Convocation
Whitman College’s annual Convocation ceremony is a calling together of everyone on campus — students, faculty and staff — to mark the beginning of the next academic cycle, and to welcome the incoming class of first-year students into our community.
Convocation took place on Monday, August 29, 2022 at 4 p.m. in Cordiner Hall.
More About Convocation
Academic regalia worn at collegiate ceremonies such as Convocation and Commencement serves two purposes: it lends dignity and color to such occasions and reveals types of academic achievement through different styles of gowns and hoods and varying colors.
The regalia you see today is based on what was worn at universities in the 14th and 15th centuries, especially at Oxford and Cambridge. Late 19th century changes included the assignment of specific colors to signify academic disciplines. Modern academic dress in the United States has remained essentially unchanged since 1895, when it was standardized by the Intercollegiate Code.
Differing styles of gowns represent bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. The bachelor’s gown has a long pointed sleeve, the master’s has a long closed sleeve with a slit for the arm at the elbow, and doctoral robes have full, bell-shaped sleeves with three velvet bands matching the velvet facing of the gown opening. The velvet on the doctoral gown can be colored to represent a specific discipline, and the gown itself can be black or a color chosen by the institution.
Hoods drape down the back of the gowns and are most commonly used to reflect master’s and doctoral degrees. They are lined in the official color of the institution which conferred the degree, with a chevron used for a second color if needed. The colored velvet binding indicates the academic area to which the degree pertains. For example, white for liberal arts, pink for music, yellow for science, purple for law, red for theology, green for medicine and blue for philosophy.
Caps, all with tassels, can be either the familiar square mortarboard or a rounded or multi-angular floppy style.
Cordiner Hall, a 1,400-seat concert auditorium, bears the name of the late Ralph Jarron Cordiner, a 1922 Whitman graduate who was president and CEO of the General Electric Company from 1950 to 1963. Cordiner Hall features a 3,000-pipe custom-built organ made by the Holtkamp Organ Company and a 9-foot Steinway Model D grand piano.
2022 Convocation Program
Processional
Kraig Scott, Professor of Music, Walla Walla University, organist
Welcome and Introductions
Alzada J. Tipton, Provost and Dean of the Faculty
“Climbing Mountains”
Gabby Rose ’23, President, Associated Students of Whitman College
“Calling Each Other In”
Merry Cockroft ‘24, Co-Executive Director, Power and Privilege Symposium
Musical Interlude
Irene Tsai '23, pianist
Academic Theme: “Climate Justice, Climate Action”
Andrew Harter '24, Student Representative, Academic Theme Committee
Convocation Address: “Will AI Write Your Thesis?”
Janet Davis, Associate Professor and Microsoft Chair of Computer Science
Musical Interlude
Gillian Mackay Brown ’23, vocalist
Tom Hicks, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, pianist
Opening of the Academic Year
Sarah R. Bolton, President
Recessional
Kraig Scott, organist
Platform Party
Sharon Alker, Chair of Division II and Mary A. Denny Professor of English
Sarah R. Bolton, President
Merry Cockroft ‘24, Power and Privilege Symposium Co-Executive Director
John Cotts, Chair of Division I and Professor of History
Rebecca Hanrahan, Chair of the Faculty and Associate Professor of Philosophy
Helen Kim, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Sociology
Andrew Harter ‘24, Student Representative, Academic Theme Committee
Mary Raschko, Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Associate Professor of English
Gabby Rose ‘23, President of the Associated Students of Whitman College
Albert Schueller, Chair of Division III and Mina Schwabacher Professor of Mathematics
Alzada J. Tipton, Provost and Dean of the Faculty
Whitman College Faculty Milestones
Effective with the 2022-2023 Academic Year
Promotion to Professor
M Acuff, Professor of Art
Christopher Leise, Professor of English
Alzada J. Tipton, Provost and Dean of the Faculty
Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor
Matthew W. Bost, Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Writing, & Public Discourse
Tarik A. Elseewi, Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies
Maria C. Lux, Associate Professor of Art
Marian Manic, Associate Professor of Economics
John C. Stratton, Associate Professor of Computer Science
Promotion to Senior Rank (non-tenure-track)
Stan Thayne, Senior Lecturer of Environmental Studies
Chetna Chopra, Senior Adjunct Assistant Professor of Rhetoric, Writing and Public Discourse and General Studies
College Marshal
Helen Kim, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Sociology
Faculty Marshal
Barry Balof, Professor of Mathematics
Student Marshals (Class of 2023)
Ankit Bhattara
Devon Player
Ella Veljovich
American Sign Language Interpreters
Cori Jones
Paula Bazinet