Commencement - Caps and Gowns |
Caps and gowns are ordered through Jostens. All
graduates are allowed to keep their cap, gown and hood following Commencement. Cap & Gown Order Forms were mailed with the Commencement Information Packages and must be returned to Student Services before September 12. Failure to return this form will result in a $15 late fee.
Caps and gowns will be available for pickup at the Grad Finale event. Try on your cap and gown at this event to ensure proper fit. If the gown does not fit properly, visit the Jostens table and the vendor will exchange it for you. Gowns will not be available for exchange after Grad Finale.
Academic Attire
Academic dress is both traditional and symbolic, festive and ceremonial, with roots in earlier centuries when the universities were founded. Today, the academic garb symbolizes the value of learning. The principle features of academic dress are the gown, the cap and the hood.
The Gown
The flowing gown comes from the twelfth century. Some think it was worn in olden times as protection against the cold of unheated buildings. It has become symbolic of the democracy of scholarship, for it completely covers beneath it any dress or rank or social standing. It is usually black for all degrees with pointed sleeves for the bachelor's degree; long closed sleeves for the master's degree, with a slit for the arm; and round open sleeves for the doctor's degree.
The Cap
Old poetry records the cap of scholarship as square to symbolize the book. Whatever the origins, the academic cap is a sign of the freedom of scholarship and the responsibility and dignity with which scholarship endows the wearer.
The Hood
The hood shape is that of an inverted shield. The chevrons are a secondary color on the ground of the primary color. Each hood is lined with the colors of the college or university from which the degree was received. Alverno's colors are brown and gold. The tassel and velvet at the throat of the hood, by its color, designates the specific degree awarded at Alverno College.
| white: | Bachelor of Arts |
| light blue: | Bachelor of Science in Education |
| apricot: | Bachelor of Science in Nursing |
| pink: | Bachelor of Music |
| gold: | Bachelor of Science |
| light blue: | Master of Arts in Education |
| apricot: | Master of Science in Nursing |
| drab: | Master of Business Administration |
Faculty hoods may be even more varied in color to represent advanced degrees, areas of specialization, and institutions awarding the degree.
