Department of Elementary Education
Master of Arts Hooding Ceremony
Thursday May 21st , 2009
4:00 Refreshments
4:30 Welcome by the Chair of Elementary Education Department, Dr. David Kretschmer
4:40 Speech by MA Candidate, Wendy Schmaeff
4:45 Hooding of Candidates
5:15 Close of Hooding Ceremony by Chair Kretschmer
5:15 to 5:45 Informal Reception with Faculty, Candidates, Friends, and Family
5:45 Move to Oviatt Lawn for Commencement
The Hooding Ceremony for Elementary Education
What is the Hooding Ceremony?
The Department of Elementary Education's Hooding Ceremony is an occasion for celebration and recognition of candidates who have completed the Masters of Education Degree. During the ceremony a faculty member places the hood over the head and onto the shoulders of each graduate student. This ritual signifies the candidate has successfully met all of the requirements and will be awarded the degree. The Hooding Ceremony takes place in a designated area prior to the Commencement Exercises. Graduating students are encouraged to invite family and friends to join faculty and staff in witnessing their ceremonial hooding in this intimate setting. Faculty and graduates will be dressed in full academic regalia during the Hooding Ceremony and the Commencement.
Who is invited to attend?
The Hooding Ceremony is designed as an honor for graduating Masters degree candidates, who may invite their family and friends.
Who performs the hooding?
Each Masters degree candidate invites a faculty member to conduct the hooding. The faculty member may be any faculty member of the candidate’s choice.
What occurs during the ceremony?
The ceremony will begin with the Chair of the Elementary Education delivering brief remarks and introducing a Masters candidate, who will briefly address the audience. The Chair will call candidates up by program option. Candidates will be called by name and go up to the stage with the faculty member, who will hood them.
Academic Regalia
The history of academic dress dates back to at least 1321 when the University of Coimbra required that scholars wear gowns. In the 14th century, colleges in England forbade excess in apparel and suggested academic dress with details specific to each college and major. Academic gowns may have their origins in clerical dress that medieval scholars used for warmth in unheated buildings. The hood was originally a head covering for bad weather that was later changed to a small cape. Today, hoods signify the candidate’s school, degree, and field of study. In the United States, the American Council on Education has standardized academic regalia and has an interesting article on the history of academic dress. (See www.acenet.edu).
Academic regalia consist of a gown, hood, and cap. The gown for doctoral degrees has three velvet chevrons on the sleeves and velvet panels in front. Masters gowns do not have chevrons. The hood for the Masters degree is three to four feet in length and lined with color of the university that is conferring the degree. Your Masters hood is lined with the CSUN colors of red and white in a chevron pattern and has velvet trimming that corresponds to the degree. All Masters in Education have light blue velvet trim on the hood that indicates scholarship in the field of education. All doctors of philosophy degree (Ph.D.) hoods have dark blue velvet trim to represent mastery of the scholarship in the particular field. Caps may either be a mortarboard or a tam. A long tassel is fastened onto the middle of the top of the mortarboard or tam with a color that indicates the candidate’s field. The doctoral tam or cap may have a tassel of gold. It is common for undergraduates to begin the ceremony with the tassel on the right and then switch to the left as the degree is awarded. Doctoral and Masters candidates begin and end the ceremony with the tassel on the left. Know that when you dress in your gown, hood, and cap for the hooding and commencement ceremonies, you are following over 700 years of academic tradition.
What is the time and place for the Hooding Ceremony?
The Elementary Education Hooding Ceremony will begin at 4:00 pm and last until approximately 5:30 pm on the day of commencement. The Hooding Ceremony will precede the College of Education Commencement Ceremony that begins at 6:30 pm on the same day. After the Hooding Ceremony, candidates will be directed to line up for the Commencement Ceremony on the Oviatt Lawn.
Who may participate in the Hooding Ceremony?
Elementary Education Masters degree candidates, who are eligible for graduation during the Fall, Spring, or Summer during the current academic year are eligible to participate in this special department ceremony. Although the Hooding Ceremony is optional, we feel that participation in the Hooding Ceremony will add to the graduation experience where candidates can celebrate accomplishments in an friendly, intimate setting with faculty, friends, and family. The Hooding Ceremony does not replace the Commencement Ceremony where degrees will be conferred.
Where and when will the Hooding Ceremony take place?
The Elementary Education Hooding Ceremony will take place in the Michael D. Eisner College of Education Courtyard with a reception of light refreshments beginning at 4:00 pm on Thursday, May 21st. At 4:30 pm the Chair will open the Hooding Ceremony. Limited seating for family and friends will be provided (approximately 3 chairs will be provided for each candidate’s family and friends). The Hooding Ceremony will conclude at approximately 5:20 pm, which will allow 20 – 30 minutes for photos after the ceremony with faculty, family and friends. At approximately 5:45 pm, we will take a short walk over to the Oviatt Library staging area to participate in the College of Education Commencement Ceremony. The Masters degree candidates will line up for the Commencement Ceremony procession to begin at 6:30 pm. Family and friends will be seated in chairs on the Oviatt Lawn. We believe the Commencement Ceremony will take approximately one hour. Masters degree candidates will have their degree conferred and walk across the stage to be congratulated by the President or the Provost at the Commencement Ceremony.
Parking for the Ceremonies
There will be four other Hooding Ceremonies taking place at the same time on campus, so it is imperative that you give complete directions to family and friends who are attending. Free parking for both events will be located in Student Parking Structure B5 and the faculty parking lot B5 located at the intersection of Darby Avenue and Vincennes Street. Overflow parking is also available at any of the parking lots on campus (e.g., Student Lots B6 at Etiwanda and Plummer, Lots B4 or G4). Please note that we often experience hot weather during commencement and that shade is very limited during both ceremonies. We advise that your guests bring sunscreen, hat, and water.
The Department of Elementary Education looks forward to seeing you at the ceremonies on Thursday, May 21st .