»The History and Meaning of an Investiture
Chapman President Emeritus Jim Doti passes the university mace to President Daniele Struppa at Struppa's 2016 investiture ceremony.
An investiture is a time-honored academic tradition that marks the formal installation of a new university president. Rooted in centuries-old customs, the ceremony symbolizes a transfer of responsibility that brings together the Chapman family to celebrate our legacy of leadership and learning.
In academic settings, an inauguration typically refers to the entire series of events surrounding the formal ceremony of a new president, while investiture is the formal ceremony itself where the new president is given the authority and symbols of office.
The investiture of a new university president signals a threshold: a moment to take stock, reflect on our mission and our values, and imagine the future we wish to build together. On October 10, we will honor this moment of passage, where history and hope meet.
A Tradition of Scholarship and Ceremony
The word investiture comes from the Latin investire, meaning “to clothe.” The word investiture was originally used in feudal and ecclesiastical ceremonies, including the installation of bishops and the conferral of knighthood. That origin still echoes in today’s academic traditions, which include the presentation of regalia that represent the weight of responsibility, trust, and history bestowed upon our new president, symbolically “clothing” the president with their new role.
In keeping with long-standing academic customs, delegates from other institutions of higher learning are often invited to join the ceremony in a formal academic procession. This procession typically follows an order based on each institution’s founding date, a tradition that honors the historical continuity of scholarship and reflects the shared values that unite universities across generations. The resulting pageantry is deeply symbolic, linking the present moment to centuries of academic legacy.
A Deep Dive Into History
In the Middle Ages, universities were chartered as corporations: legal bodies independent of the church or monarchy, though often sanctioned by both. A president’s investiture echoes this legal framework, formally acknowledging their role as the leader of a community of masters and scholars bound by a shared intellectual charter, or what was originally known as a universitas magistrorum et scholarium.
The traditional academic calendar with its long summer break, winter pause, and autumn start was designed to follow the rhythm of agricultural and liturgical seasons. Held in the fall, the investiture aligns with the season of harvest and new beginnings in the medieval calendar.
A Celebration of Community
Chapman’s investiture brings together students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and community partners in a shared moment of transition. Together, we chart the course for our collective aspirations and reaffirm the enduring relationships that shape the Chapman experience. The ceremony, along with the events surrounding it, speaks to the spirit of Chapman: collaborative, forward-thinking, and rooted in care for one another.
Looking Ahead
As we mark this important occasion, we invite our campus and broader community to engage in dialogue, celebrate achievement, and imagine what’s possible under new leadership. The investiture of Matt Parlow is both a milestone and a starting point, a chance to honor where we’ve been and to voice where we’ll go next. With new leadership comes new vision, and the investiture is the first mile marker at the beginning of that journey.