone from the municipal or local government, depending on the school’s status. To the sound of another march, the students leave the auditorium and go back to their class for a final address by their homeroom teacher. During that time, the rest of the school, teachers and students alike, proceed to undress the auditorium, put the chairs away and clean up. A few moments later, the graduates are free to roam around the school, in and out of the teachers’ office, saying their goodbyes to their favorite teachers and reminiscing the good times. Although some tears can be shed at the time, and genuine smiles are seen on all faces, the whole process remains stiff by Western standard. There are no handshakes or hugs to be seen, but instead a lot of bowing and sniffling.
The regular calendar does not end with graduation. The next business day after the ceremony (usually a Monday), 1st and 2nd year students all come back to class. For another two to three weeks, the school continues without the 3rd year students present, which makes for lighter schedules (for the teachers), and quieter hallways at break-times.
India
In India, graduations are not practiced as a compulsory custom. But nowadays many universities conduct colourful graduation ceremonies.
Mexico
In Junior High and High School, the graduation ceremony doesn't get much importance, only in a few private schools. However, in college, particularly in UNAM and IPN, the graduation ceremony takes place in a very similar way to the USA
See also
References
External links
According to a 2006 study by the Center on Education Policy two-thirds of the 15 million public high school students in the United States of America were required to pass a high school graduation Academic dress or academical dress is traditional Clothing for academic settings primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary Encaenia is an Academic Ceremony usually performed at Colleges or Universities.Dictionary
graduation
-noun
- The action or process of graduating and receiving a diploma for completing a course of study (such as from an educational institution).
- A commencement ceremony.
- (sciences) A marking (i.e. on a container) indicating a measurement.
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