J&W Commencement > Providence

Cap & Gown Pick-up In order to get your cap and gown, you will need to complete all graduation requirements before May 2, 2008.

You will NOT be able to pick up your cap and gown on the day of Commencement.

Personalized commencement announcements may be ordered from the University Bookstore, but should be ordered in advance to ensure timely receipt. Check back for updates on how to order your announcements.

What to Wear and How to Wear It You are expected to wear the full academic dress (cap, gown, and hood) appropriate to your degree. Graduates who are in the military are permitted to wear appropriate military dress uniforms. Attire traditionally worn with the gown; men — suit or jacket and slacks, plain tie and shoes; women — dress or skirt and blouse and shoes.

Graduates should put on their cap and gown before entering the assembly area. Faculty and staff will be on hand if you need assistance. Leave coats, valuables and other items with parents, friends or guests. You will not be able to store any personal belongings in the assembly area.

The gown should be ironed and worn straight. Both the cap and gown should be worn at all times by women; men remove their caps for the national anthem, the invocation and the benediction, but wear them at all other times throughout the ceremony. The tassel is to hang on the front right side of the cap.

Academic Hood Bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree recipients also wear an academic hood representing their higher level of education. Doctoral students wear a specially designed robe and hood in Johnson & Wales colors.

Your hood should be placed over the shoulders. There should be no color visible at first. Once the hood is in place, unfold it slightly to expose the colors. Women may choose to fasten the hood at the shoulders with safety pins for more comfort. For men, the neckband of the hood should be placed over the tie.

Traditions The tradition of wearing distinctive dress for academic ceremonies dates back to the Middle Ages. Costumes were worn mainly by nobility and clergy. Most of the early academic costumes were made of woolen cloth. Colors were added during the Renaissance, particularly at Oxford and Cambridge where scarlet hoods were worn by doctors.

Today, academic costumes are usually worn in the United States by people participating in academic ceremonies. The academic dress at Johnson & Wales meets the standards set by the intercollegiate Bureau of Academic Costume. All students wear the standard black gown and square "Oxford cap."

The faculty and platform party will be wearing regalia representative of the degrees they possess. The president and other officials of the University will wear caps and gowns designed exclusively for Johnson & Wales University. The honorary degree recipients will wear the academic costume and hood appropriate for the degree being conferred upon them.