Claflin University’s spring commencement is a formal, deeply symbolic ceremony; for Spring 2025, the convocation was held on May 10 at the Jonas T. Kennedy Health & Wellness Complex. The academic regalia tradition at Claflin reflects long-standing academic and monastic roots: the gowns are predominantly black, following typical U.S. academic-dress norms, with variation in sleeve design to differentiate levels—bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral.
Claflin’s hood lining and velvet trim colors follow discipline‑specific conventions: according to the official commencement booklet, Claflin uses a set of academic-field colors for the velvet trim on hoods, such as lemon for certain programs, sage green, pink, salmon-pink, dark blue, and golden yellow. These colors help visually identify a graduate’s major during the processional.
When it comes to tassels, honor cords, or stoles, the publicly available Claflin documentation is more limited. The Spring 2025 program mentions a gold stole worn by students who achieve Academic Honors (Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude). It also notes a gold cord for members of the Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College. However, there is no broad published color chart for tassels tied to every discipline or for stoles beyond honors distinctions.
Faculty regalia are also addressed in the Claflin commencement booklet. Faculty wear traditional academic gowns and hoods, and their hood velvet trim colors correspond to their academic field using the same color standards as student hoods. This alignment of student and faculty regalia fosters a cohesive visual tradition at Claflin’s graduation ceremonies.
In short, Claflin University’s commencement emphasizes classic academic regalia—black gowns, mortarboards, discipline-colored hood trim, and gold accents for academic honors. While tassels are not rigidly color-coded in public documentation, Claflin clearly honors achievement with gold stoles and cords for distinguished graduates, supporting an elegant but straightforward academic dress policy.
Celebrate your academic milestone with an elegant, professional regalia set tailored to Claflin University's formal commencement tradition.
Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Claflin University, you can reach out directly to the college's administration or the office responsible for commencement and student services. They can provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding academic regalia.