Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of higher education. Such as with other professions, teaching in universities is only carried out by people who are properly qualified. In the same way that a carpenter would pass through the grades of apprentice and journeyman to attain the status of master carpenter when or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate (JC) or former student of a school, college, or university". In addition, an alumna (pl. alumnae) is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college, or university". If a group includes more than one gender, even if there is only one male, the. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands Graduand refers to the status of an undergraduate or graduate student in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United States of America, or the West Indies who has finished his or her studies at university, but not yet graduated in a formal ceremony. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also called commencement, convocation or invocation. At the University of Cambridge, the occasion on which most graduands receive their BA degree is known as general admission. After degree completion, graduates can be referred to by their graduating year. In the United States and Canada, it is also used to refer to the advancement from a primary or secondary school level.

When ceremonies are associated, they usually include a procession of the academic staff and candidates. Beginning at the secondary school level in the United States, the candidates will almost always wear academic dress Academic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree or hold a status that entitles them to assume them (e.g. undergraduate students at certain old universities). It is also known as, and increasingly faculty In education, a teacher is a person who provides schooling for others. A teacher who facilitates education for an individual student may also be described as a personal tutor. The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out by way of occupation or profession at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person will do the same. At the college and university level, the faculty will usually wear academic dress at the formal ceremonies, as will the trustees Trustee is a legal term for a holder of property on behalf of a beneficiary. A trust can be set up either to benefit particular persons, or for any charitable purposes : typical examples are a will trust for the testator's children and family, a pension trust (to confer benefits on employees and their families), and a charitable trust. In all and degree candidates. "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 An academic department is a division of a university or school faculty devoted to a particular academic discipline. This article covers United States usage at the university level ceremony.

Japan

Elementary and Secondary schools

Graduation ceremonies are in March followed by entrance ceremonies in April. This coincides with the Japanese school calendar An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms. The schedule adopted by institutions of learning or education systems vary widely and the Japanese government fiscal year On January 1, 1873, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar, with local names for the months and mostly fixed holidays, but before 1873, a lunisolar calendar was in use, which was adapted from the Chinese calendar. Japanese eras are still in use. Graduation is also related to the changing of the seasons and is often reflected in the ceremony decor and related advertising (i.e. new uniforms, backpacks, school supplies...).

Primary Primary education is the first stage of compulsory education. It is preceded by pre-school or nursery education and is followed by secondary education. In North America this stage of education is usually known as elementary education and is generally followed by middle school and Secondary Secondary education is the stage of education following primary school. Secondary education is generally the final stage of compulsory education. However, secondary education in some countries includes a period of compulsory and a period of non-compulsory education. The next stage of education is usually college or university. Secondary education school graduations in Japan remain similar throughout the nation. Graduation takes place in a school auditorium, agora, or gymnasium. Red and white striped banners are hung to cover the walls and doors. Three large flags hang on the stage. The flag of Japan, of the city, and of the school. A rented bonsai Bonsai (盆栽 Japanese) (lit. tray cultivation) is the art of growing trees, or woody plants shaped as trees, in containers. Bonsai is sometimes confused with dwarfing, but dwarfing more accurately refers to researching and creating cultivars of plant material that are permanent, genetic miniatures of existing species. Bonsai does not require tree is next to the podium. Chairs are reserved for parents, as well as local officials, and special guests including teachers from previous years. The underclassman bring in their classroom chairs and are seated in front of the stage and the area for the graduating class. Elementary school students wear their new Junior High uniforms. Secondary schools wear their current uniforms. Sometimes high school students must buy a graduation uniform.

Underclassmen, parents, and teachers are seated first. The vice principal leads in the local officials and special guests. The teachers all stand and bow Bowing is the act of lowering the torso and head as a social gesture in direction to another person or symbol. It is most prominent in Asian cultures but it is also typical of nobility and aristocracy in many countries and distinctively in Europe. Sometimes the gesture may be limited to lowering the head. It is especially prominent in China, Korea, to them as they enter. When the graduates enter, they are led by their homeroom teachers. Everyone walks very slow and deliberate. They walk in straight lines and make 90 degree turns if turning is necessary. The students line up next to their chairs and wait for the home room teacher to signal and they all sit at once. The homeroom teacher then joins the rest of the teachers. The head of ceremonies asks everyone to stand and bow towards the Japanese flag. This is coordinated by playing three chords on the piano. 1st-prepare, 2nd-bow, 3rd-return upright.

Singing has a large part in the Japanese schools curriculum and is also a big part of graduation. The first song is Japan's national anthem, followed by the city song and the school song. The latter two are usually printed in the program. This is the last time the graduating class will sing the school song together with the rest of the school. At this point, or after diplomas, the lower class sings to the graduating class, and the graduating class to the lower class. Then everyone sings together. Some of the possible songs are: Tabidachi no hi ni ja:旅立ちの日に, Sayonara, "Until the World is One" by Ya-ya-yah, Sakura ja:さくら (森山直太朗), "Aogeba tōtoshi" and "Hotaru no hikari" (Sung to the tune of Auld Lang Syne).

After singing has finished the principal, wearing a Japanese style tuxedo or black tie Black tie is a dress code for formal evening events, and is worn to many types of social functions. For a man, the major component is a jacket, known as a dinner jacket or tuxedo (mainly in the United States), which is usually black but is sometimes seen in other colours. Analogues for womens' evening dress range from a conservative cocktail dress goes to the podium. Usually a female teacher wearing a kimono As the kimono has another name gofuku (呉服?, literally "clothes of Wu "), the earliest kimonos were heavily influenced by traditional Han Chinese clothing, known today as hanfu (漢服?, kanfuku in Japanese), through Japanese embassies to China which resulted in extensive Chinese culture adoptions by Japan, as early as the fifth brings out diplomas on a large tray. The homeroom teacher for each class calls out the names of his or her students in gender-split alphabetical order. Recently some schools have discontinued splitting the class by gender. Students stand and say "はい", Japanese for "yes". Large classes my only have their names called. Smaller classes might have each student go to the stage and receive their diploma. They queue up, walking in straight lines, 90 degree turns, at a deliberately slow pace. At some Elementary schools the students give a short speech about what they want to do at Junior High before receiving their diplomas.

The principal reads the diploma out loud once to the first student. The diploma is handed over full size in an open cover (not rolled-up). The principal rotates the diploma to face the student and hands it to them. The student receives the diploma by using their left hand first, and then their right hand before pulling it towards them. The student steps back and exchanges bows with the principal. The student then slowly closes the diploma and folds it under their left hand before turning and walking away. Returning to their seats, students stop and bow to the special guests.

After all the students are seated again the principal makes a speech. The speeches are written To a lesser extent, modern written Japanese also uses the Latin alphabet—examples include abbreviations such as "CD" and "DVD"—and occasionally hentaigana vertically from top to bottom, right to left on a fan folded piece of paper. The principal's speech is followed by the head of the PTA. At junior high school an underclassmen may give a speech thanking the graduating students for things like being good senpai. And this is followed by a student speech from the student president. Students may give set group speeches, as if a dialogue between the lower class and upper class. Students take turns yelling out parts of the dialogue sometimes being accompanied by everyone or a few other students in unison. This might happen before, in-between and/or after the songs.

After ceremony students may get a final address by their homeroom teacher. A few moments later, the graduates are free to roam around the school, in and out of the teachers’ office. At Junior High school, students take everything with them on the last day and may do school cheers with the underclassman in front of the school. The school calendar does not end with graduation. The next business day after the ceremony 1st and 2nd year students continue classes in tell spring break officially starts.

Mexico

In Junior High and High School, the graduation ceremony doesn't get as much importance, only in a few private schools. However, in college, particularly in the National Autonomous University of Mexico The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) is a public university based primarily in Mexico City and generally considered to be the largest one-campus university in the Americas in terms of student population. Founded on 22 September 1910 by Justo Sierra as a liberal alternative to the Roman Catholic-sponsored Royal and Pontifical and National Polytechnic Institute The National Polytechnic Institute is one of the largest public universities in Mexico. It is based primarily in Mexico City and its suburbs, and is dedicated to research and education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It was founded on 1 January 1936 during the administration of President Lázaro Cárdenas del Río, the graduation ceremony takes place in a very similar way to the USA.

Graduations from elementary, middle, and preparatory schools (6th,9th and 12th grades respectively) are usually accompanied by a school-organized dance, "ball" -a rehearsed dance routine for parents and family members- and a parent-organized mass, usually in a local Roman Catholic Church.

South Africa

At the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS), the graduation ceremonies are formal affairs, which include an academic procession by the faculty staff. The WITS choir is always present, and as a fun twist once the academic procession has left the hall, the song "I Got You (I Feel Good)" by James Brown is played over the loudspeakers.^{[citation needed]}

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 Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. It follows on from elementary or primary education, high school High school is used in some parts of the world, particularly in Scotland, North America and Oceania to describe an institution that provides all or part of secondary education. The term "high school" originated in Scotland with the world's oldest being the Royal High School in 1505,. It spread to the New World owing to the high prestige or sixth form college A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is known as a junior college. The municipal government of the (if applicable) with specific qualifications, often GCSEs The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales, Gibraltar and Northern Ireland. (In Scotland, the equivalent is the Standard Grade.) Some students may decide to take one or more and A-levels The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, universally referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. It is also offered by a small minority of institutions, typically private, in Scotland, where students usually take Highers and Advanced Highers of the Scottish respectively (Standard Grades Standard Grades are Scotland's educational qualifications for students aged around 14 to 16 years. Standard Grade courses are taken over the 3rd and 4th years of a student's secondary schooling. Exams are taken at the end of the 4th Year (around May), with preliminary examinations taken several months earlier in November. (However, certain and Higher National Courses In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC) offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE). Both are normally referred to simply as " in Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland). However, these are not diplomas A high school diploma is a diploma awarded for the completion of high school. In the United States and Canada, it is considered the minimum education required for government jobs and higher education. An equivalent is the GED and are not necessarily presented in a formal ceremony.

Many university graduation ceremonies in the United Kingdom begin with a procession of academics, wearing academic dress Academic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree or hold a status that entitles them to assume them (e.g. undergraduate students at certain old universities). It is also known as. This procession is accompanied by music, and a ceremonial mace The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a mace-bearer, intended to represent the official's authority. The mace as used today derives from the original mace used as a weapon. Processions often feature maces, as on parliamentary or formal academic is often carried. 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 A chancellor or vice-chancellor (Commonwealth) is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector or the vice-chancellor A chancellor or vice-chancellor (Commonwealth) is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector. Graduands wear the academic dress Academic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary and sometimes secondary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree or hold a status that entitles them to assume them (e.g. undergraduate students at certain old universities). It is also known as of the degree they are receiving. At Oxford The University of Oxford , located in the English city of Oxford, is the oldest surviving university in the English-speaking world and is regarded as one of the world's leading academic institutions. Although the exact date of foundation remains unclear, there is evidence of teaching there as far back as the 11th century. The University grew, however, they wear the dress of their status before graduating (their previous degree, or undergraduate academic dress), afterwards changing into the dress of the degree they have just received. Serving members of the armed forces The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation's armed forces. Armed may wear their military uniform A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organisations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates in prisons. In some countries, some other underneath. Member institutions of the University of Wales The University of Wales is a confederal university founded in 1893. It has accredited institutions throughout Wales, ranging from nineteenth-century establishments like Aberystwyth and Bangor to post-1992 universities like Newport and institutes of higher education such as UWIC and Glyndŵr University (NEWI). Indeed, the only institution in Wales hold their graduation ceremonies almost entirely in the Welsh language Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh border, in the Welsh immigrant colony in the Chubut Valley in Argentine Patagonia, and the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Some of the older universities may hold their graduation ceremonies in Latin Latin or sometimes Roman is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Although often considered a dead language, in view of the fact that it has no native, fluent speakers, Latin continues to be taught in schools and has been, and currently is, used in the process of new word production in modern languages from many, even though few students understand this language. The Latin section of the ceremony may include a rendition of an anthem The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song (or composition) of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem", sometimes called the unofficial anthem of all universities, the De Brevitate Vitae "De Brevitate Vitae" , more commonly known as "Gaudeamus Igitur" ("Let Us Rejoice") or just "Gaudeamus", is a popular academic commercium song in many European countries, mainly sung or performed at university graduation ceremonies. Despite its use as a formal graduation hymn, it is a jocular, light-hearted, also known as The Gaudeamus.

University of Cambridge

At the University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is the second oldest university in England and the fourth oldest in Europe. In post-nominals the university's name is abbreviated as Cantab, a shortened form of Cantabrigiensis (an adjective derived from Cantabrigia, the Latinised form of Cambridge), each graduation is a separate act of the university's governing body, the Regent House The Regent House is the name given to the official governing body of the University of Cambridge. It consists of most academic and academic-related staff of the University's colleges and departments, and currently has over 3000 members, and must be voted on as with any other act. A formal meeting of the Regent House, known as a Congregation Examples include the Regent House in the University of Cambridge, and the House of Congregation and the Ancient House of Congregation in the University of Oxford, is held for this purpose.^{[citation needed]}

Graduates receiving an undergraduate degree wear the academical dress that they were entitled to before graduating: for example, most students becoming Bachelors of Arts Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both. Bachelor of Arts degree programs generally last three to four years depending upon the country, academic institution, and specific majors or minors wear undergraduate Undergraduate education is an education level taken prior to gaining a first degree , hence in many subjects in many educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a bachelor's degree, such as in the United States, where a university entry level is known as undergraduate, while students of higher gowns and not BA gowns. Graduates receiving a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated to PhD, Ph.D. or D.Phil. in English-speaking countries and Dr. Phil. or similar in other countries, for the Latin philosophiae doctor, meaning "teacher in philosophy", is an advanced academic degree awarded by universities. In most English-speaking countries, the PhD is the highest degree one can earn or Master's A master's degree is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. Within the area studied, graduates possess advanced knowledge of a specialized body of theoretical and applied topics; high order skills in analysis,) 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.^{[citation needed]}

Durham University

At Durham University The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837. It was one of the first universities to open in England for more than 600 years, and is England's third oldest educational institute after Oxford and Cambridge the graduation ceremony is known as Congregation Examples include the Regent House in the University of Cambridge, and the House of Congregation and the Ancient House of Congregation in the University of Oxford and takes place in Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham — known as Durham Cathedral — in the city of Durham, England, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093. The cathedral is regarded as one of the finest examples of Norman, with graduands processing across Palace Green from the Great Hall of University College.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[1]

United States of America

In the United States, besides "commencement," the term "graduation" is also used in schools below university level such as the high school, middle school and even kindergarten and preschool ceremonies.

The American Council on Education is the authority on academic regalia in the US, and has developed an Academic Ceremony Guide^[2] that is generally followed by most institutions of higher learning. The ceremony guide and the related Academic Costume Code provide the core of academic ceremony traditions in the US. High school graduation regalia, however, is generally left to the discretion of the school and often cap and gown colors vary from school to school^[3].

At many large US institutions, where many hundreds of degrees are being granted at once, the main ceremony (commencement) involving all graduates in a sports stadium, amphitheater, parade ground or lawn, or other large – often outdoor – venue is usually followed, but sometimes preceded, by smaller ceremonies (diploma ceremony) at sites on or around campus where deans and faculty of each academic organization (college, academic department, program, etc.) 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. At large institutions the great number of family members and guests that each graduating student wishes to attend may exceed the capacity of organizers to accommodate. Universities try to manage this by allocating a specified number of graduation tickets to each student that will be graduating.

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 academic administrators to withhold diplomas from students who are unruly during the ceremony; at the college level, this allows students who need an additional quarter or semester to satisfy their academic requirements to nevertheless participate in the official ceremony with their cohort before receiving their degree. In addition, with large numbers of students receiving diplomas and often no specific order they walk in, it is impossible for their actual diplomas to be given to them at the ceremony, thus them receiving simply a blank diploma to be filled later.

At most colleges and universities in the US, a faculty member or dean will ceremoniously recommend that each class of candidates (often by college but sometimes by program/major) be awarded the proper degree, which is then formally and officially 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 ..."

For students receiving an advanced degree, many colleges include a Hooding Ceremony in their commencement program, in which the students get to wear a hood. A hood is a symbolic garment, which is worn draped around the neck and over the shoulders, displayed down the back with the lining exposed. The hood’s length signifies the degree; with the institution's colors in the lining and a velvet trim in a color that signifies the scholar’s field. The hood is a part of traditional academic dress whose origins date back many centuries. Today, the hood is considered by some to be the most expressive component of the academic costume. Today’s hoods have evolved from a practical garment to a symbolic one. At Fordham University, graduates of a college put on the hood by themselves en mass after the university president confers the degree upon them from the podium. This is called 'to self-hood'. Doctorates are hooded upon the stage.

Graduation speech

A graduation or commencement speech, in the U.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, 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.^{[citation needed]} Notable exceptions are Columbia University, Davidson College, and Belmont University, where the tradition has been that only the current university president gives the commencement address. Though there is only one commencement, individual colleges and schools of Columbia often invite a speaker at separate graduation ceremonies held earlier or on another day, however.

See also

• High school graduation examination
• Academic dress
• Encaenia
• Matriculation

References

1. ^ http://www.open.ac.uk/ceremonies
2. ^
3. ^ http://www.rhymeuniversity.com/Elementary_Middle_High_School_Graduation_Gown_Sets|p113_c48_o0.html

External links

• The Stories Behind Graduation Traditions by Ethan Trex, Mental Floss

Categories: Educational stages | School terminology | Ceremonies | Graduation

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