Recognition of Honors

Distinctive caps, gowns, and hoods have been worn at college and university functions since the Middle Ages. This was when scholarship was usually associated with a church or monastery. Over the years, the simple hooded gown or cassock evolved into a distinctive academic costume. In the legacy of this academic tradition, students who excel in their studies are recognized for their achievement. They are acknowledged by wearing medallions with their gowns at graduation.

Today's academic regalia is profoundly symbolic of the reverence held for the pursuit of knowledge and the achievement of scholarship.