ACADEMIC ATTIRE

Graduates and degree candidates who wish to participate are required to wear academic attire and process with members of the faculty, officers of the administration, trustees and honored guests in the academic procession.

Ordering Academic Attire | Late Orders | Distribution Schedule | Returning Your Academic Attire | Refunds | Questions

Ordering Academic Attire

Rental Fees According to Degree
Doctoral cap and gown: $52.00
Master's cap, gown, and hood: $62.00

Internet (credit card only)
All candidates should visit the Herff Jones site if s/he wishes to order his or her academic attire via the Web.

Doctoral graduates attending the May 14, 2008 Convocation ceremony will be given an academic hood as a gift from the Graduate School, therefore you do not rent a hood with your cap and gown. You will receive the gift hood when you pick up your tickets during the distribution period. The total price for the rental of the cap and gown is $52.00.

Go here if you wish to see a photo preview of master's and doctoral attire.

The last day that you can order academic attire via the Web is Monday, April 14.

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Late Orders

Place your order on-line by Monday April 14. If you have missed the April 14 deadline, you must place a late order. Go to the Barrie Dance Studio, on the first floor of Coles, beginning Wednesday, May 7 when a representative of Herff Jones, Inc. will be available to take your late order. All late orders must be paid by certified check, money order, credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover) or cash. The latter will speed up your transaction. Please understand that the rental firm might have to make substitutions to fill late orders.

Note: Academic attire distribution is not a function of Coles operations. The Coles Sports Center staff cannot accept ANY academic attire orders at any time.

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Distribution Schedule

Degree candidates can pick up their academic attire from Herff Jones, Inc. at the Jerome S. Coles Sports and Recreation Center, 181 Mercer Street between Bleecker and Houston Streets, at the following times:

Be prepared to show your claim/credit form and a valid form of identification to claim your rented attire. All degree candidates are strongly encouraged to pick up their own academic attire. However, in the event that the degree candidate does not live in the state a third party may pick up the academic attire provided that the third party has the following:

• Photocopy of student's NYU ID
• Photo ID of self
• Signed letter from the degree candidate authorizing pick-up

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Returning Your Academic Attire

Academic Attire will be collected at the conclusion of the Convocation Ceremony (approximately at 1pm). Representatives from Herff Jones will be on the Grand Promenade expecting for you to hand them your attire once you exit the Avery Fisher Hall auditorium. You must return your attire at this time as there is no collection on NYU's campus this year. If you have any questions please contact the GSAS Office of Academic and Student Life.

Note: If you are a doctoral recipient you should not give your gift hood to the Herff Jones representatives; only return your rented doctoral tam and robe.

You can also mail academic attire back at:

Herff Jones
1000 N. Market Street
Champaign, IL 61820
ATTN: NYU Returns

Herff Jones, Inc. will hold the renter financially responsible for unreturned items.

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Refunds

Refunds will be made to those students who cancel their orders in writing to Herff Jones, Inc., via certificate mail and postmarked by Monday, April 28. No refund will be made in the event of rain. No refund will be made once academic attire has been picked up from the distribution

Questions

Is academic attire required for the ceremony?
Yes.

What comprises my attire?
All graduates wear three items: a robe, a cap, and a hood. Robes are the official NYU color: violet. Certificate and master's degree candidates wear the following: a violet robe, a black mortarboard with a black tassel, and a master's hood. All doctoral candidates wear the following: a violet robe, a black tam (or cap) with a gold tassel, and a doctoral hood.

What if I wish to purchase my attire?
If you wish to purchase rather than rent your attire, please contact the NYU Book Center, East Building, 18 Washington Place, 212-998-4669. Purchased gowns are custom fitted and can take up to 6 weeks for delivery.

How and when do I receive my academic attire information?
You will receive your academic attire instructions with your invitation for the all-University Commencement that will be sent the week beginning March 13 to the mailing address that you have on file with the Registrar's Office. If you haven't received your invitation by March 19, you should contact the University Events Office at 212-998-6868.

Note: All doctoral candidates should only order a robe and doctoral tam; do not order a hood, it will be provided for you as a gift from the graduate school.

When and where do I pick up my academic attire?
Refer to the Academic Attire Distribution schedule.

When and where do I return my academic attire?
Refer to Academic Attire: Returning Your Attire

What are 'hoods', who wears them, and what role do they play during the ceremony?
The hood is one of three items that comprise your academic attire (the other two are the robe and mortarboard/tam). All certificate, master's and doctoral candidates will carry his or her hood onto the stage in Avery Fisher Hall. Once your name and department are called, you will walk to any one of the four faculty hooders and s/he will place the hood over your head and lay it upon your shoulders.

All certificate and master's candidates must order complete academic attire (robe, hood, mortarboard/tam) in order to participate in Convocation.

All doctoral candidates who participate in the Convocation ceremony will receive, as a gift, a doctoral hood from the Graduate School of Arts and Science. You will be given your gift hood during the ticket distribution period. Please note: You must attend Convocation in order to receive your gift hood.

What and who are the Faculty Hooders?
There are three faculty members who hood the graduates when they come on stage. They represent the 3 academic divisions of the Graduate School of Arts and Science: Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences.

This year's faculty hooders are:

Prof. Marsha J. Berger (Computer Science and Mathematics)

Prof. Deborah Landau (Creative Writing)

Prof. David Pearce (Economics)

How do I determine my cap size?
Determine the circumference of your head in inches. Divide that by "pi" (3.141) and round the answer to the nearest eighth. That will be your cap size. For example: With a cloth tape, measure your head about 1-inch above the ears, take that measurement, divide by "pi" and round to the nearest eighth -- 22.5" divided by 3.141 equals 7.16 or 7 1/8. Please note that you will receive a measuring tape with your Commencement invitation from the Office of University Events.

How should my cap be worn?
The cap should be worn so that the mortarboard is level. It should not be cocked to the back or side of the head. The crown should be approximately one inch above the eyebrow.

How do I tell the front from the back of the cap?
The front of the cap is indicated on the inside of the crown.

Should the cap be removed anytime during the graduation ceremony?
No.

How do I take care of my gown?
The gown should be removed from the package and placed on a hanger prior to the ceremony(ies).

The gown seemed wrinkled when I took it out of the package. Should I send it to the cleaners?
The gown should not be washed or dry-cleaned. It may be pressed with a cool iron.

What should I wear underneath the gown?
You should wear lightweight, comfortable clothing underneath the gown.

How do I wear the tassel?
Tassels are worn over the left or right temple depending on the school's tradition. At NYU, the tassel is worn on the left. All graduates should wear the tassel on the same side for uniformity. During Convocation the tassel is not ceremoniously moved from one side to the other.

NYU's Academic Attire representative is Paul Reilly.

Herff Jones-Collegiate Cap & Gown Company
42-06A Bell Boulevard
PMB #275
Bayside, NY 11361
Local Telephone: 212-998-6767

During distribution hours at Coles Sports and Recreation Center, telephone 212-998-6757.

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