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Academic Dress Policy

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Section 1 - Overview and Scope

(1) This Policy prescribes:

the occasions on which academic dress is to be worn;
the academic dress standards of the University;
the colour standards of academic dress; and
the process for establishment of a new award colour.

(2) This Policy applies to:

all UNE Representatives, students, graduands and graduates participating in graduation and presentation ceremonies of the University or in other events at which the wearing of academic dress is required or permitted; and
all UNE Representatives involved in the proposal of a new course.

(3) Within this Policy:

Part A outlines the occasions when academic dress will be worn;
Part B prescribes the academic dress standards;
Part C outlines the colour standards of academic dress; and
Part D outlines the process for establishment of a new award and colour.

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Section 2 - Policy

Part A - Occasions

(4) Academic Dress will be worn on the following occasions:

ceremonies for the conferral of awards of the University;
any other formal occasion of the University for which the University specifies academic dress; and
ceremonies of other institutions at which the wearing of academic dress is appropriate or requested.

Part B - Academic Dress Standards

(5) The prescribed academic dress standards of the University are set out below.

Award/ Role	Robe	Hood/Stole	Cap
Chancellor	Black silk gown replete with gold ornaments, the yoke and facings trimmed with gold, and sleeves barred with gold.		Black velvet trencher cap with gold tassel, the cap edged with gold.
Deputy Chancellor	Black silk gown with yoke and facings trimmed with gold and sleeves barred with gold.		Black velvet trencher cap with gold tassel, the cap edged with gold.
Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer	Black silk gown replete with silver ornaments, the yoke and facings trimmed with silver.		Black velvet trencher cap with silver tassel, the cap edged with silver.
Council Members	The robes of their award or a black gown of the description worn by graduates holding the degree of Master.	Hood of black cloth lined throughout with gold silk (BCC 114).	Black cloth trencher cap with gold tassel.
Esquire Bedell	The robes of their award or black Cambridge gown for the degree of Master.	A hood of gold cloth of the Cambridge doctorate pattern lined throughout with blue silk (BCC 162) edged with red (BCC 210) and green (BCC 25) silk.	Black cloth trencher cap with gold tassel.
Fellow of the University	Black Cambridge gown for the degree of Bachelor.	A gold silk stole (BCC114) of width 12.5 cm and total length 2.5 m, edged to a depth of 2 cm with green silk (BCC 25), with the shield of the University emblazoned on the left-hand panel 150 cm above the end.	Black cloth trencher cap.
Doctor*	Festal Gown of scarlet cloth of the Cambridge doctorate pattern faced with silk the colour or colours of the degree with a narrow edging of gold silk (BCC 114).	Hood of scarlet cloth lined throughout with silk the colour or colours of the degree and edged to a depth of 5 cm with gold silk (BCC 114).	Black velvet bonnet with gold cord.
* Where two colours are named, the 10 cm single facing on the gown is replaced by two 5 cm facings. The first colour is nearest to the centre of the body and the second to the edging of gold. The sleeves are lined with the first colour and edged with a 5 cm band of the second. The hood is lined with the first and edged 5 cm with the second; the latter edging is inside the hood only and lies inside the gold.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)	Festal Gown of scarlet cloth of the Cambridge doctorate pattern faced with white silk with a narrow edging of gold silk (BCC 114).	Hood of scarlet cloth lined throughout with white silk and edged to a depth of 5cm with gold silk (BCC114).	Black velvet bonnet with black cord.
Master#	Black cloth Cambridge gown for the degree of Master.	Hood of black silk lined throughout with silk the colour of the degree and edged to a depth of 5 cm with gold silk (BCC 114).	Black cloth trencher cap.
# Where two colours are named, the hood is lined with the first colour and edged 5 cm with the second; the second is inside the hood only and lies inside the gold. The neckband is lined with the first.
Graduate Diploma/ Graduate Certificate	Black gown worn by graduates holding the degree of Bachelor of the University.	Gold cloth stole (BCC 114) of width 10 cm and total length 2.5 m, with two 13 mm satin ribbons in the distinguishing colour or colours running the length of the stole, the first being 1 cm from the outside edge and the second 1 cm from the first.	Black cloth trencher cap.
Bachelor##	Black cloth Cambridge gown worn by graduates holding the degree of Bachelor.	Hood of black silk lined to a depth of 15 cm with silk the colour of the degree and edged to a depth of 4 cm with gold silk (BCC 114).	Black cloth trencher cap.
## Where two colours are named, the hood is lined to a depth of 15 cm with the first and edged 4 cm with the second; the second is inside the hood only and lies inside the gold. The neckband is lined with the first.
Advanced Diploma/ Diploma/ Certificate###	Black gown worn by graduates holding the degree of Bachelor of the University.	Gold cloth stole (BCC 114) of width 10 cm and total length 2.5 m, with one 13 mm satin ribbon in the distinguishing colour or colours running the length of the stole being 1 cm from the outside edge. iii. Associate Diploma/Associate Degree: 13 mm horizontal satin ribbon in the distinguishing colour or colours running edge to edge, 30 cm from inside edge of mitre.	Black cloth trencher cap.
### Where two colours are named, they will be 6.5 mm wide and in the case of the Associate Diploma the first will be above the second. In all other cases the first will be nearest the outside edge of the stole.

(6) Undergraduate members of the University attending graduation ceremonies and formal occasions where academic dress is specified will wear a bottle green (BCC 25) or black cloth gown and a black cloth trencher cap.

(7) Graduate members of the University who attend graduation ceremonies and formal occasions where academic dress is specified will wear the academic dress appropriate to the member's qualifications. Where the qualifications were completed at an institution other than the University of New England, the member may wear either the academic dress of that institution or the University of New England academic dress as appropriate to their highest qualification.

Acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ancestry

(8) The University is committed to reconciliation and inclusivity by building collaborative, meaningful relationships of reciprocity. We will continue to provide an environment that respects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures and connections to country. Staff and students of an Indigenous background may choose to wear, in addition to their academic dress, a stole that most appropriately reflects their cultural heritage. There are three types of stole provided:

for staff and students identifying as Aboriginal, the design incorporating the Aboriginal flag colours;
for staff and students identifying as Torres Strait Islander, the design incorporating the Torres Strait Islander flag colours;
for staff and students identifying with both communities, the design incorporating both cultural versions.

Trencher Caps and Bonnets

(9) Any graduand may, for religious or other reasons, seek exemption from the requirement to wear the stipulated headwear from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC).

Holders of more than one degree

(10) Graduates holding more than one degree will wear the academic dress appropriate for the award being conferred at their graduation ceremony. Graduands having multiple awards recognised at a single ceremony will wear academic dress appropriate to the highest award.

Part C - Colour Standards of Academic Dress

(11) The colour standards for the purposes of academic dress are as defined in the British Colour Council (BCC) Dictionary of Colour Standards, 1951 edition (TRIMD22/86641), and the numbers which follow are those by which the Dictionary identifies the colours approved for the purpose of academic dress.

(12) The official distinguishing colours of the University are Gold (BCC 114), Bottle Green (BCC 25) and Black.

(13) The colours used for gown facings, hoods or stoles should represent discrete groupings of graduates of broadly cognate disciplines rather than the specific award. The following broad groupings of colours are to be used for new awards:

Cognate Discipline	Gown facings/ Hoods/ Stole Colour
Arts, Humanities	White (BCC 1)
AgEconomics, Agribusiness, Business, Commerce	Peacock Blue (BCC 120)
Computer Science, Information Technology	Powder Blue (BCC 193)
Education, Teaching	Violet (BCC 179)
Law	Ultramarine (BCC 148)
Allied Health, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy	Peony Red (BCC 37)
Environmental Science, Natural Resources	Reseda (BCC 77)
Rural Science, Agriculture	Dioptase (BCC 203)
Science	Straw (BCC 51)
Psychology, Social Sciences, Social Work	Old Rose (BCC 157)

(14) Double Degrees (e.g. BA/LLB) are represented by the two sets of colours representing each degree and graduates of a double degree have the discretion to wear the degree colours of their choice (e.g. the BA or the LLB hood).

(15) Already approved colours outside of the above broad groupings remain unchanged and may be used as the basis for future awards in the same discipline area.

(16) The colours for the academic dress of each award of the University are set out in the Schedule of Colour Standards for Academic Dress.

(17) The Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer (VC&CEO) or delegate may approve new award colours. New award colours will be considered and recommended by the Academic Board as part of the process for approval of new awards. Once the award colours are approved the colours cannot be amended without the explicit written approval of the VC&CEO.

Part D - Establishment of a new colour

(18) A Faculty may make an application in a new course proposal for a new award colour to be established where the proposed course is a new discipline area.

(19) Unless there is a compelling case, the new award colour will be represented by one distinct new colour and will not be a combination of more than two colours (including the University mandatory gold).

(20) Combined Degrees (e.g. BA/BSc) are represented by the disciplinary colour that forms the majority of the credit points contributing to that degree. Where there is an even division, the Head of School proposing the new course will recommend the award colour.

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Section 3 - Authority and Compliance

(21) The VC&CEO makes this University Policy pursuant to Section 29 of the University of New England Act.

(22) UNE Representatives and students must observe it in relation to University matters.

(23) The Policy Steward is the DVC who is authorised to establish associated informationto support the operation of this Policy. The associated information must be compatible with the provisions of this Policy.

(24) This Policy operates as and from the Effective Date.

(25) Previous Policy and Procedures on academic dress is replaced and has no further operation from the Effective Date of this new Policy.

(26) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Policy, the VC&CEO may approve an exception to this Policy where the VC&CEO determines the application of the Policy would otherwise lead to an unfair, unreasonable or absurd outcome. Approvals by the VC&CEO under this clause must be:

documented in writing;
must state the reason for the exception; and
be registered in the approved UNE electronic Records Management System (RMS)) in accordance with the Records Management Rule.

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Section 4 - Quality Assurance

(27) A periodic review of colours and availability will be commissioned by the DVC.

Gown ordering

All gowns are to be ordered through UNE Life Graduation Services who will act as a quality assurance process to ensure the correct gown and accompaniments colours are ordered for the relevant award.

UNE Life Graduation Services to provide an annual assurance report to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor regarding the implementation of this Policy.

Roles and Responsibilities

Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer	Vice-Chancellor (or delegate) to approve new award colour proposals. Approve exemptions to this Policy in accordance with Clause 26.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor	Undertake a periodic review of the operation of this policy including considering annual reports from UNE Life Graduation Services. Authorise exemptions from the requirement to wear the stipulated headwear (Clause 9). Authorised to establishing associated information or guidance to support the implementation of this Policy.
Executive Dean of Faculty	Propose new award colours as part of the establishment of a new discipline area.
Head of School	For a combined degree where there is equal division, the Head of School who is proposing the new course will recommend a colour.
Chief Executive Officer UNE Life	UNE Life Graduation Services to check gown orders and colours against the academic dress standards in this Policy. Provide an annual report to the DVC with assurance regarding the implementation of this Policy.