Editing Convocation

{{short description|Formal assembly (typically ecclesiastical or academic)}}
{{redirect|Convocations|the Sufjan Stevens album|Convocations (album)}}{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2011}}
[[File:Graduation ceremony with Azim Premji.JPG|thumb|300px|right|Student receiving academic degree from [[Azim Premji]] during convocation. [[Adi Godrej]] in background.]]
{{Wiktionary|convocation}}
A '''convocation''' (from the [[Latin]] ''[[wikt:convocare|convocare]]'' meaning "to call/come together", a translation of the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] [[wikt:ἐκκλησία|ἐκκλησία]] ''ekklēsia'') is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose, mostly ecclesiastical or academic. The Britannica dictionary defines it as "a large formal meeting of people (such as church officials)".<ref>{{Cite web |title=convocation |url=https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/convocation#:~:text=formal-,1,often%20used%20before%20another%20noun}}</ref> 

In academic use, it can refer variously to the formal body of an institution's alumni or to a ceremonial assembly of the university, particularly at a graduation or commencement ceremony but, at some institutions, for a ceremony at the start of the academic year to welcome incoming students.

==Ecclesiastical convocations==
A [[synod]]ical assembly of a church is at times called "Convocation".

===Convocations of Canterbury and York===
[[File:Bag piper, Padre, Currie Hall, Royal Military College of Canada, fall 2011.jpg|right|150px|thumb|A cadet of the [[Royal Military College of Canada]] plays [[bagpipes]] in [[Currie Hall]] during the College's fall Convocation.]]
{{main article|Convocations of Canterbury and York}}
The Convocations of [[Province of Canterbury|Canterbury]] and [[Province of York|York]] were the synodical assemblies of the two Provinces of the [[Church of England]] until the [[Church Assembly]] was established in 1920.<ref name="odcc-conv1">''Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church'' (1974) art. "Convocations of Canterbury and York"</ref> Their origins date back to the end of the seventh century when [[Theodore of Tarsus]] (Archbishop of Canterbury, 668-690) reorganized the structures of the English Church and established a national synod of bishops. With the recognition of York as a separate province in 733, this synod was divided into two.<ref name="odcc-conv1"/> In 1225, representatives of the cathedral and monastic chapters were included for the first time and in 1285 the membership of the Convocation of Canterbury assumed the basic form which it retained till 1921: Bishops, Abbots (till the 1530s and the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]]), Deans, and Archdeacons, plus one representative of each cathedral chapter and two for the clergy from each diocese.<ref name="odcc-conv1"/> By the fifteenth century, each convocation was divided into an upper house (the Bishops) and a lower house (the remaining members).<ref name="odcc-conv1"/> In 1921, the number of proctors (elected representatives) of the diocesan clergy was increased to make them a majority in the lower houses.

The Convocation of York was a relatively small part of the Church in [[England]] and [[Wales]] with only five member dioceses in Henry VIII's reign.{{efn|York, Durham, Carlisle, Chester, and Man. In medieval times there were only four: Galloway, York, Durham and Carlisle. (Kemp ''Counsel and Consent'' pp.247,248) Only with the establishment of the Diocese of Ripon in 1836 did the number increase.}} In 1462 it decided that all the provincial constitutions{{efn|''Ad hoc'' decisions which amplified the canon law of the Western Church to meet local conditions}} of Canterbury which were not repugnant or prejudicial to its own should be allowed in the Northern Province<ref name="CaC-0">Kemp, Eric Waldram ''Counsel and Consent'' SPCK (1961) pp 111, 118 and 174 respectively</ref> and by 1530 the Archbishop of York rarely attended sessions and the custom that York waited to see what Canterbury had decided and either accepted or rejected it was well established. The Convocation of York was, in practice, taking second place to that of Canterbury<ref name="CaC-0"/> so much so that in 1852 the Archbishop of York [[Thomas Musgrave (bishop)|Thomas Musgrave]] stated that since the time of [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] the archbishop had only attended personally two sessions (in 1689 and 1708).<ref name="CaC-0"/>

The legislative powers of the convocations varied considerably over the centuries.  Until 1664, they (not Parliament) determined the taxes to be paid by the clergy, but their powers in general were severely curtailed by [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] in 1532/4;{{efn|They could only meet at the royal pleasure; they needed royal permission to discuss and make canons; no action of theirs could go against the sovereign's prerogative, or the customs, laws and statutes of the realm.}} and from the time of the Reformation till 1965 they were summoned and dissolved at the same time as Parliament.<ref name="odcc-conv1"/> Under Henry VIII and his successor [[Edward VI of England|Edward VI]] between 1534 and 1553 the Convocations were used as a source of clerical opinion but ecclesiastical legislation was secured by statute from Parliament.<ref name="CaC">Kemp, Eric Waldram ''Counsel and Consent'' SPCK (1961) pp 158 and 159 respectively</ref> Later, between 1559 and 1641, Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I gave the force of law to decisions of Convocation without recourse to Parliament by letters patent under the great seal, notably the [[Thirty-Nine Articles]] (1571) and the 141 Canons of 1603.<ref name="CaC"/>

The Convocations were abolished during the Commonwealth but restored on the accession of Charles II in 1660 and they synodically approved the [[Book of Common Prayer]], which was imposed by the Act of Uniformity in 1662.<ref name="CaC2">Kemp, Eric Waldram ''Counsel and Consent'' SPCK (1961) pp 165; 166-7; 168-9 respectively</ref> Formal sessions at the start of each parliament continued but no real business was discussed until after the Revolution of 1688 which brought William III and Mary II to the throne, when attempts to include some of the Protestant dissenters met such resistance in the lower house that the government abandoned them and the Convocations resumed their purely formal meetings.<ref name="CaC2"/>

In 1697 [[Francis Atterbury]] published his ''Letter to a Convocation Man concerning the Rights, Powers and Privileges of that Body'' which, in essence, claimed that the Convocation was an estate of the realm like Parliament and that the lower clergy were being illegally disfranchised and denied its proper voice in government.<ref>Gibson, William ''The Church of England 1688-1832'' Routledge (2001) p. 71</ref> Business was resumed in 1701 and by the time Queen Anne died in 1714 draft canons and forms of service had been drawn up for royal assent.<ref name="CaC2"/> However, there was an inherent tension between the two houses: the lower house was mainly [[Tory]] in its politics and [[high church]] in its doctrine, while the upper house was mainly [[Whig (British political party)|Whig]] and [[latitudinarian]] and therefore in favour of toleration for Protestant dissenters and their possible reincorporation into the Church of England; feelings ran high until in 1717 the session was prorogued by Royal Writ to avoid the censuring of Bishop [[Benjamin Hoadly]] by the lower house (see the [[Bangorian controversy]]) and, with the exception of an abortive session in 1741, the Convocations met only for formal business at the beginning of each parliament until the middle of the nineteenth century, when Canterbury (in 1852) and York (in 1861) began to discuss issues of the day.

The resumption of proper business was brought about by the political changes which had taken place some twenty years earlier.  Until the [[Great Reform Bill]] of 1832, Parliament had been theoretically an Anglican body,<ref name="Angl">Neill, Stephen. ''Anglicanism'', London Pelican(1960), p. 254 and 227 respectively</ref> and many churchmen began to argue that neither Parliament nor the bishops in the House of Lords expressed the mind of the Church as a whole<ref name="VC1">Chadwick, Owen. ''The Victorian Church I'' A&C Black (1966) p. 309; 310; 311 respectively</ref> In 1847 the routine session at the beginning of a new Parliament coincided with the polemical nomination of [[Renn Dickson Hampden|Dr Hampden]] to the see of Hereford.  The formal address to the Queen was debated for six hours and an amendment carried praying the Crown to revive the active powers of convocation.<ref name="VC1"/> The driving force behind the campaign to achieve this was the London banker, [[Henry Hoare (1807–1866)|Henry Hoare]], who dedicated himself to the task.<ref name="CaP1">Carpenter, S.C. ''Church and People:1789-1889'' SPCK (1937) p.268</ref> The opposition was formidable: half the clergy and most of the laity rejected the idea, many politicians were against it and the two archbishops—[[John Bird Sumner]] and Thomas Musgrave—had no desire to revive Convocation.<ref name="VC1"/><ref name="CaP1"/> The legal basis of the resistance was the claim that convocation could only discuss such business as was expressly specified by the Crown. Over the next eight years it was established that it could debate and act provided it did not try to discuss or frame canons and that the archbishop could only prorogue (adjourn) a session with the consent of his fellow diocesans. In 1851, Canterbury received a petition, in 1853 it appointed committees and by 1855 Archbishop Sumner was convinced of the value of Convocation and those bishops who had opposed the revival were taking part positively in its debates.  Archbishop Musgrave maintained his opposition until his death in 1860—he even locked the room where it was due to meet—and the Northern Convocation remained inactive until his successor took office.

The Convocations have always been exclusively clerical assemblies. However, in 1885 the Convocations agreed to the establishment of parallel Houses of Laity elected by the lay members of the diocesan conferences. These were not part of Convocation; they had no constitutional status and were merely advisory.<ref name="Angl"/> At the beginning of the twentieth century, both Convocations together with their respective houses of laity began to meet as a Representative Council which however had no legal authority or position. This was superseded in 1920 by the [[Church Assembly]] which was given the right to propose measures to Parliament by the "[[Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919|Enabling Act of 1919]]". The Convocations still exist and their members constitute the two clerical houses of the [[General Synod of the Church of England|General Synod]] but, apart from some residual and formal responsibilities, all legal authority is now vested in the Synod which was established in 1970.

==University use==
[[Image:Convocation Banner.jpg|thumb|right|A college convocation banner in [[India]]]]
[[Image:Convocation House 2, Bodleian Library, Oxford, UK - Diliff.jpg|thumb| Interior of [[Convocation House]], Oxford, the meeting place of the university's convocation]] 

At universities, "convocation" can refer (particularly in North America) to a university's graduation ceremony<ref name=CED>{{cite web|url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/convocation|title=Convocation| work=Cambridge English Dictionary|access-date=1 November 2024}}</ref><ref name=Dict>{{cite web|url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/convocation|title=Convocation|website=Dictionary.com|access-date=1 November 2024}}</ref> or, more generally, to any formal assembly of the university (similar to [[congregation (university)|congregation]] in some British universities).<ref name=Dict/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convocation|title=Convocation|work=Merriam Webster Dictionary|access-date=1 November 2024}}</ref> At Harvard<ref>{{Cite web |title=Convocation |url=https://dso.college.harvard.edu/convocation-ceremony |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=dso.college.harvard.edu |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gay, Khurana Welcome Harvard College Class of 2027 at Convocation Punctuated by Protest {{!}} News {{!}} The Harvard Crimson |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/9/5/class-of-2027-convocation/ |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=www.thecrimson.com}}</ref> and Columbia<ref>{{Cite web |last=Escobar |first=Valeria |title=Convocation 2019: Sundown marks beginning of the Columbia journey for 1,406 first-years |url=https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2019/08/27/convocation-2019-sundown-marks-beginning-of-the-columbia-journey-for-1406-first-years/ |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=Columbia Daily Spectator}}</ref> universities it is the name used for the [[matriculation]] ceremony that formally welcomes new students at the start of the academic year.

At some universities in the UK and other countries, convocation refers to the body of the members of the university that meets to make official decisions.<ref name=CED/> In the [[University of Oxford]], convocation was originally the main governing body of the university, consisting of all doctors and masters of the university, but it now comprises all graduates of the university and its only remaining functions are to elect the chancellor of the university and the [[Professor of Poetry]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oua.ox.ac.uk/enquiries/congandconvfive.html|title=University Archives:A history of Congregation and Convocation, 5. The mid 20th century|work=ox.ac.uk|access-date=19 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oua.ox.ac.uk/enquiries/congandconvseven.html|title=University Archives|work=ox.ac.uk|access-date=19 November 2015}}</ref> (The equivalent body at [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] is the senate.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=entlN4EEPUYC&pg=PA119|title=A History of the University in Europe: Volume 3, Universities in the ...|isbn=9781139453028|last1=Rüegg|first1=Walter|date=16 September 2004|publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref>)

At [[Durham University]], convocation was established as the assembly of members of the university by the university's fundamental statue in 1835.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89094395191;view=1up;seq=471|title=The British magazine and monthly register of religious ... v.8 1835. - Full View - HathiTrust Digital Library - HathiTrust Digital Library|work=HathiTrust|issue=v |pages=36 v |access-date=19 November 2015|last1=Maitland |first1=Samuel Roffey |last2=Rose |first2=Hugh James }}</ref> Women were admitted to convocation from 1913.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stmaryscollegesociety.co.uk/history/|title=History of the College|work=St Mary's College Society|date=7 January 2012 |access-date=19 November 2015}}</ref> Durham's degrees were awarded at meetings of convocation until 1938, when this power was transferred to the [[academic senate|senate]] and awards were instead made at [[congregation (university)|congregations]] of the university.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://libguides.durham.ac.uk/c.php?g=684731&p=4896623|title=Archives and Special Collections: Durham University Records: Information|at= Congregations|website=Durham University|access-date=1 November 2024}}</ref> {{As of|2024|post=,}} it consists of the chancellor, the vice-chancellor and warden, the deputy vice-chancellor and provost, the pro-vice-chancellors, graduates of the university who have registered as members of convocation, and other officers of the university appointed by the university's council.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.durham.ac.uk/about-us/governance/governance-documentation/statutes-ordinances-and-regulations/statutes-and-ordinances/9-convocation/|title=Ordinance 9 Convocation|access-date=14 March 2025|website=Durham University}}</ref> It appoints the [[Chancellor (education)|chancellor]] of the university, most recently  [[Fiona Hill (presidential advisor)|Fiona Hill]] on 28 November 2022,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/university.calendar/volumei/statutes/|title=University Calendar : University Statutes - Durham University|work=dur.ac.uk|access-date=19 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.durham.ac.uk/news-events/latest-news/2022/11/us-presidential-adviser-fiona-hill-announced-as-new-chancellor/|title=US Presidential adviser Fiona Hill announced as new Chancellor|date=28 November 2022}}</ref> and receives the annual report of the university.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.durham.ac.uk/about-us/governance/governance-documentation/statutes-and-regulations/university-statutes/#d.en.1608522|title=Statutes|at=16. Convocation|access-date=1 November 2024|website=Durham University}}</ref> 

In the [[University of London]], convocation, between its establishment in 1858 and its abolition in 2003, consisted of the university's graduates who were involved in the university's governance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.london.ac.uk/alumni-supporters/alumni/convocation-project|title=The Convocation Project|website=University of London|access-date=1 November 2024}}</ref>

In New Zealand, universities have ''courts of convocation'' by which all graduates elect representatives to the institutions' governing bodies.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1963/0007/latest/whole.html |title=Massey University Act 1963 No 7 (as at 29 November 2010), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation  |work=legislation.govt.nz |year=2011 |quote=Court of Convocation |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1963/0008/latest/whole.html |title=University of Waikato Act 1963 No 8 (as at 29 November 2010), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation |work=legislation.govt.nz |year=2011 |quote=Court of Convocation |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0051/latest/whole.html |title=Victoria University of Wellington Act 1961 No 51 (as at 29 November 2010), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation |work=legislation.govt.nz |year=2011 |quote=University District and Court of Convocation |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0052/latest/whole.html |title=Lincoln University Act 1961 No 52 (as at 29 November 2010), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation|work=legislation.govt.nz |year=2011 |quote=Court of Convocation |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0050/latest/whole.html |title=University of Auckland Act 1961 No 50 (as at 29 November 2010), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation|work=legislation.govt.nz |year=2011 |quote=University District and Court of Convocation |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0049/latest/whole.html |title=University of Canterbury Act 1961 No 49 (as at 29 November 2010), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation  |work=legislation.govt.nz |year=2011 |quote=University District and Court of Convocation |access-date=30 October 2011}}</ref>

==Other uses==
*[[Collective noun]] for [[eagle]]s.
*A formal or ceremonial meeting (noun), or assembly.
*A meeting of companions of a [[Holy Royal Arch]] chapter.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

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[[Category:Meetings]]
[[Category:Academic terminology]]
[[Category:Terminology of the University of Oxford]]
[[Category:Terminology of Durham University]]
[[Category:University governance]]
[[Category:Religious terminology]]