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CONVOCATION
Universities are rich in tradition and ceremony, and nowhere is this more apparent than at
convocation, where the university community comes together to confer degrees upon new
graduates. To signal the opening of the convocation at RRU, the maces are carried into the
ceremony and placed on the stage.
Many early European universities originated within the church in the medieval period, and
this is reflected in convocation’s strong ecclesiastical connection. The chancellor presides
over convocation, and draws his title from the person who was the head of the theological
faculty of these early universities. As the head of the Chancery, the chancellor had the
responsibility of examining students prior to their receiving degrees.
Today, the Royal Roads chancellor, who also chairs the Board of Governors, is the person
empowered by the provincial government to confer degrees and oversee the direction of
the university.
Universities have undergone dramatic changes during the past 900 years. Today, as
universities break down barriers of background, income and geography to welcome lifelong
students to education, the convocation ceremony reminds us of the strong traditions that
reach back to the very different world of medieval learning. In the 21
st
century, lifelong
students require universities to keep pace with the changing times, and Royal Roads
University is proud to be a leader in this new generation.