Conspicuous Consumption IN HIGHER EDUDUCATION

The Case of Academic Bling SPRING IS A TIME FOR GARDENING, BLOSSOMS, AND BASEBALL. AT AMERICAN COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES, IT IS ALSO A TIME FOR COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES. STUDENTS ARE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENTS AS FACULTY AND STAFF CLOSE OUT ANOTHER ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR. FAMILY AND FRIENDS APPLAUD THE GRADUATES AND CELEBRATE THEIR SUCCESS. STUDENTS SHOW THEIR PRIDE IN HAVING ACCOMPLISHED SPECIAL STATUS BY WEARING VARIOUS COMMENCEMENT ACCESSORIES BESTOWED BY THEIR INSTITUTION AND OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS: STOLES, PINS, MEDALLIONS, AND HONOR CORDS ABOUND AS STUDENTS CROSS THE STAGE WITH VARYING DEGREES OF COLOR AND FLAIR. ALTHOUGH IT IS INTERESTING TO OBSERVE THE QUANTITY AND DIVERSITY OF ACADEMIC BEING,' ONE HAS TO WONDER HOW A STUDENT CAN EARN SO MUCH. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? WITH SO MANY STUDENTS WEARING IT, IS IT REALLY THAT SPECIAL? The history of academic regalia dates back to the nth and i3th centuries; modifications were made until 1895, when the Intercollegiate Bureau on Academic Costumes established a standard code of academic dress. It is that code that for the most part is still in use today (Sullivan 1997). The traditional black gown along with cap and tassel - and hood, for advanced degrees - is standard attire for most commencement ceremonies. At some institutions, the apparel for the day ends there; at others, it is merely the basic outfit upon which students affix tokens of individual expression ranging from academic honors and social affiliation accessories to personal messages on their mortarboards. The extent to which this is permitted varies by institution. Students are not the only ones with a vested interest in bringing attention to their graduation garb: Commencement accessory providers offer students such academic bling as rhinestone tassel tags and multicolored honor cords (Academic Regalia 2,011). Some institutions allow only university-provided caps, gowns, and tassels. Honor cords may be regulated. For example, at Kennesaw State University, the specific honor society designations that may be worn at graduation are listed online (History XOII). In the Academic Costume Code, the Committee on Academic Costumes and Ceremonies recommends that "nothing else should be worn on the academic gown" (Sullivan 1997). Adding items to the commencement outfit may dilute feelings of institutional community and identity, which can be difficult to establish in the first place (Lowrie 2007). Perhaps the diversity inherent in a university setting is too great to encapsulate in one cohesive collegiate identity (Waeraas and Solbakk 2009). A brand identity can be manifested not only via such mechanisms as printed brochures and electronic media but also via community functions such as graduation. A weak visual identity may send the message that the institution does not really aspire to be either unique or well-established (Baker andBalmer 1997). Consistent visual communications help support a successful institutional brand (Chapleo 2005). In fact, branding - and the marketing of which it is a part - extends beyond the economic benefits of recruiting and retaining students to students' emotional satisfaction at feeling "connected" to the institution (Arnett, German and Hunt 2003). The goal is to foster a lifetime affiliation with the institution and its functions. A review of the literature reveals that some universities use tenets of 'relationship marketing' whereby students' involvement with the institution helps to build its prestige even as it fosters a collegiate identity (Hemsley-Brown and Oplatka 2006). This could be established through the graduation ceremony by wearing only Latin honors and not the commencement accessories provided by organizations outside of the institution. ('Latin honors' refers to the designations cum laude, magna, cum laude, and/or summa, cum laude based on achievement of a minimum cumulative GPA.) For example, in 2008, administrators at Assumption College decided to allow only Latin honor cords provided by the College to be worn at commencement. …