South Plains College

South Plains College Commencement & Academic Regalia Summary

South Plains College holds commencement exercises twice a year — in May and December — for eligible graduates completing certificate or degree requirements.

Graduates invited to commencement receive a notification via their SPC student email — no separate application is required. Eligible students then use the registration form to confirm their intent to walk and place the order for their graduation regalia (cap, gown, and tassel). There is no fee for the cap and gown; shipping or campus pickup are offered when the regalia becomes available the week before the ceremony.

Academic regalia at SPC varies by degree level: the design of gowns indicates the degree attained. The bachelor’s gown is a simple full‑sleeve robe; the master’s gown features the traditional longer, pointed sleeves; the doctoral gown is more elaborate, with velvet edging and three velvet sleeve bars. Hoods of varying sizes accompany master’s and doctoral gowns, with velvet edging color indicating the graduate’s field of specialization. The hood lining reflects the institution granting the degree.

Academic colors (for hood edging and tassels) correspond to field of study: for example, Apricot for Nursing, Drab for Business, Orange for Engineering, Light Blue for Education, Pink for Music, Purple for Law, etc. This indicates a discipline‑based color scheme at SPC, and tassel or hood velvet edge colors reflect that.

SPC also supports recognition of honors and special statuses:

• Gold stole and gold honor cord — for members of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.
• Red, white and blue cords — for military veterans or active‑duty students.
• Red cord — for active members of the SPC STAR Center.
• Teal and gold cord — for graduates of the physical therapist assistant program (via Phi Tau Alpha Honor Society).
• Associate‑while-in-high‑school graduates may wear a white and orange stole.

SPC prohibits decoration of caps and gowns. Only SPC‑approved specialty cords, stoles, hoods or medals may be worn. Caps must be worn flat on the head, with tassels hanging from the right front until directed to move.

In summary: SPC’s commencement regalia is a structured academic‑regalia system — with degree‑level robes (bachelor, master, doctoral), discipline‑based hood/tassel colors, approved honor cords/stoles for societies, veterans, special programs, and a clear policy forbidding cap/gown decoration. For students, vendors or content‑creators referencing SPC graduation attire, the accurate and documented description is “degree‑specific gown & hood (with discipline color), plus approved cords/stoles for eligible graduates.”

South Plains College Commencement & Academic Regalia Overview

• Cap, gown & tassel required per degree level – SPC provides official academic regalia to graduates per their degree level (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral).
• Hood and tassel colors match academic discipline – Each field of study is assigned a distinct academic color (e.g. Apricot for Nursing, Drab for Business, Light Blue for Education, Orange for Engineering, etc.) used for hood velvet and tassel.
• Honor & special‑status cords/stoles permitted – Approved cords/stoles for honors graduates, veterans, members of honor societies or special programs remain allowed; personal cap decorations are prohibited.
• Official ordering via student portal – Graduates receive an email and link to order cap and gown; regalia provided free (shipping or campus pickup); must be picked up a week before the ceremony.
• Strict commencement dress code – Gowns must be worn properly, caps flat on head, no decoration, only approved cords/stoles/hoods allowed; personal items not allowed on ceremony floor.
• Recommended listing guidelines – Use: “Official SPC degree‑specific cap, gown & hood set with discipline‑color tassel, plus optional approved cords/stoles (honors, veteran, society) for eligible graduates.”

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at South Plains College , 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.