Senate House, Cambridge

Senate House
Cambridgeshire
The Senate House from the Great St Mary's
Location
Grid reference:	TL44785849
Location:	52°12’20"N, -0°7’3"E
City:	Cambridge
History
Address:	King's Parade
	Built 1722 – 1730
By:	James Gibbs
	Neoclassical
Information
Owned by:	University of Cambridge

The Senate House is a Georgian, neo-cassical hall on King's Parade in the heart of academic Cambridge, built for meetings of the Senate of the University of Cambridge. Today it is mainly used for graduation ceremonies.

The Senate House was begun in 1722 and completed in 1730, to the design of James Gibbs.

Location and construction

Senate House interior

The building, which is situated in the centre of the city between King's and Gonville and Caius Colleges, was designed by architect James Gibbs, based to an unclear extent on designs by the gentleman-architect Sir James Burrough, and built in 1722–1730 by Gibbs in a neo-classical style using Portland stone. The ceremony to lay the first stone was performed by Thomas Crosse, then Vice-Chancellor, on 22 June 1722. The site was previously used for houses, which were purchased by an Act of Parliament, dated 11 June 1720. It was officially opened in July 1730, although the western end was not completed until 1768.

The Senate House was originally intended to be one side of a quadrangle, however the rest of the structure was never completed. It forms part of the Old Schools Site. It is a Grade I listed building.

History and usage

Graduation ceremony

Graduands entering the Senate House

Lord Eatwell leaving the Senate House

Graduates receiving an undergraduate degree wear the academic dress that they were entitled to before graduating: for example, most students becoming Bachelors of Arts wear undergraduate gowns and not BA gowns. Graduates are presented in the Senate House college by college, in order of foundation or recognition by the university, except for the royal colleges.

The 31 colleges process to the Senate House in the following order:

1. King's
2. Trinity
3. St John's
4. Peterhouse
5. Clare
6. Pembroke
7. Gonville & Caius
8. Trinity Hall
9. Corpus Christi
10. Queens'
11. St Catharine's
12. Jesus
13. Christ's
14. Magdalene
15. Emmanuel
16. Sidney Sussex
17. Downing
18. Girton
19. Newnham
20. Selwyn
21. Fitzwilliam
22. Churchill
23. Murray Edwards
24. Darwin
25. Wolfson
26. Clare Hall
27. Robinson
28. Lucy Cavendish
29. St Edmund's
30. Hughes Hall
31. Homerton

During the congregation, graduands are brought forth by the Praelector of their college, who takes them by the right hand, and presents them to the vice-chancellor for the degree they are about to take. The Praelector presents graduands with the following Latin statement, substituting the name of the degree for "____":

"Latin: Dignissima domina, Domina Procancellaria et tota Academia praesento vobis hunc virum quem scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneum ad gradum assequendum _____; idque tibi fide mea praesto totique Academiae.

(Most worthy Vice-Chancellor and the whole University, I present to you this man whom I know to be suitable as much by character as by learning to proceed to the degree of ____; for which I pledge my faith to you and to the whole University.)"

and female graduands with the following:

"Latin: Dignissima domina, Domina Procancellaria et tota Academia praesento vobis hanc mulierem quam scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneam ad gradum assequendum ____; idque tibi fide mea praesto totique Academiae.

(Most worthy Vice-Chancellor and the whole University, I present to you this woman whom I know to be suitable as much by character as by learning to proceed to the degree of ____; for which I pledge my faith to you and to the whole University.)"

After presentation, the graduand is called by name and kneels before the vice-chancellor and proffers their hands to the vice-chancellor, who clasps them and then confers the degree through the following Latin statement—the Trinitarian formula (in nomine Patris...) may be omitted at the request of the graduand:

"Latin: Auctoritate mihi commissa admitto te ad gradum ____, in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.

(By the authority committed to me, I admit you to the degree of ____, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.)"

The now-graduate then rises, bows and leaves the Senate House through the Doctor's door, where he or she receives his or her certificate, into Senate House passage.

At the University of Cambridge, each graduation is a separate act of the university's governing body, the Regent House, and must be voted on as with any other act. A formal meeting of the Regent House, known as a Congregation, is held for this purpose.

University's 800th Anniversary

Light show on the Senate House, for the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the university.

As part of the University's 800th anniversary celebrations in 2008, the side of the Senate House was illuminated with a light show, illustrating aspects of the history of the university.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Senate House, Cambridge)