Newnham College, Cambridge passionately that equality could only be expressed by women doing the same courses as the men, on the same time-table. This meant that Girton attracted a much smaller population in its early years. But the Newnham Council held its ground, reinforced by the commitment of many of its members to educational reform generally and a wish to change some of the courses Cambridge was offering to its men. In 1948 Newnham, like Girton, attained the full status of a college of the university. The university as an institution at first took no notice of these women and arrangements to sit
Academic dress of the University of Cambridge America to retain the "cappa clausa" as part of its academic dress. College praelectors, and all other presenters, wear the academical dress of their highest Cambridge degree when presenting graduands. The Proctors in Cambridge are formally responsible for the discipline of junior members of the university. In addition, they have various ceremonial and administrative duties, with which they are, in practice, mainly occupied. In both Oxford and Cambridge, the Proctors could formerly be seen patrolling the streets after dark with the university Constables, or "bulldogs", who wore top hats in Cambridge and bowler hats in Oxford. These traditions have now