Traditions & Symbols

The Mace

Originally used as a weapon, the mace has become an ornamental symbol of authority borne by a public official at ceremonies. At Rowan, the University Mace is carried by the senior faculty member acting as grand marshal in the Commencement procession. The mold for the mace was made by the University art department. A gift of the Alumni Association, the mace was cast of solid silver by William C. Martin Jewelers in Philadelphia.

The Medallion

The Presidential Medallion was struck with a die of the University seal. It symbolizes the office of the presidency. Ornamental plates interspersed on the chain depict griffin-like owls as a symbol of the pedagogical heritage of the University. Other plates are engraved with the names and years of service of the previous presidents, Jerohn J. Savitz, Edgar F. Bunce, Thomas E. Robinson, Mark M. Chamberlain, Herman D. James and Donald J. Farish. The President wears the medallion during official ceremonies such as Commencement, Convocation and the Presidential Inauguration.

Academic regalia

The pageantry of Commencement is rich with symbolism and tradition. Candidates for graduation must wear a cap and gown to participate in the ceremony and other symbolic elements are part of the procession and program.

The wearing of academic gowns is a tradition that dates back to the early 14th century. The gowns were first used to distinguish scholars from regular citizens. The added advantage of the garments was to keep the medieval academics warm in the unheated buildings they used. Their practical purposes soon gave way to embellishments and the gowns became a means of identifying certain academic achievements.

Gonfalon

Commencement not only includes academic protocol and traditional costume, but also symbolic elements of the procession and ceremony. Among the most visible of these are the gonfalons which represent each of the Colleges in the University. Acting as the College Marshal, the senior member of the faculty in each College bears the gonfalon in Commencement and Convocation processions.

All Rowan University gonfalons have in common several elements that symbolize the unified mission of the institution’s six colleges. Among these common elements are the school colors, brown and gold, derived from the Brown-eyed Susans used to decorate the podium at the first Commencement in 1923. Also used in all the gonfalons is the oak swag, inspired by the stately oaks that shade campus and symbolize long life, strength and endurance. Within the shield, the owls suggest the pedagogical heritage of the university. According to heraldic code, their posture—shown in profile with inverted, addorsed wings and with both feet on the ground—suggests a collegial relationship, positive demeanor, readiness and intent to rise with purpose. The checkerboard pattern on some of the the shields pays homage to the Rowan family coat of arms. Following the pattern of the University seal engraving, beneath each college shield is a motto in Latin, the classic international language of scholarship and thought.

 

College of Graduate & Continuing Education
The art on this gonfalon is derived from eastern and western traditions: the tree of life, or sacred tree, encompassed by a circle. In countless cultures throughout time, civilizations have considered a tree or type of tree sacred and symbolic of dignity, strength, longevity and productivity. With deep roots in traditional disciplines and ambitious, deliberate growth in new methods and venues for lifelong learning, the College finds an appropriate icon in the tree of life. Subtle but symbolic, the circle suggests continuity, applicable as a reference to the College mission to continually provide resources and invigorating experience for its students wherever personal and professional growth offers opportunity. Translated, the College motto is “Prepared in minds and resources.”