The following items are awarded to graduates by their academic program, honor societies, activities, and other groups, based on membership and/or achievement. Specific information about how to obtain a particular cord will be communicated to eligible students in April. If you have not received information by the end of April, please reach out to the following individuals/offices.
Email commencement@salemstate.edu or call 978.542.GRAD (4723) with general questions.
Cords
| Cord | Contact |
|---|---|
|
Orange: Viking Strong Awarded at commencement ceremony |
Academic Affairs |
| Green: Philanthropy, donating to the class gift | Advancement Wendy Davison |
| Deep Purple: Summer Bridge Academy | Center for Academic Excellence Ashleyne Alexis |
| Blue, Orange and Silver: Civic Fellows and/or Public Engagement seal recipients | Center for Civic Engagement |
| Rainbow: Pride | Center for Justice and Liberation |
| Turquoise: Community Service Initiative member | Community Service Initiative |
| Silver: First generation student | First Year Experience |
| Kelly Green and Blue: O TEAM/Moving Forward, Giving Back Day of Service | First Year Experience |
| Orange and White: STEP program | First Year Experience |
| White and Gold/Yellow: La Vida Scholars | First Year Experience and Student Success |
| Multi-colored: Departmental honors | Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Brown, Bright Gold, Silver: ESOC program | McKeown School of Education |
| Royal/Navy Blue: Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) | Media and Communication Amy Smith |
| Drab: Bertolon School of Business master's candidate Awarded at commencement ceremony |
Registrar's Office |
| White: College of Arts and Sciences master's candidate Awarded at commencement ceremony |
Registrar's Office |
| Citron: Maguire Meservey College of Health and Human Services master's candidate Awarded at commencement ceremony |
Registrar's Office |
| Light Blue: McKeown School of Education master's candidate Awarded at commencement ceremony |
Registrar's Office |
| Gold: Honors (cum laude) awarded to undergraduates (cumulative GPA 3.300 – 3.599) Awarded at commencement ceremony check-in only |
Registrar's Office |
| White: Honors (magna cum laude) awarded to undergraduates (cumulative GPA 3.600 – 3.849) Awarded at commencement ceremony check-in only |
Registrar's Office |
| Red: Honors (summa cum laude) awarded to undergraduates (cumulative GPA 3.850 – 4.000) Awarded at commencement ceremony check-in only |
Registrar's Office |
| Blue and Orange: Residence Life staff | Residence Life |
| Red, black and white: TRIO |
TRIO Support Services |
Stoles, etc.
| Stoles, Sashes or Pins | Contact |
|---|---|
| Student athletes: orange stole | Athletics |
| Black Student Union: burgundy with gold trim and white lettering stole | Center for Justice and Liberation |
|
ALANA stoles: Asian, Latinx, African-American, Native American students - Latinx: red/blue/white |
Center for Justice and Liberation |
| International student or study abroad: light blue stoles | Center for International Education |
| Pins: DPDS Seal recipients along with certificates | Inclusive Excellence |
| SGA: Blue with orange SGA logo stole | Student Involvement and Operations |
| Theta Phi Alpha: blue with gold lettering stole | Student Involvement and Operations |
| Phi Sigma Sigma: white with gold lettering stole | Student Involvement and Operations |
| Student Nursing Association Student Advisory Council sashes | School of Nursing |
| Veterans: white with red and blue trim stole | Veterans' Affairs |
Honor Societies
| Organization | Department | Advisor | Item |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha) | First Year Experience | Mathew Chetnik | Blue and silver cords |
| Alpha Kappa Delta | Sociology | Sara Moore | Teal cord |
| Alpha Lambda Delta | First Year Experience | Mathew Chetnik | Red and gold cords |
| Alpha Phi Sigma | Criminal Justice | Amanda Howerton-Orcutt | Gold stole with blue lettering; blue and gold cord and medallion |
| Honors Program | Honors | Kimberly Poitevin | Gold stole with the word “honor” embroidered on one side; a bronze medallion that says “Commonwealth Honors Scholar” with a blue and orange lanyard; (for some) a bronze medallion indicating a high GPA |
| Lambda Pi Eta | Media and Communication | Rebecca Hains | Gold cord, red stole (for sale) |
| Phi Epsilon Kappa | Sport and Movement Science | Jennifer El-Sherif | Black and gold cords |
| Phi Sigma Iota | World Languages and Cultures | Kristine Doll/Anna Rocca | Pins and certificates awarded; white and purple cords and sashes for sale |
| Pi Mu Epsilon | Math | Kathi Crow | Gold and purple cord |
| Psi Chi | Psychology | Christopher Mark | Navy blue and silver cords |
| SALUTE | Veterans' Affairs | Ted Serozynsky | Red, white and blue cord |
| Sigma Theta Tau | Nursing | Shawna Farnsworth | Purple and white cord |
| Sigma Tau Delta | English | Scott Nowka | Black and red cord |
| Phi Alpha | Social Work | Monica Leisey | Citron cord |
| Upsilon Pi Epsilon | Computer Science | Bo Hatfield | Emblems |
| National Student Leadership Society | Student Involvement and Operations | Student Involvement and Operations | Available through NSLS website if students wish to order |
| Chi Alpha Sigma | Athletics | Nicolle Wood | Black lanyard and gold medallion |
Hoods, cords, tassels from the Bookstore
Colored Hoods Worn by Masters’ Candidates Designate Degree Received
Apricot – Master of Science - Nursing
Blue – Master of Education, Master of Arts - Teaching, Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study – Educational Leadership
Citron – Master of Social Work
Drab – Master of Business Administration, Master of Science – Accounting
Gold – Master of Science
Teal – Master of Science, Occupational Therapy
White – Master of Arts
Braided Cords Worn by Masters’ Candidates Designate Graduates’ College/School
White – College of Arts and Sciences
Citron – Maguire Meservey College of Health and Human Services
Drab – Bertolon School of Business
Blue – McKeown School of Education
Colored Tassels on Graduates’ Caps Designate Degree Received
Apricot – Nursing
Black – Masters’ candidates
Blue and Green – Geography
Citron – Social Work
Copper – Economics
Dark Blue – Social Science (Criminal Justice, Fire Science, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology)
Dark Blue and White – Criminal Justice and Spanish
Drab – Business Administration
Golden Yellow – Science (Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geological Science, Mathematics)
Light Blue – Education
Multi-colored – Liberal Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies
Orange – Cartography and Geographic Information Systems
Pink – Music
Sage Green – Athletic Training, Healthcare Studies, and Sport and Movement Science
Silver Grey – Theatre Arts
Teal – Occupational Health Studies
White – Art, Media & Communication, Dance, English, and World Languages and Cultures
Sage Green and White – Healthcare Studies and Spanish