The University’s commencement committee met Monday to discuss plans for changing graduation caps and gowns from the traditional black to Wolfpack red.

This decision was made after high demand from the student population and student letters to Chancellor Jim Woodward requesting the gowns be changed to red.

Louis Hunt, vice provost and University registrar, and Susan Matney, chair of the commencement committee, led the discussion. Student Body President Jim Ceresnak and Senior Class President Jay Dawkins were also in attendance.

The committee called the meeting to finalize changes in the color of graduation gowns and to discuss different options, as well as retrieve more female student feedback.  

The committee had discussed aiming for the change to take place in time for graduation in December, but decided to wait until May so as not to rush the process.  

During the meeting, the committee addressed two questions: Whether or not to put any emblems on the new gowns and whether to keep using sashes to denote honors or to switch to cords.  

Hunt proposed the idea to switch from sashes to cords because the sash that denotes the graduating magna cum laude is the same color red as the new gowns, making the sash virtually impossible to see from a distance. However, the committee agreed to stick to sashes and simply change the color of the magna cum laude sash to a deeper red or another color.

The committee decided at the end of the meeting that the new commencement apparel will be red caps and gowns with a seal on the left side between the shoulder and the chest. There will be white tassels on the caps with a medallion of the University’s seal. The sash will also bear the University’s seal at the bottom in case it covers up the seal on the robe.  

“It will be an exciting new tradition and will really make our graduation ceremony distinct and meaningful,” Dawkins, a senior in civil engineering, said. “We still have the details to work out with some of the different degrees, but I think this will be something that brings students together and does a lot of positive things for N.C. State.”