Jump to content

Baccalaureate service: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Corrected history
Citation bot (talk | contribs)
Bots
5,383,850 edits
Added date. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Superegz | Category:Religion and education‎ | #UCB_Category 35/43
 
(34 intermediate revisions by 21 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Public gathering}}
{{Other uses|Baccalaureate (disambiguation)}}
{{Other uses|Baccalaureate (disambiguation)}}
{{refimprove|date=May 2011}}
{{use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2011}}
[[File:Baccalaureate Service (7163938719).jpg|thumb|The [[Roanoke College]] choir performing at a Baccalaureate service]]
[[File:Baccalaureate Service (7163938719).jpg|thumb|The [[Roanoke College]] choir performing at a Baccalaureate service]]
[[File:Villanova Church.jpg|thumb|[[St. Thomas of Villanova Church]] during the 2008 [[Villanova University]] Baccalaureate.]]
[[File:Villanova Church.jpg|thumb|[[St. Thomas of Villanova Church]] during the 2008 [[Villanova University]] Baccalaureate.]]


A '''baccalaureate service''' (or, '''baccalaureate [[Mass (Catholic Church)|Mass]]''' in the case of institutions affiliated with the [[Catholic Church]] and its [[religious institute]]s) is a celebration that honors a graduating senior class from a [[college]] or [[high school]] or [[eighth grade]]. The event is typically a [[Christianity]]-based [[interdenominational]] service, though it may also be of a strictly Catholic nature.
A '''baccalaureate service''' (or '''baccalaureate Mass''') is a celebration that honors a graduating class from a [[college]], [[high school]], or [[middle school]]. The event is typically a [[Christianity]]-based [[interdenominational]] (ecumenical) service, though it may also be conducted with a particular tradition's liturgy, especially if the academic institution is affiliated with a certain [[Christian denomination]] such as the [[Catholic Church]], [[Lutheran Church]], among others.


The service is held within a few days of the [[graduation]] and/or commencement ceremony, perhaps on the Sunday before, the day preceding, or immediately preceding the graduation. Speakers selected tend to be community leaders, faculty members, students, or local religious leaders, and may be elected by the graduating class. Speeches are often intermixed with musical performances, drama, and worship. '''Baccalaureate addresses''' can range in length from under half an hour to as long as four hours.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}
The service is held within a couple weeks of the [[graduation]]/commencement ceremony, perhaps on a Sunday before, the day preceding, or immediately preceding the graduation. Speakers selected tend to be community leaders, faculty members, students, or local religious leaders, and may be elected by the graduating class. Speeches are often intermixed with musical performances, drama, and worship. A modern-day '''Baccalaureate address''' generally lasts less than half an hour. In ancient times they could last as long as four hours.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.swarthmore.edu/past-commencements/baccalaureate-address-mark-wallace|title=Baccalaureate Address: Mark Wallace|date=May 2010|website=Swarthmore College|access-date=4 June 2018}}</ref>

The term ''baccalaureate'' may also be applied to similar, graduation-related events at some American high schools, such as presentations of awards and scholarships.


==History==
==History==


A claim much repeated is that "the baccalaureate service is believed to have originated at the [[University of Oxford]] in 1432 when each bachelor was required to deliver a [[sermon]] in [[Latin]] as part of his academic requirements."{{fact|date=February 2013}} However, it was "examinatory sermons" that were required of all Oxford bachelors before their "inception" or commencement; these were mentioned in a 1311 statute.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Medieval Education|last=Ronald B. Begley & Joseph W. Koterski, eds.|first=|publisher=Fordham Univ. Press|year=2009|isbn=|location=|pages=85-86}}</ref> The American '''baccalaureate service''' is on outgrown of the bacclaureate sermon. The earliest known in America is at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1760. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.princeton.edu/mudd/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2013/05/AC115B1F1_TheLastSermon.pdf|title=The Last Sermon|last=Sack|first=Daniel|date=1993|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>(
A claim much repeated is that "the baccalaureate service is believed to have originated at the [[University of Oxford]] in 1432 when each bachelor was required to deliver a [[sermon]] in [[Latin]] as part of his academic requirements."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://commencement.columbia.edu/baccalaureate-service|title=Baccalaureate Service|date=May 2018|website=Columbia University|access-date=4 June 2018}}</ref> However, it was "examinatory sermons" that were required of all Oxford bachelors before their "inception" or commencement; these were mentioned in a 1311 statute.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Medieval Education |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bf_QCwAAQBAJ |editor-first=Ronald B. |editor-last=Begley |editor-first2=Joseph W. |editor-last2=Koterski|publisher=Fordham Univ. Press|year=2009|isbn=9780823237913|pages=85–86}}</ref> The American '''baccalaureate service''' is an outgrowth of the baccalaureate sermon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://commencement.wfu.edu/general-faqs/baccalaureate-ceremony-faqs/|title=Baccalaureate Ceremony FAQs|date=May 2018|website=Wake Forest University|access-date=4 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dickinson.edu/info/20054/leadership/3170/about_the_ceremonies/1|title=Baccalaureate Ceremony|date=May 2018|website=Dickinson College|access-date=4 June 2018}}</ref> The earliest known held in the [[United States]] is at the College of New Jersey (now [[Princeton University]]) in 1760.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.princeton.edu/mudd/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2013/05/AC115B1F1_TheLastSermon.pdf|title=The Last Sermon|last=Sack|first=Daniel|date=1993}}</ref>


Because of [[United States Supreme Court]] rulings{{Specify|date=May 2011}} regarding the [[separation of church and state in the United States|separation of church and state]], baccalaureate services are not official, school-sponsored events at [[United States|American]] [[Public school (government funded)|public schools]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ffrf.org/faq/state-church/item/14024-school-involvement-in-baccalaureate-services|title=School Involvement in Baccalaureate Services - Freedom From Religion Foundation|work=ffrf.org}}</ref> However, many have student-initiated services at private facilities not paid for with government funds, and as such are fully permitted by law. Until recent years{{Specify|date=June 2016}}, school-sponsored baccalaureate services were common in American public schools, on school grounds{{citation needed|reason='Common' is a weasel-word|date=June 2016}}.
Because of [[United States Supreme Court]] rulings such as [[Lee v. Weisman]] (1992) regarding the [[separation of church and state in the United States|separation of church and state]] at public school graduation ceremonies, baccalaureate services are usually unofficial, school-sponsored events at American [[Public school (government funded)|public schools]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ffrf.org/faq/state-church/item/14024-school-involvement-in-baccalaureate-services|title=School Involvement in Baccalaureate Services - Freedom From Religion Foundation|work=ffrf.org|date=May 24, 2012 }}</ref> However, many have student-initiated services at private facilities not paid for with government funds, and as such are fully permitted by law. School-sponsored baccalaureate services for American public schools, on school grounds, occur rarely, though private schools affiliated with a denomination often hold them in the school's [[chapel]].


== References ==
== References ==
<references/>
<references/>


⚫
{{US-edu-stub}}


[[Category:Graduation]]
[[Category:Graduation]]
Line 24: Line 25:
[[Category:Education in the United States]]
[[Category:Education in the United States]]
[[Category:Religion and education]]
[[Category:Religion and education]]
[[Category:Religious events]]
[[Category:Christian events]]
[[Category:Catholic liturgy]]


⚫
{{US-edu-stub}}

Latest revision as of 10:27, 19 September 2024

For other uses, see Baccalaureate (disambiguation).

The Roanoke College choir performing at a Baccalaureate service
St. Thomas of Villanova Church during the 2008 Villanova University Baccalaureate.

A baccalaureate service (or baccalaureate Mass) is a celebration that honors a graduating class from a college, high school, or middle school. The event is typically a Christianity-based interdenominational (ecumenical) service, though it may also be conducted with a particular tradition's liturgy, especially if the academic institution is affiliated with a certain Christian denomination such as the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, among others.

The service is held within a couple weeks of the graduation/commencement ceremony, perhaps on a Sunday before, the day preceding, or immediately preceding the graduation. Speakers selected tend to be community leaders, faculty members, students, or local religious leaders, and may be elected by the graduating class. Speeches are often intermixed with musical performances, drama, and worship. A modern-day Baccalaureate address generally lasts less than half an hour. In ancient times they could last as long as four hours.[1]

The term baccalaureate may also be applied to similar, graduation-related events at some American high schools, such as presentations of awards and scholarships.

History

[edit]

A claim much repeated is that "the baccalaureate service is believed to have originated at the University of Oxford in 1432 when each bachelor was required to deliver a sermon in Latin as part of his academic requirements."[2] However, it was "examinatory sermons" that were required of all Oxford bachelors before their "inception" or commencement; these were mentioned in a 1311 statute.[3] The American baccalaureate service is an outgrowth of the baccalaureate sermon.[4][5] The earliest known held in the United States is at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1760.[6]

Because of United States Supreme Court rulings such as Lee v. Weisman (1992) regarding the separation of church and state at public school graduation ceremonies, baccalaureate services are usually unofficial, school-sponsored events at American public schools.[7] However, many have student-initiated services at private facilities not paid for with government funds, and as such are fully permitted by law. School-sponsored baccalaureate services for American public schools, on school grounds, occur rarely, though private schools affiliated with a denomination often hold them in the school's chapel.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Baccalaureate Address: Mark Wallace". Swarthmore College. May 2010. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  2. ^ "Baccalaureate Service". Columbia University. May 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  3. ^ Begley, Ronald B.; Koterski, Joseph W., eds. (2009). Medieval Education. Fordham Univ. Press. pp. 85–86. ISBN 9780823237913.
  4. ^ "Baccalaureate Ceremony FAQs". Wake Forest University. May 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  5. ^ "Baccalaureate Ceremony". Dickinson College. May 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  6. ^ Sack, Daniel (1993). "The Last Sermon" (PDF).
  7. ^ "School Involvement in Baccalaureate Services - Freedom From Religion Foundation". ffrf.org. May 24, 2012.


Stub icon

This article relating to education in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baccalaureate_service&oldid=1246505418"