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Academic Traditions

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For centuries, pomp and circumstance have brought color and dignity to celebrations of academic achievement. Today’s academic regalia traces back to medieval universities, where caps and gowns were worn by institutions closely tied to the church. These garments set scholars apart from townspeople, who also wore gowns in everyday life. While the attire of doctors and clerics varied in formality, each remained distinctive. In the United States, standards established in the late 19th century now allow observers to recognize a scholar’s level and field of study.

Gowns

Three styles of black gowns can be seen in UAF’s academic procession. Certificate, associate and baccalaureate gowns feature long, pointed sleeves. Master’s gowns have oblong sleeves with a curved cut in the front. Doctoral gowns are distinguished by velvet panels and bell-shaped sleeves accented with three velvet bars.

Hoods

Today, UAF’s master’s and doctoral candidates will be hooded, marking their advancement beyond the bachelor’s degree to a higher level of academic achievement. Each hood is lined with UAF’s colors — blue and gold — while the velvet trim represents the graduate’s field of study.

 

Mortarboards

The square Oxford cap, known as the mortarboard, is black with a long tassel attached at the center. You may also notice University of Alaska regents and some faculty wearing soft, beret-style caps, a tradition observed at certain institutions.

For undergraduates receiving their first degree, the tassel is traditionally worn on the right and moved to the left after the diploma is awarded. At UAF, recipients of certificates and associate, baccalaureate, and master’s degrees wear blue and gold tassels, while doctoral graduates wear gold tassels.

The mortarboard takes its name from its resemblance to the square board used by bricklayers to hold mortar. An academic legend tells of a wise Greek teacher who dressed his graduates in mason’s robes and mortarboards, saying, “Their destiny is to build. Some will build cities, some will build lives — perhaps one will build an empire — but all will build upon the solid foundation of knowledge.”

Chancellor's Medallion

During the Middle Ages, medallions signified membership in religious orders and workers’ guilds and, in the Renaissance, membership in elite orders of knighthood and prominence in government office. Today, colleges and universities strike medallions to commemorate important events and achievements or to designate a person of consequence. The UAF chancellor’s medallion signifies the authority vested in the chancellor. 

The chancellor’s medallion features the head of a polar bear — a nanook. Todd Sherman, a former art professor who also served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts, created the image. Medallion production collaborators included computer art student Lucas Cheek ’14, former Rasmuson Library graphic designer Dixon Jones and Eric Johansen ’85, a mechanical technician in the College of Engineering and Mines. Gwich’in Athabascan artist Dixie Alexander used dentalia shells, glass pony beads, crow beads and smoke-tanned moosehide to create the neckpiece that holds the medallion.

University Mace

Bodyguards of French and English monarchs carried ceremonial war clubs, or maces, in the Middle Ages. Later, the mace became an important symbol of office in civil processions and academic pageantry. The grand marshal carries the University of Alaska mace in the commencement procession and places it in a stand on the stage during commencement ceremonies to signify the importance of the occasion.

The mace was commissioned by the University of Alaska Alumni Association in honor of the university's 1967 golden anniversary and was created by UAF Professor Emeritus Ron Senungetuk using silver, jade and rosewood. At the top of the mace, a disk in the center of two open orbs depicts the University of Alaska seal on one side and the Alaska state seal on the other. The materials were selected to symbolize qualities of durability, strength and beauty.

Traditional Staff

The traditional staff carried by the student marshal was crafted by the Rev. Dr. Chief Trimble Gilbert, first traditional chief of the Tanana Chiefs Conference region, a Gwich'in Elder, fluent speaker of Dinjii Zhuh K’yaa and dedicated cultural leader from Arctic Village, Alaska. Gilbert gave this staff to UAF in 2014 to honor the creation of the Troth Yeddha’ Park and future Indigenous studies center. The details of each traditional staff vary by region. This staff is made of birch and is adorned with caribou hide, porcupine quills, dentalium shells and an eagle feather.

Chief Gilbert’s leadership across the TCC region, particularly with Indigenous youth, has been beyond measure. The inclusion of this traditional staff in the commencement procession represents UAF’s continued commitment to the Indigenous peoples and cultures of Alaska.