CUNY’s School of Labor & Urban Studies (SLU) celebrates its annual commencement in late May (2025 ceremony held May 28) at the New York Public Library’s Main Branch. Graduates must arrive by 3 PM and faculty by 2:30 PM; the venue requires security checks and luggage restrictions. SLU offers a limited cap‑and‑gown loan program on a first‑come, first‑served basis; otherwise, students can order regalia (cap, gown, and tassel) via Jostens.

According to SLU’s 2025 commencement program booklet, the school follows a traditional academic‑dress system. Bachelor’s graduates wear a standard robe, while master’s students additionally don a hood. Importantly, Citron yellow trim on the hood identifies labor & urban studies as the academic field (per SLU’s program guide).

On honor cords, stoles, or tassel‑color specifics, public SLU documentation does not clearly define a standardized color‑scheme. Neither the Student Handbook nor the Commencement section describes fixed honor‑cord or stole colors for Latin honors or department distinctions. Without publicly defined rules, SLU appears to leave certain regalia accessory choices more flexible or decentralized.

Faculty at SLU wear traditional academic regalia during the ceremony. The commencement booklet’s regalia section notes the use of hoods of different lengths by degree level (doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s) and highlights that the Citron color is associated with the school’s discipline, but does not detail further faculty‑hood color‑codes.

In essence, SLU’s commencement emphasizes classic academic dress: black gown and mortarboard; hood for graduate levels; discipline‑specific trim (citron) on the hood, but no clearly standardized publicly declared honor cord or stole colors — making it a more streamlined, minimal-regalia tradition.

CUNY SLU Academic Regalia – Official Graduation Set

Celebrate your graduation from the CUNY School of Labor & Urban Studies (SLU) with authentic academic regalia, styled to reflect SLU’s official commencement tradition.

Features:

• Black Graduation Gown: Formal, full-length academic gown in classic black, as required at SLU graduation.
• Black Mortarboard Cap: Traditional square cap included with the regalia set.
• Tassel Included: Tassel comes with the cap; SLU does not mandate a specific tassel color in its published materials.
• Master’s Academic Hood: For master’s degree graduates, the hood features velvet trim in **citron yellow**, the signature color for Labor & Urban Studies. ([slu.cuny.edu](https://slu.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SLUS-2025-COMMENCEMENT-BOOKLET-1.pdf))
• Optional Honor Accents: SLU does not publicly define fixed colors for honor cords or stoles—providing flexibility.
• Ordering & Borrowing: Regalia can be purchased via Jostens, or you may borrow from SLU’s limited loan inventory (first-come basis). ([slu.cuny.edu](https://slu.cuny.edu/current-students/commencement/))

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at City University of New York School of Labor and Urban Studies, 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.