Graduation and Commencement Ceremonies, Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. in the Pickens Springer Gymnasium on the campus of Southwestern Christian University, Bethany, Oklahoma.

[Rehearsal for all students graduating and all participating faculty, administration and special guests will be Friday, May 6, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. same location]

The first graduating class of SCU in 1948.

The precise origins of the several parts of academic dress still remain a matter of conjecture. The unheated buildings which medieval scholars frequented may have necessitated the wearing of gowns for comfort. The gowns and the hood were common at British universities before the 14th century; the square cap is thought to be a 16th century import from the University of Paris. European universities continue to use a wide variety in the cut and color of gowns and the type of headdress worn.

Academic attire began to appear quite generally on United States’ campuses in the late 1890’s. Since that time its use has become universal for solemn university functions and its pattern highly uniform. From the color and size of the American academic attire, one may determine the institution from which the wearer received the degree and the degree earned.

THE CAP
The mortarboard has become the universally accepted style in United States colleges and universities. The tam is a soft velvet cap worn by those with a doctoral degree. The caps are black with a tassel. The standard tassel worn by the faculty is black, but those with doctoral degrees have the privilege of wearing gold tassels. Candidates for degrees at Southwestern Christian University have colored tassels, which are red or black. Certain designated officers of the University wear gold tassels.

THE GOWN

The associate’s gown is grey with full sleeves and is worn closed. The bachelor’s gown has a long, pleated front with shirring across the shoulders and back. The flowing sleeves are pointed at the fingertip and are knee length. The master’s degree gown is worn open, and the oblong sleeves, reaching well below the knees, are cut so that the forearm comes through a slit just above the elbow. The doctor’s gown has broad, velvet panels down the front, and three velvet bars on full, round sleeves. This velvet trimming may be either black or a color distinctive of the degree.


THE HOOD

The hood gives color and meaning to the academic costume. The silk lining of the hood reflects the official colors of the institution conferring the degree. Southwestern Christian University’s color is light blue. The hood is bordered with velvet of a prescribed width to designate the degree and a color to indicate the field of learning to which the degree pertains. On the faculty, the hood also reflects their fields of specialization.

 Various students and faculty may be seen wearing cords and medallions.  These are representative of academic achievement and, in some cases, membership in various national honor societies. SCU honors and values these symbols of individual achievements of excellence as visible signs of the important work students and faculty do in pursuit of their goals and the instutional mission.

The Mace symbolizes the university’s clear lineage back to the customs of the middle ages and the birth of institutions of higher learning. It signifies a commitment to the finest standards, values, and traditions handed down through the centuries. The mace embodies authority, learning, scholarship, history, reputation, and values. The staff is oak, 48 inches tall, and was custom made for this ceremony by Rabon Stewart for this ceremony. The four medallions bear the symbols of the parent denomination, the IPHC, and the school crest. The pure silver bands wrap the staff and are inscribed with the words of the university logo, “Scholarship”, “Spirit”, “Service”. Just below the capital of the staff is a silver band engraved with the date of the opening of the school in 1946.

The medallion design depicts the official seal of the university. It is illustrated with a seal trisected to represent the heart of Southwestern Christian University as expressed in its motto: Scholarship, Spirit, Service. Engraved on the seal are the Biblical verses Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” and Ephesians 4: 11-12 , “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors, and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” These connect to the roots and the mission of the institution over its more than sixty years as a place of preparation for a life of meaningful service to others.

The heritage of academic regalia carries great meaning and significance as a symbol of personal achievement and dedication. The colors, hood styles, and various other accoutrements reflect the individual schools, disciplines, and traditions of the institution granting academic degrees. In the regalia of the President of an academic institution, has special significance as the regalia reflect the office and the institution. Putting aside their academic achievements, they become, in the finest and most noble sense, the servant of their institution. Southwestern Christian University’s guiding ethos of “Scholarship, Spirit, Service” are thus reflected in its principal leader on all formal occasions.