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COMMENCEMENT 2008 The DePaul Tradition The DePaul commencement tradition is based on a commitment to providing high-quality education to a diverse group of students, many of whom are the first in their family to achieve a college degree. DePaul believes every student who earns a degree should have the opportunity to walk across the stage and shake the hand of the president of the University as part of this rite of passage recognizing their accomplishment and contribution to the DePaul learning community. Though many universities of DePaul's size do not conduct commencements because of the required size and scope of such ceremonies, DePaul has gone to great lengths to ensure that opportunity for its graduates. DePaul now graduates between 4,000 and 5,000 students each year, and approximately 80% of those students participate in eight separate commencement ceremonies during May and June. More than 1000 graduates and co-celebrants participate in the baccalaureate mass each June, held at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Lincoln Park. Commencement venues are carefully chosen to provide ample opportunity for all graduates and their co-celebrants to participate. As part of its commitment to the support and celebration of its students' academic achievement, DePaul does not limit the number of guests a graduate can invite to their commencement ceremony to help them mark this milestone in their lives. It is our hope that DePaul's commencement ceremonies serve as a moment of pride and hope for all participants — graduates, their families and friends, and those who may be inspired to pursue learning experiences of their own. OTHER DEPAUL TRADITIONS & SYMBOLS Vincentian Character of DePaul University Coat of Arms Tree of Wisdom DePaul University Banners DePaul University Mace The Vincentian Character of DePaul University DePaul takes its name from Saint Vincent de Paul, a French priest who lived in the 17th century. The "Vincentian" religious community founded by St. Vincent established the university and endowed it with a distinctive spirit: to foster in higher education a deep respect for the God-given dignity of all persons, especially the materially, culturally and spiritually deprived, and to instill in educated persons a dedication to the service of others. The people of DePaul University have retained this unique spirit as a highly valued heritage and vital influence in every succeeding generation of the university's development.  The Coat of Arms 
The main section of the shield consists of a nine panes forming a heraldic cross, the symbol of the Christian faith. The center pane holds a heart symbolizing St. Vincent de Paul. Because he spent his life in the service of God and people, especially the poor, St. Vincent is considered to be the Apostle of Charity. The pane above the heart holds a crescent, the symbol of Mary, the Immaculate Conception. The upper section contains a fleur-de-lis, symbol of St. Vincent's homeland, France. Three are shown, representing the Trinity. This section also carries two symbols of Chicago. A line suggestive of the wall of a fort represents Fort Dearborn. The phoenix on the crest, the symbol of the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of the City of Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871. The inscription 1898 refers to the year DePaul was first chartered by the State of Illinois as St. Vincent's College. In 1907 a new charter was granted in the name of DePaul University. The motto of DePaul University is "Viam sapientiae monstrabo tibi," which is taken from the biblical book of Proverbs (4:11) and is translated "I will show you the way of wisdom." The Tree of Wisdom 
This symbol expresses the university's integration of education and religion by combining the forms of a tree and a cross. Central to the symbol is a modified cruciform, suggestive of the Catholic roots of the university. This cruciform is also expressive of the human form, with arms uplifted and outstretched to give spirit and life to the environment. The figure stands erect and balanced, suggesting a strength of knowledge and values. Viewing the symbol as a single unit, one sees our "Tree of Wisdom" resting firmly on the ground, with its square base and raised limbs in symmetry. It has age and fullness in its trunk and limbs, suggesting tradition; and youth and simplicity in its internal negative spaces representing leaf forms suggesting of sapling growth. Typographically, the symbol incorporates and combines the lowercase letterforms d, p and u. The U form extending upward from the trunk is a true arc, a section of a perfect circle. Its position relative to the figure represents support, rather than containment, just as the university supports the human spirit in the pursuit of knowledge and the deepening of religious values. DePaul University Banners These flags, which originated in the medieval republics of Italy as a sign of state or office, are a part of DePaul's commencement tradition. DePaul has ten banners representing the university and its colleges and schools. The two-color diamond pattern symbolizes the arts and is reminiscent of the harlequin used in the Commedia dell'arte (Italian Renaissance Theatre). The corner-to-corner cross is the heraldic symbol illustrating change and growth, the dual results of the educational process. The double reversed chevrons illustrate the traditional scales of justice associated with the field of jurisprudence. Heraldic bars of white against a pink field represent the five lines of the musical staff, a translator of musical language. The heraldic pattern of eight lines radiating out from the center symbolizes the school's wide-ranging program of studies. The "party-per-cross" design uses two tinctures to impart the quantitative nature of business enterprise. The alternating pales of color symbolize the interrelationship of the diverse courses of study in the arts and sciences. The triangular shapes represent the three primary areas of emphasis in the school. The reversal of colors of the triangles in the squares the fundamental binary nature of computing. Description TBA The DePaul University Mace |
