View Document

Academic Dress and Regalia Policy

This is the current version of this document. To view historic versions, click the link in the document's navigation bar.

Section 1 - Policy Statement

(1) This Policy outlines the appropriate wearing of academic dress and regalia to be observed at public ceremonies of the Australian Catholic University (ACU).

Top of Page

Section 2 - Background Information

(2) There are established conventions about the wearing of academic dress, and this Policy outlines these conventions for ACU public ceremonies.

(3) ACU uses gowns of the Oxford and Cambridge pattern and there are distinctive gowns for different awards of the University, and for office bearers of the University.

Top of Page

Section 3 - Policy Scope

(4) This Policy applies to all members of the University including students, staff, office-bearers of the University and members of Senate who participate in University ceremonies in an official capacity.

Top of Page

Section 4 - Application of Policy

Academic Dress

(5) Academic dress shall be worn at graduation ceremonies and other University events as determined by the Vice-Chancellor and President.

(6) There is designated regalia prescribed under this Policy for the following roles:

  1. Chancellor;
  2. Vice-Chancellor and President;
  3. Pro-Chancellor;
  4. Presiding Officer (if not one of the above);
  5. Members of Senate.

(7) Members of the University should normally wear academic dress as prescribed for their qualification and awarding institution.

(8) Members of the University who are not in possession of a qualification entitling them to academic dress, and who need to wear academic dress (for example in a procession or when acting as an attendant at a ceremony) may wear a plain black bachelor gown of the Oxford style; a mortar board is not worn.

(9) A person who has more than one award should wear the academic dress appropriate to the occasion and not a mixture of dress, normally the dress for the most senior award to which they are entitled.

Academic Dress Worn by Students Attending Their Graduation Ceremony

(10) A person being presented for an award should wear the dress for that award, and no other. The exception is the ACU Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, where members of staff receiving this award will be given the choice of wearing the regalia appropriate to the award or regalia for a higher degree to which they are entitled.

(11) Graduates must wear gowns, mortar boards or bonnets, hoods or stoles for the award being conferred on them at a graduation ceremony, as prescribed in Schedule 1 of this Policy.

(12) If two levels of award are being conferred at one ceremony, then the regalia for the higher award will be worn.

(13) If a combined award is being conferred from two Faculties of the University, then the colours of the professional or first-named award will be worn.

(14) Medals and decorations are not to be attached to any part of the academic dress, but may be worn on a person’s clothing.

(15) Where cultural dress is worn in conjunction with Academic dress it must not detract from the formality of the occasion and will be considered by Graduation and Protocols on a case by case basis.

Top of Page

Section 5 - Prescribed Regalia and How it is to be Worn

Gowns

(16) ACU uses gowns of the Oxford and Cambridge pattern.

(17) The same style in black is used for undergraduates and for those receiving awards at all levels below that of master. There are distinctive Oxford pattern gowns for the degrees of master and Cambridge pattern gowns for doctoral awards.

(18) The gowns for doctoral awards are Cambridge pattern and Honorary Doctorates of ACU are of the Oxford full dress pattern, with bell-shaped sleeves.

Hoods and Stoles

(19) Hoods and stoles for ACU awards, including the appropriate colours, are prescribed in Schedule 1 of this Policy.

(20) Hoods are of the Oxford pattern for degrees at level of bachelor and master; and of Cambridge pattern for doctoral degrees.

(21) Only one hood or stole should be worn at a time, with the exception of the ACU Indigenous stole as outlined in clauses (22) and (23) which may be worn in combination with any ACU academic dress.

(22) In addition to the prescribed ACU academic dress Indigenous students who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander may choose to wear an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stole to recognise their cultural heritage.

  1. (23) The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stoles acknowledge the important role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students play within the ACU community. The design of the stoles and their colours are reflective of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. 

Mortar Boards and Bonnets

(24) Mortar boards and bonnets for ACU awards are prescribed in Schedule 1 of this Policy and must be worn in the prescribed manner.

(25) Mortar boards and bonnets form part of the academic dress and, therefore, remain worn throughout ceremonies.

(26) It is not the custom to wear a mortar board or bonnet at dinners or luncheons for which academic dress is prescribed.

(27) A Doctoral bonnet is worn so that it is level, with the coloured cord tied in a long bow on the left side. The exception is the Presiding Officer at a graduation ceremony, where the bonnet is worn opposite to the norm.

(28) A mortar board is worn level, with the small peak at the front and the point in the centre of the forehead. The tassel is worn on the front left hand side.

(29) If any head covering is normally worn by a person for religious or cultural convention, then the wearing of a mortar board or bonnet is a matter of preference for that person.

Top of Page

Section 6 - Presiding and Presenting Officers at a Graduation Ceremony

(30) The Presiding Officer will wear the designated regalia as detailed in Schedule 1.

(31) The Presenting Officer will wear their own academic dress, except in the following cases:

  1. the Vice-Chancellor and President who will wear the prescribed regalia; or
  2. a member of Senate who may opt to wear the Senate Regalia.

Part A - Schedule 1 – Academic Regalia at ACU

ACU Senior Officers’ Academic Dress

Role Gown Mortar Board/Bonnet
Chancellor
  • Black, master style, with each inverted T-shaped sleeve opening edged with 20mm gold lace. A boomerang shape outlined in gold embroidery, filled with wattle flowers in gold and leaves in silver, placed at join of sleeve and body of gown.
  • A spray of the floral emblems of the Australian States and the ACT is embroidered in gold and silver between the sleeve opening and the shoulder ornament.
  • The gown to be faced with 100mm scarlet panels embroidered with 65mm gold crosses spaced evenly apart. A shoulder cape in red with a gold cross embroidered in centre. The cape, gown, outer edges of facing, and outer bottom hem of sleeves to be edged with 38mm gold lace.
  • The University Crest is embroidered so that the point of the shield is 150mm from the bottom of each sleeve.
Black velvet bonnet with gold cord and tassel on the left side
Pro-Chancellor As for Vice-Chancellor and President. Black velvet bonnet with gold cord and tassel on the left side
Vice-Chancellor and President
  • Black, master style, with each inverted T-shaped sleeve opening edged with 20mm gold lace. A boomerang shape outlined in gold embroidery, filled with wattle flowers in gold and leaves in silver, placed at join of sleeve and body of gown.
  • The gown to be faced with 100mm scarlet panels embroidered with 65mm gold crosses spaced evenly apart. A shoulder cape in red with a gold cross embroidered in centre. The cape, gown, outer edges of facing, and outer bottom hem of sleeves to be edged with 25mm gold lace.
  • The University Crest is embroidered so that the point of the shield is 150mm from the bottom of each sleeve.
Black velvet bonnet with gold cord and tassel on the left side
Presiding Officer (if not one of the above) As for Vice-Chancellor and President, except for no University Crest embroidered on sleeve. Black velvet bonnet with gold cord and tassel on the left side
Members of the Senate Black, master style, faced 100mm with scarlet, with a single 65mm gold cross embroidered 75mm from top of each panel. Black mortar board or doctoral bonnet, if entitled

Members of the University Entitled to Wear Academic Dress

Level of award Gown Hood Stole Mortar Board/Bonnet
Non-Award Certificate/Advanced Certificate Black, Oxford, bachelor style - - Black mortar board
Non Award Certificate in Liberal Studies (Clemente Australia only) Black, Oxford, bachelor style - In Faculty colour Black mortar board
Undergraduate Certificate Black, Oxford, bachelor style - In Faculty colour Black mortar board
Diploma Black, Oxford, bachelor style - In Faculty colour Black mortar board
Associate Degree Black, Oxford, bachelor style - In Faculty colour Black mortar board
Bachelor Black, Oxford, bachelor style Black, Oxford pattern, lined with Faculty colour - Black mortar board
Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma Black, Oxford, bachelor style - In Faculty colour Black mortar board
Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Black, Oxford, bachelor style - In scarlet Black mortar board
Master (General) Black, Oxford, master style Black, Oxford pattern, lined and edged 10mm with Faculty colour - Black mortar board
Master of Philosophy Black, Oxford, bachelor style Blue, Oxford pattern, lined and edged 10mm with scarlet - Black mortar board
Doctor of Education Black, Cambridge, master style, faced 100mm with Faculty colour Black, Cambridge pattern, lined and edge 10mm with Faculty colour - Black velvet bonnet with scarlet cord
Doctor of Philosophy Blue, Cambridge master style, faced 100mm with scarlet Blue, Cambridge pattern, lined and edged 10mm with scarlet - Black velvet bonnet with scarlet cord
Doctor of Philosophy in Social and Political Thought Blue, Cambridge master style, faced 100mm with scarlet Blue, Cambridge pattern, lined and edged 10mm with scarlet - Black velvet bonnet with scarlet cord
Doctor of the University (Honoris Causa) Scarlet, Oxford doctor style, faced 100mm with gold, and bell sleeves half lined/faced with gold Scarlet, Cambridge pattern, lined and edged 10mm with gold - Black velvet bonnet with scarlet cord
Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) Burgundy, Oxford doctor style, faced 100mm with scarlet, trimmed with gold piping, and lined bell sleeves Burgundy, Cambridge pattern, lined and edged 10mm with scarlet with gold piping - Black velvet bonnet with scarlet cord

Members of the University Not Entitled to Wear Academic Dress

Member Gown Hood Stole Mortar Board/Bonnet
Student without academic qualifications Black, bachelor style - - -
Member of staff without an academic qualification Black, bachelor style - - -

Part B - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Stole

Award

Stole

Aboriginal stole
A stole 180 cm long made up of black, yellow and red stripes each 40cm wide (120cm wide total),lined with black fabric and worn with the black stripe on the outside and red stripe on the inside
Torres Strait Islander stole
A stole 180 cm long made up of blue, white and green stripes each 40cm wide (120cm wide total), lined with blue fabric, worn with the blue stripe on the outside and green stripe on the inside.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stole
A stole 180 cm long made up of blue, white and green stripes on one side each 40cm wide (total 120cm wide), and black, yellow and red stripes on the other side. Lined with black fabric and worn with the blue stripe on the outside and green stripe on the inside and the black stripe on the outside and the red stripe on the inside.

 

University Colours

Faculty Colour Code
Education and Arts Malachite Green BCC23
Health Sciences Spectrum Orange BCC57
Law and Business Burgundy Pantone PMS 1797C
Theology and Philosophy Violet BCC179
Other colours
Bachelor and Masters and EdD Gowns Black -
Blue – as for PhD gowns Lapis Lazuli BCC150
Scarlet – as for PhD (satin trim) and Honorary Doctorates (gowns) and GradCert HigherEd (stole) Cardinal BCC186
Gold – as for Honorary Doctorates (satin trim) Saffron BCC54
Top of Page

Section 7 -
Associated Information

(32) For related legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines and any supporting resources please refer to the Associated Information tab.