Commencement Regalia Traditions
Academic Regalia
Academic ceremonies, with their gowns, mortarboards, tassels, hoods, and maces are colorful traditions handed down from European universities of the Middle Ages. The first organized institutions of learning took form during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, generally under the jurisdiction of the church. Academic regalia, as we know it today, have evolved from the robes, hoods, and caps worn mainly for warmth in unheated buildings by the clerics, monks, and priests who were the first students. While European universities continue to show great diversity in their academic dress, American universities, in 1895, adopted a code of academic uniformity.
Honor Cords
The College awards the following honors to members of the graduating class. These senior honors are intended for students with four years of residence at Gettysburg College; grade point average computations are based on four years’ performance. Honor cords will be worn by students receiving these honors.
Summa Cum Laude
Awarded to those seniors who have an accumulative average of 3.9 or higher. Gold honor cord.
Magna Cum Laude
Awarded to those seniors who have an accumulative average of 3.7 through 3.89. Silver honor cord.
Cum Laude
Awarded to those seniors who have an accumulative average of 3.5 through 3.69. Orange honor cord.
In addition, a number of academic departments and organizations present graduates with honor cords.
The Presidential Medallion
The Gettysburg College presidential medallion and chain was created in 1978 for the inauguration of Charles E. Glassick, the eleventh president, by Norman L. Annis, former professor of art. The medallion features the former College seal, three inches in diameter. The seal is flanked by two smaller medallions, one being the seal of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the other depicting symbols of higher education. The one-inch medallions, which constitute the chain, list the past presidents and the dates they served the College.
Stole of Gratitude
The “stole of gratitude,” a tradition which began in 2004, is in part a gift from the Gettysburg College Alumni Association. The graduates will wear the stoles throughout the Commencement Exercises as a symbol of their appreciation for all of the individuals whose support was instrumental in bringing them to this day. At the reception following Commencement, graduates may present the stole to someone to demonstrate their gratitude for that