In Scotland an ancient university has a supreme academic body known as the Senatus Academicus. This body of individuals is responsible for the discipline that is administered to the students, and for authorizing the degree programs for the students in attendance, and also for issuing the degrees to the graduating students or graduands as they are called at the University of St. Andrew.

The Senatus Academicus are comprised of the following people:

• ·         The President of the Senate known as the Principal and the vice-principals


• ·         The Secretary of the court is a part of this group along with the Dean of Faculties


• ·         The various heads of the different academic departments and the directors of the academic services

The ceremony begins with a procession with the order of the individuals being reversed. While the procession is going on the students and the guests in attendance will sing The Gaudemis. This song is sung at many of the ceremonies to honor graduates but it is actually a rather light hearted tune that is actually making fun of some of the aspects of academic life. At some universities it is even known as a beer drinking tune.

After the procession and the singing are completed the Prayer will be read aloud by the Dean of Divinity. After the prayer has concluded the graduands are called by name one by one by the Dean of Faculty from which they were receiving their education. The individual graduand will approach the Chancellor carrying the hood that symbolizes the degree they are about to receive in their hands. There are no graduation tassels on the hoods these people offer to the Chancellor. The individual will kneel before the chancellor and the Chancellor will speak in Latin saying that they promote the individual to the degree they have achieved and they will name the degree such as Bachelor of Divinity, or Bachelor of Medical Science, and they will say that they are symbolically placing on your head the hood that represents that degree. The chancellor will then touch the head of the student and the Bedellus will come forward and will actually place the hood onto the student completing their academic regalia.

The student then bows to the Chancellor and they exit the stage where they will receive their graduation diplomas. With their certificate of completion in their hand they will go to main hall and rejoin their fellow graduands. After everyone has received their diplomas the Benediction will be read by the Dean of Divinity before the academic procession to leave the hall begins. When the procession makes its exit the newly graduated students will be the last ones in the line as a symbolic gesture that they are now an accepted part of the academic community.

Once the afternoon graduation ceremony is complete the General Council will host a garden party that all graduates and their guests are encouraged to attend. This party is generally held on the lower college lawn.