Back to last page

Graduation, Foragers, Gowns
What Does it All Mean?

by Dianna Lee
Part 1 of a 2-Part Series - During the graduation season, there have been several discussions in the office as to what the different graduation honors mean.

There are different attires worn for each program or degree completed. They are the AA degree (two year), the BA Bachelor’s Degree (four year), Master’s and Doctoral Programs. Each participant in the graduation ceremony must wear certain academic attire. 

The gowns are commonly black but could match the school colors. There can be variations, e.g., velvet borders on the body and crossbars on the sleeve to show the level of the degree. Candidates of Master’s and Doctoral degrees wear hoods which resemble their ancestor’s medieval cowl. 

The velvet border on the hood indicates the general field of the degree. The silk lining at the back represents the colors of the school that awarded the degree. The tassel color is indicative of the field of degree. AA graduates and Bachelor degree candidates wear the tassel on the right and will shift to the left. Candidates for higher degrees do not shift their tassels; they remain on the left side during the entire ceremony.

The forager is made of braided cord and is worn around the arm at the shoulder. This indicates the candidate had been singled out for a special decoration. It originated in the Military but has been used for academic achievement by many universities. The gold forager signifies academic distinction.  This award is given to the top fifteen percent of bachelor candidates who graduate each quarter. The gold forager is worn on the left shoulder and is a commencement-day honor.  The blue and gold forager represents the Chancellors Service Award for community service.  It is worn on the right shoulder and is also a commencement-day honor.

Go to Part 2

TOP