The Senate House is a 1720s building of the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
in England, used formerly for meetings of its
senate and now mainly for
graduation ceremonies.
Location and construction
![Cambridge_-_University_of_Cambridge_-_1355](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Cambridge_-_University_of_Cambridge_-_1355.jpg)
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
James Gibbs (23 December 1682 – 5 August 1754) was one of Britain's most influential architects. Born in Aberdeen, he trained as an architect in Rome, and practised mainly in England. He is an important figure whose work spanned the transi ...
, 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
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
using
Portland stone.
The ceremony to lay the first stone was performed by
Thomas Crosse, then
Vice-Chancellor
A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system.
In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...
, on 22 June 1722.
[Cooper, Charles Henry (1866) "Memorials of Cambridge (Volume 3)", Cambridge: Wm Metcalfe.] The site was previously used for houses, which were purchased by an
Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...
, 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
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:
During the congregation, graduands are brought forth by the
Praelector
A praelector is a traditional role at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. The role differs somewhat between the two ancient universities.
University of Cambridge
At Cambridge, a praelector is the fellow of a college who forma ...
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
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
statement, substituting the name of the degree for "____":
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
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the eld ...
.
At the University of Cambridge, each graduation is a separate act of the university's governing body, the
Regent House
The Regent House is the governing body of the University of Cambridge. It consists of most academic and academic-related staff of the University's colleges and departments. It currently has more than 3,000 members.
Meetings of 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
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.
Traditions and legends
Maths tripos results
At the end of the academic year, class-lists for most degrees are posted up on the outer wall of the building. The results of Part II and Part III of the
Mathematical Tripos
The Mathematical Tripos is the mathematics course that is taught in the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. It is the oldest Tripos examined at the University.
Origin
In its classical nineteenth-century form, the tripos was ...
, however, are read out to the waiting students from the balcony of the Senate House, after which piles of class-lists are thrown to the ground like confetti in a time-honoured manner.
Austin Seven
A battered
Austin Seven van was found on the apex of the Senate House roof on the morning of 8 June 1958. The van had been placed there the night before by a party of engineering students from
Gonville & Caius College. They found the derelict Austin Seven in
Harston
Harston is a village and civil parish in South Cambridgeshire, England, located around 5 miles (8 km) south of Cambridge. In 2011, it had a population of 1,740.
Village Sign
The village sign was erected in the Queen's Silver Jubilee ye ...
and towed it into Cambridge. They removed the engine and rear axle to make it light enough to winch up to the roof, and hauled it up using cables and scaffolding they'd stolen from
King's College. It took the University a week to get the van down and the prank received much media attention at the time.
A variety of similar student pranks have been carried out on the roof of the building since. Most notably, a fully-decorated Christmas tree was placed on the corner of the Senate House roof in November 2022, assumed to be the work of
night climbers.
BBC Election Debate 2017
On 31 May 2017, Senate House hosted the ''
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
.