Distinctive Honors

Thirty-three Honor Groups and Societies, the International Club, one Student Government Organization, and Study Abroad Students have been granted approval for their graduating members to wear special honor cords or medallions during Commencement. Advisors of other Honor Groups may want to request approval for their graduating members to wear cords of distinction or other special forms of recognition. All requests must be in writing to Michele Whiteside, Coordinator of Commencements, for processing. The request should include a detailed description of the distinctive item and should be submitted by the thrid week of January prior to Commencement. Once approved the distinctive items may be worn at all subsequent Commencements. Distinctive items may be purchased through the University's Purchasing Office or ordered directly from the honor society.

The following descriptions are on record as approved distinctive honor items for Commencement.

Alpha Kappa Delta - Sociology Honor Society Honor cord is a teal, double-twined cord that is 58 inches long and 1/4 inch in diameter.

Alpha Psi Omega - Theatre and Dance Honor Society Honor cords, four feet in length, light blue with a thin amber thread running through, at each end is an amber tassel, the cords are hung around the neck and knotted at the left side, on the knot are three amber buttons with the Greek letters Alpha, Psi, and Omega in blue.

Areopagus - English Honor Society Medallion, 2 inches in diameter with the Lamp of Learning on an open book, hung on a blue and red heavy grosgrain ribbon.

Beta Gamma Sigma - Business Honor Society White honor cord.

Bonner Scholars - Bonner Scholars Program - Community Service A handmade pewter medallion featuring the Bonner Scholars Program service logo of a graduation cap (or mortarboard) with a heart in the middle, worn around the neck with a grosgrain ribbon.

CIGNA Scholars - African-American Scholars Program Kinte cloths worn over the gown, a white stole with the symbol of the wisdom knot, which represents wisdom, ingenuity, and intelligence.

Eta Sigma gamma - National Health Education Honor Society Green and gold honor cords single twined, 30 inches in length, are tied together with one knot, and is worn over the gown around the neck.

Eta Sigma Phi - Classics Honor Society Purple and gold honor cords knotted together as a pair representing the society's two colors.

Gamma Sigma Epsilon - Chemistry Honor Society Two-stranded honor cords, with one blue and the other white.

Golden Key National Honor Society Ribbon attached to corner of mortar boards, 3 1/2 inches long and is royal blue on top of golden yellow, a gold and blue cord, and a gold and blue ribbon with an attached gold medallion pendant to be worn around the neck. Honor Stole: Gold satin sash with blue embroidered Golden Key logo. The Society member with the highest GPA Honor Society in each of the four undergraduate divisions will wear the Gold Key National Honor Society medallion on a royal blue and gold ribbon.

International Club - International Education Program Members of the International Club may wear the Study-Abroad Sash that displays the national colors of their country's flag. An alternative item is approved for International Students. This is a small flag (not to exceed the dimensions of 3" X 5") representing each student's respective country. This small flag is to be worn uniformly on the left shoulder of the gown which can be purchased at www.flagline.com

Kappa Delta Pi - Education Honor Society Purple and green interwoven honor cord with tassel at each end.

Lambda Pi Eta - Rhetoric and Communication Studies Honor Society Gold honor cords - Majors graduating with Departmental Honors are approved to also wear a silver honor cord.

Leadership Studies Honor Society - Jepson School of Leadership Studies Red and gold honor cords.

Omicron Delta Epsilon - the international honor society in Economics. The society was founded jointly at Harvard University and the University of Wisconsin in 1919. The University of Richmond chapter began in 1973. Members are identified by a braided cord of gold, white and blue.

Omicron Delta Kappa - National Leadership Honor Society Three twisted cords. Colors: white, black and blue.

Phi Alpha Theta - History Honor Society Madonna red and blue honor cord with multi-colored matching tassel at each end.

Phi Beta Delta - International Scholars Honor Society A bronze medallion 2" in diameter, hung on a red and yellow ribbon 14" long and 1" wide hung around the neck, displaying the red and yellow colors, but with the medallion positioned inside the robe, not on display.

Phi Beta Kappa - National Scholarship Honor Society for Liberal Arts and Sciences Phi Beta Kappa Key suspended from blue and pink ribbon.

Phi Eta Sigma - First Year Scholarship and Academic Excellence Two gold and black cords with tassels at the end, and tied together midway the length (32" approximate length).

Phi Kappa Mu - Music Honor Society Pink honor cords.

Phi Sigma Iota - International Foreign Language Honor Society Purple honor cords.

Phi Sigma Tau - Philosophy Honor Society Light blue and dark blue honor cords knotted together as a pair.

Pi Alpha Chapter of Mortarboard National College Senior Honor Society A gold and black medallion with the Mortarboard emblem and motto worn of Mortarboard on a white ribbon [may wear black and gold honor cords as alternative].

Pi Mu Epsilon - Mathematics Honor Society Purple and gold honor cords.

Pi Sigma Alpha - Political Science Honor Society The Pi Sigma Alpha Medallion - a hard-fired cloisonné enamel on brass-finished metal, hung lavaliere-style from a broad red grosgrain ribbon.

Psi Chi - Psychology Honor Society Approximately four foot double gold cord with royal blue and gold tassels, knotted in middle, worn draped around the neck with gold knot in back of neck.

Scholar Student-Athlete - Senior Student-Athletes Honor Group Ribbon attached to corner of mortar boards, 3½ inches long, and half of an inch wide. The bottom ribbon is red with an inch wide royal blue ribbon centered on top of the red ribbon.

Sigma Delta Pi - Hispanic Honor Society Badge consisting of two five-inch long ribbons, one-half inch in width, left ribbon yellow, right ribbon red, joined at the top by wearer's own society pin.

Sigma Pi Sigma - Physics Honor Society A gold pin with the Greek initials attached to the graduation cap with a tassel of green and beige cords.

Study-Abroad StudentsThe Study-Abroad Students will wear the Study-Abroad Sash that displays the unique qualities and national colors of the host country's flag. An alternative item is approved for Study-Abroad Students. This is a small flag (not to exceed the dimensions of 3" X 5") representing the respective country in which the student studied. This small flag is to be worn uniformly on the left shoulder of the gown. You may order the patch from www.flagline.com.

Theta Alpha Kappa - National Honor Society for Religious Studies and Theology A red honor cord.

Tri Beta - Biology Honor Society Red and green honor cords.

Westhampton College Distinguished Leaders Award A 2" by 2" handmade pewter medallion with the Westhampton College Distinguished Seal hung on a wide ribbon, worn as a "necklace" over graduation Senior Leaders gown.

Women's Studies Honor Society Purple and white Honor cords.

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