• Section 1 - RATIONALE, PRINCIPLES AND SCOPE
• Section 2 - BROAD GROUPINGS OF DEGREE COLOURS
• Section 3 - APPLICATIONS FOR A NEW DEGREE COLOUR GROUPING

Section 1 - RATIONALE, PRINCIPLES AND SCOPE

(1) Degree colours for academic dress are governed by historical relationships, precedents, and the establishment of an identifiable graduate group when wearing academic dress. The University of New England's traditions in academic dress are directly lineal to its connections with the University of Sydney and that university's traditions drawn the University of Cambridge.

(2) Degree colours should represent discrete groupings of graduates of broadly cognate disciplines but their number should avoid over-proliferation of colours that cause confusion and incur unnecessary cost.

(3) This policy aims to provide a basis for future allocation of degree colours that continues the University's heritage and lineal connections, while providing flexibility for new groupings as the University's suite of disciplines grows.

(4) Application of Policy. This application of this policy applies only to new awards from the date of the policy's acceptance.

Section 2 - BROAD GROUPINGS OF DEGREE COLOURS

(5) From this policy's acceptance, the following broad groupings of degree colours are used for new awards:

(6) Small groupings and individual awards with already agreed degree colours outside of these broad groupings remain unchanged and may be used as the basis for future awards in the same discipline area.

(7) New Course Proposals. New course proposals are made to the Academic Programs Committee and will include the recommended degree colours. If the School believes there is a case for a new grouping,that case shall be made at the time of the course proposal (see paras 10-13).

(8) Joint Awards. Joint awards (such as the BA/LLB) are represented by the two sets of colours representing each award and graduates of a joint award have the discretion to wear the degree colours of their choice (the BA or the LLB hood, for example).

(9) Combined Awards. Combined awards (such as the BA/BTeach) shall be represented by the disciplinary colour that forms the majority of the credit points contributing to that award. Where there is an even division, the choice of degree colour will be on the recommendation of the Head of School proposing the new course.

Section 3 - APPLICATIONS FOR A NEW DEGREE COLOUR GROUPING

(10) A School may make an application in a course proposal for a new grouping/degree colour to be established.

(11) The proposed colour will be chosen from the British Colour Council classification chart held by the Graduation Section of Student Administration and Services.

(12) Unless there is a compelling case, the new grouping/degree colour will be represented by one distinct new colour and shall not be a combination of more than two colours (including the mandatory University Gold).

(13) The proposal for a new colour is determined by the Standing Committee of the Academic Board on the recommendation of the Academic Programs Committee. In reaching its decision, the Standing Committee shall consider the appropriateness or otherwise of the current groupings for the new award and the size of the proposed graduating cohort(s) that merits a commercially-viable order of new academic dress.