convocations

Convocation is a formal gathering or the act of convoking, from the Latin convocatio, “a calling together.” The term has several related senses. In higher education, convocation usually refers to a formal ceremony at which degrees or diplomas are conferred, often with speeches, processions, and sometimes honorary degrees. Some universities also use convocation to designate a governing or representative body drawn from graduates and faculty, which may have ceremonial duties or specific governance responsibilities separate from the student body. In this broader sense, convocation marks a ceremonial culmination of an academic cycle.

Outside academia, convocation can mean a summons or official order to attend a court or other formal meeting. In ecclesiastical contexts, a convocation is a formal assembly of clergy within a diocese, province, or church body for governance, discipline, or doctrinal matters. The precise meaning and scope of convocation vary by country and institution, and the term is especially common in many Commonwealth countries. In some places, the term is used interchangeably with graduation or commencement for the ceremony, while in others it refers to the assembly or body rather than the event.