Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) holds its annual commencement ceremony in mid-May, with the 2025 graduation scheduled for Saturday, May 17 in Gartner Auditorium. The day before, CIM hosts an Honors Convocation to celebrate student achievements. According to CIM’s commencement FAQ, students may pick up their caps and gowns from the Mail Room starting a week before the ceremony. Graduates are strongly advised to hang their robes for at least 24 hours before the event to smooth out wrinkles.

CIM requires hooding for Master of Music, Professional Studies, and Artist Diploma students during commencement—these students wear hoods over their robes as part of traditional academic regalia. After the ceremony, students must return their cap, gown, and hood; CIM enforces this and charges a rental fee if any items are not returned.

Publicly available CIM catalogs and student-handbook documents (e.g., the Student Handbook and Preparatory Handbook) do not list specific colors for tassels, honor cords, or stoles by degree or discipline.

Because CIM does not publish a formal honor-color chart, most students wear a standard black graduation gown and mortarboard cap, and any additional regalia—such as cords or stoles—is likely internally approved by the Registrar or based on departmental or organizational practice. Photos from CIM events show graduates wearing some cords or stoles, but these appear to be tied to specific student honors or organizational affiliations rather than a universal, degree-based color scheme.

On faculty regalia, CIM does not provide publicly accessible detailed color-coding guidelines. It is inferred that faculty wear traditional academic robes and hoods following broader academic dress norms, but discipline-specific velvet or lining colors are not publicly documented in CIM’s catalog or student resources.

In summary: CIM’s commencement requires academic regalia (cap, gown, hood for certain degrees), enforces regalia return, and likely supports honor cords/stoles on a case-by-case basis. Since there is no publicly published color chart for tassels, cords, or stoles, prospective graduates should consult CIM’s Registrar or their department for precise regalia color guidance.

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Cleveland Institute of Music, 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.