Behind The Scenes Of Perfect Convocation Attire

By Hasnah Jusid

JOHOR BAHRU, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- Every convocation season, the graduation gown - its colours varying by university - becomes the most essential “outfit” a student dons before proudly walking across the stage.

But behind the elegance of each graduate on their big day lies a small team playing the role of a “wardrobe crew,” managing the collection and return of gowns while ensuring every robe, mortarboard and dress code detail is in perfect order.

Muhammad Hasyiq Hamdan, head of the Gown Management Subcommittee for Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM) 69th Convocation, said his team has been racing against time since Nov 10, handling nearly 6,000 gowns over a 15-day collection and return period that ended yesterday.

The committee, made up of 50 academic and administrative staff, is among the teams working the longest for the event, beginning operations a week before convocation and wrapping up only a week after the final ceremony.

Muhammad Hasyiq said UTM’s convocation gowns are now equipped with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to ensure each set is matched accurately to the right graduate, preventing mix-ups or errors.

“This year, the collection process was more streamlined with a Queue Management System (QMS), followed by verification using a QR code scan through the i-Convo app. 

“When graduates scan the QR code, our system displays all the details, such as size, faculty and study level, whether PhD, master’s or bachelor’s, since each category has a different gown design,” he said.

Muhammad Hasyiq said, based on the data, runners behind the counter search for the correct gown, faculty-coloured label and mortarboard before passing them to counter staff for RFID scanning.

“If the information matches, the system locks the gown to that graduate’s name. It cannot be exchanged or given to someone else. That’s the function of RFID,” he explained.

Still, challenges arise, including cases where the RFID data does not match the gown size, requiring the team to manually reformat each entry.

“Another issue is size-change requests. Many younger graduates prefer a more fitted cut, but we have to explain that the gown must fall below the knee; that’s the rule. Sometimes we have to persuade and explain it repeatedly,” he said.

Beyond gown management, Muhammad Hasyiq said the team also ensures graduates follow the dress code before entering the hall. They even offer blazers, ties, socks, long skirts and other clothing rentals for graduates who arrive incomplete.

“We’re ready by 6.30 am near the hall. If a graduate is stopped for not meeting the dress code, they’re sent to our counter to fix it. If a male graduate comes without a tie or blazer, this is where they rent one,” he said.

Another team stationed along the graduates’ entry pathway conducts final checks before they step onto the stage, ensuring gowns, mortarboards and faculty labels are worn correctly so the ceremony runs smoothly, he added.

-- BERNAMA