The Academic Procession

Opening this ceremony is an academic procession whose roots reach back into the earliest days of the oldest colleges and universities. Representatives of each school and department within Cameron University march together, preceded by their respective organizational banners, and garbed in academic regalia that distinguishes them from their colleagues in other fields of learning. The procession manifests a collegiality of thought and action, while maintaining appropriate distinctions.

The Tradition of Academic Regalia

Like many of our other traditions, the wearing of distinctive regalia began in England. There, in the second half of the 14th Century, the statutes of certain colleges prescribed the wearing of a long gown by faculty and students. Over time, distinctive colors were adopted by each discipline to distinguish them from their colleagues.

In 1895, agreement among several American universities was reached for the establishment of a suitable code of academic dress for this nation. This code, with modifications made in 1959, remains in force. The costumes, colors, trimmings and patterns are all traditional, and interpret both the degree and field of learning.

The bachelor's gown, designed to be worn closed, has pointed sleeves. The master's gown, which may be worn open or closed, has an oblong, open sleeve that hangs down in traditional manner. The doctor's gown has bell-shaped sleeves. It may be worn open or closed.

Bachelor's and master's gowns are untrimmed. The facing and three bars across the sleeves of the doctor's gowns are generally velvet and are either black or coincide with the color of the edging of the hood. The colors you will see in the hoods and gowns represent the various fields in which the degrees were taken.

The hoods, which differ in length for the three degrees, are lined with the official colors of the university or college conferring the degree, usually with one color forming a chevron pattern over the other. Hoods are edged and bound with velvet of the color appropriate for the degree. Colors and corresponding fields of study are:

Brown: Fine Arts
Crimson: Journalism
Dark Blue: Philosophy
Golden Yellow: Science
Lemon Yellow: Library Science
Light Blue: Education
Pink: Music
Purple: Law
Sage Green: Physical Education
Scarlet: Theology
White: Arts, Letters, Humanities
Yellow/Brown: Commerce, Business, Accountancy

Mortarboards are the approved headgear. The tassel, worn on the left of the cap, may be gold if the holder has a doctor's degree.

Recognition of University Honor Societies

At the center of the life of the university are the combined efforts of students and faculty to achieve academic excellence as it is defined in their chosen fields of specialization. At Cameron, there are active chapters of sixteen national and international honor societies. Membership in these societies represents the achievement of a high standard of academic excellence. In acknowledging the accomplishments of members of these societies, we acknowledge the efforts of all our faculty and students that create the environment in which our students have discovered and achieved excellence. Cameron hosts chapters of the following honor societies:

Alpha Kappa Delta - Sociology 

Alpha Phi Sigma - Criminal Justice

Beta Beta Beta - Biology 

Delta Mu Delta - Business

Honors Student Society - Honors Students

Kappa Delta Pi - Education

Lambda Pi Eta - Communication

Multimedia Honor Society - Multimedia

Mu Phi Epsilon - Music 

Phi Alpha Theta - History 

Phi Eta Sigma - All Disciplines (Freshmen)

Phi Kappa Phi - All Disciplines (Juniors, Seniors, and Graduate Students)

Phi Sigma Iota - International Foreign Languages

Pi Kappa Delta - Forensics

Pi Kappa Lambda - Music

Pi Lambda Theta - Education

Pi Mu Epsilon - Mathematics 

Pi Sigma Alpha - Political Science 

Psi Chi - Psychology

Scabbard and Blade - ROTC 

Sigma Pi Sigma - Physics 

Sigma Tau Delta - English

We also acknowledge Cameron students who participate in other distinguished scholarship programs:

Academic Excellence & Academic Merit Scholars
Academic Scholars
Jim Nisbett Tuition Waiver Scholars
Red River Technology Center Scholars
Randy Cumby Tuition Waiver Scholars
Transfer Scholars
Freshman Scholars
Laura Fields Trust Scholars
McMahon Scholars
PLUS Scholars
President’s Partners Scholars
President’s Partners Sophomore Scholars
Regional University Baccalaureate Scholars
Valedictorian & Salutatorian Scholars
Graduate Student Scholars

Departmental Scholars

In addition to the scholars’ programs listed above, each Cameron department also presents awards based on excellence in a specific discipline. Among these programs are:

Allen L. Zisman Excellence in Chemistry Scholarship
Ann Morris Endowed Memorial Scholarship
Barbara Hughes Education Scholarship
B.H. and Flora Brewer Endowed Scholarship
Bernice Pittman Moss Endowed Scholarship
Beth Ann Smith Scholarship
Bhargava Family Endowed Scholarship
Bhattacharya Family Endowed Scholarship
Bill G. Shahan Family Endowed Scholarship
Brady Henry International Scholarship
Buck and Irene Clements Endowed Scholarships
Cameron Alumni Foundation Scholarship
Charles Shelley Graybill, M.D., Endowed Scholarship
Chemistry Alumni Scholarship
Cleo Brittain Watson Endowed Scholarship
Clothide Fulbright Crawford Endowed Scholarship
C.P. Mercadante Endowed Scholarship
Craig Foundation Endowed Scholarship
CU BancFirst Investment Portfolio Endowed Scholarship
David A. Himes Endowed Memorial Scholarship
Departmental Tuition Waiver Scholarship
Doris Aycock Endowed Scholarship
Dr. Miguel Rodrigez Scholarship
Edith Marie Barker Nursing Scholarship
Elizabeth Adcock Music Scholarship
Emma Tomlinson Endowed Scholarship
Ewell B. Lacy Scholarship
Fannie Elise Smith Charitable Foundation Endowed Scholarship
FAA/MTS Scholarship
Floyd J. Freeman Scholarship
Frank and Katherine Melka Endowed Scholarship
Fulbright-Helvey Scholarship
Gale and Maria Hagee Scholarship
Gerald Ruschmeyer Endowed Scholarship
Goodyear Toyota Endowed Scholarship
Heinz Family Endowed Scholarship
Helen Carney Scholarship
Herbert S. Orr, M.D. Endowed Scholarship
Ina Mae Stapp Endowed Scholarship
Jack L. and Joyce Cline Endowed Scholarship
Jamie Lynn Abbott Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Jane M. Morse Memorial Scholarship
Jessie Mae Hines Endowed Scholarship
JoAnn Quaid Memorial Scholarship
John Elmer Lillard Endowed Scholarship
Kaiser Pre-Medical Studies Scholarship
Kennedy-Agriculture Scholarship
Kevin Everett Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Kinder Agriculture Scholarship
Lawrence Memorial Endowment Trust Scholarship
Lawton Community Foundation Matching Scholarship
Lawton Shakespeare Club English Scholarship
Lawton Transit Mix Endowed Scholarship
Leslie Powell Fine Arts Scholarship
Nancy Edith Hale Endowed Scholarship
Philip S. and Aldine Cash Scholarship
Physical Science Gifts Scholarship
Reach Higher Scholarship
Reginal C. Brown Endowed Scholarship
Richard Allgood Endowed Scholarship
Shaman Marie Wilson Endowed Scholarship
Society of Physics Scholarship
Sondra Bonnington Endowed Scholarship
Southwestern Medical Center Scholarship
Stanton Scholarship
T.A. Phillip and Adeline Hamra Scholarship
Thomas C. Brown Endowed Scholarship
Vinola D. Scott Education Trust Fund Scholarship
William K. "Bill" Burch Endowed Scholarship
Willy Flores Jr. Endowed Scholarship 

We salute the recipients of each of these awards of merit.

The Mace

Leading the academic procession is the Chair of the Faculty Senate, the person elected annually by Cameron's faculty to preside over that deliberative body and represent them at ceremonial functions. The Chair carries the mace to symbolize the authority of the faculty in academic matters and the practice of shared governance within the university.

During the Middle Ages, the wood mace clad in metal was an effective weapon in battle. As newer and more powerful arms were developed, its military significance diminished and it was transformed into a symbol of authority.

The earliest ceremonial maces were borne by bodyguards of the 12th Century English and French kings. By the end of the 16th Century, officials of English cities and towns used them widely. Today, the use of the ceremonial mace is found in the British Houses of Parliament, carried before ecclesiastical dignitaries and in university ceremonies such as this.

Cameron's mace was designed and created in 1981 by Benson Warren, a member of the Art Department faculty. It is cast in bronze and displays in bas-relief the three peaks of the Wichita Mountains from the university's official seal. The Faculty Senate Chair has carried it in the academic procession at each university function since its adoption.

Academic Gonfalons

Honor students carrying academic gonfalons, which graphically symbolize each academic department, will lead the faculty during the processional.

The gonfalons were designed in 2012 by the Office of Public Affairs, in collaboration with members of the various disciplines on campus.