Like most historical institutions, academia is anchored by ritual. From the splendor of inaugural addresses to the secret handshakes of fraternity boys, rituals provide important resonance and gravity to life's important milestones.
Academic gowns carry a secret code to tell others the wearer's background.
For holders of UT Austin doctorates, some of the coded information lies in the orange stripes on the commodious sleeves and the orange and white satin lining of the hood. UT Austin is the nation's largest graduate school. Last year, it granted 811 doctoral degrees. Approximately 460 of those degree recipients were hooded at the May or December graduate convocation. Almost 600 of the 2,793 master's recipients received their hoods at the May or December ceremony.