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 | How/When | Contact |
|---|---|---|
|
Orange: Viking Strong (resilience)
|
Awarded to all graduates at commencement ceremony check-in | Academic Affairs |
| Green: philanthropy, donating to the class gift | Awarded in Twohig Gym at commencement to all participating graduates |
Advancement Sam Beairsto |
| Deep purple: Summer Bridge Academy | Center for Academic Excellence Ashleyne Alexis | |
| Blue, orange and silver: Civic Fellows and/or Public Engagement seal recipients | Eligible students receive an email from the Center for Civic Engagement to pick up their cord(s) there. | Center for Civic Engagement |
| Rainbow: pride | Awarded at Lavender Ceremony | Center for Justice and Liberation |
| Turquoise: Community Service Initiative member | Awarded to members at CSI meeting | 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 | Cords are picked up in the office on the last week of classes. An email will be sent to detail the exact date and time. | First Year Experience |
| White and gold/yellow: La Vida Scholars | Cords are picked up in the office on the last week of classes. An email will be sent to detail the exact date and time. | First Year Experience and Student Success |
| Hot pink: Intersectional Feminist Collective | Intersectional Feminist Collective | |
| Multi-colored: departmental honors | Eligible students will be contacted by IDS department | Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Brown, Bright Gold, Silver: Forten Legacy Scholars 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) | Awarded at Commencement ceremony | Registrar's Office |
| White: College of Arts and Sciences master's candidate (awarded at commencement ceremony) | Awarded at Commencement ceremony | Registrar's Office |
| Citron: Maguire Meservey College of Health and Human Services master's candidate (awarded at commencement ceremony) | Awarded at Commencement ceremony | Registrar's Office |
| Light blue: McKeown School of Education master's candidate (awarded at commencement ceremony) | Awarded at Commencement ceremony | Registrar's Office |
| Gold: honors (cum laude): awarded to undergraduates (cumulative GPA 3.300 – 3.599) at commencement ceremony check-in only | Awarded at Commencement ceremony check-in | Registrar's Office |
| White: honors (magna cum laude): awarded to undergraduates (cumulative GPA 3.600 – 3.849) at commencement ceremony check-in only | Awarded at Commencement ceremony check-in | Registrar's Office |
| Red: honors (summa cum laude): awarded to undergraduates (cumulative GPA 3.850 – 4.000) at commencement ceremony check-in only | Awarded at Commencement ceremony check-in | Registrar's Office |
| Blue and orange: Residence Life staff | Residence Life |
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 | Kristen Amaya | Teal cord |
| Alpha Lambda Delta | First Year Experience | Mathew Chetnik | Red and gold cords |
| Alpha Phi Sigma | Criminal Justice | Amanda Howerton-Orcutt | Gold stole, blue lettering; blue and gold cord and medallion |
| Honors Program | Honors |
Joanna Gonsalves |
Gold stole embroidered with the word “honor;” a blue and orange lanyard; a bronze “Common-wealth Honors Scholar” medallion; (for some) a bronze medallion indicating a high GPA |
| Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha) | First Year Experience | Mathew Chetnik | Blue and silver cords |
| Alpha Kappa Delta | Sociology | Kristen Amaya | Teal cord |
| Alpha Lambda Delta | First Year Experience | Mathew Chetnik | Red and gold cords |
| Alpha Phi Sigma | Criminal Justice | Amanda Howerton-Orcutt | Gold stole, blue lettering; blue and gold cord and medallion |
| Honors Program | Honors |
Joanna Gonsalves |
Gold stole embroidered with the word “honor;” a blue and orange lanyard; a bronze “Common-wealth Honors Scholar” medallion; (for some) a bronze medallion indicating a high GPA |
| Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha) | First Year Experience | Mathew Chetnik | Blue and silver cords |
| Alpha Kappa Delta | Sociology | Kristen Amaya | Teal cord |
| Alpha Lambda Delta | First Year Experience | Mathew Chetnik | Red and gold cords |
| Alpha Phi Sigma | Criminal Justice | Amanda Howerton-Orcutt | Gold stole, blue lettering; blue and gold cord and medallion |
| Honors Program | Honors |
Joanna Gonsalves |
Gold stole embroidered with the word “honor;” a blue and orange lanyard; a bronze “Common-wealth Honors Scholar” medallion; (for some) a bronze medallion indicating a high GPA |
| Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha) | First Year Experience | Mathew Chetnik | Blue and silver cords |
| Alpha Kappa Delta | Sociology | Kristen Amaya | Teal cord |
| Lambda Pi Eta | Media and Communication | Peter Oehlkers (awarded at Senior celebration event) | 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 | Red, white and blue cord | |
| Sigma Theta Tau | Nursing | Russ Martin | 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; Allan Brockenbrough | 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 in Nursing
Blue – Master of Education, Master of Arts in 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