The academic regalia: Origin and practice

IN late March and this April, graduation ceremonies highlight the end of this school year. Quite historic --- because of the impending effects of our transition to K-12 which could leave HEI’s with much unused physical and human resources as well. There’s the problem with tenured academics who with mutual consent could be assigned to teach in senior high school to come up with a regular load. Lawyers must have long studied the different legalities on employment such as retrenchment, redundancy or other severance schemes like separation and termination pay that cut across security of tenure. Indeed, with all the excitement of our seniors preparing for the grand day of their graduation – there are these realities of the transition to K-12 that not only private HEI’s but chartered ones too, have to contend with.

My web search on academic regalia led me to a write-up about practices of several top Philippine universities. But we shall begin with the origins. Our source says the academic regalia is more a US terminology. The cap and gown or “toga” as most of us in the Philippines term it, is also known as “academicals” and the practice of wearing it during classes began in the 12th and 13th centuries. Those were also the years that “universities were taking form.” During those times, scholars wore the robes of a cleric which was the ordinary garb of a scholar whether being a teacher or student.