At the College of Charleston (CofC), commencement is steeped in tradition and Southern charm. Graduates process through the iconic Cistern Yard in elegant attire: undergraduate men typically wear white dinner jackets, and women wear white dresses. The College Today CofC holds multiple ceremonies in the spring: for graduate students and various academic schools.
Unlike many colleges, CofC’s public commencement policy does not strongly emphasize black academic gowns or mortarboards. Its historic tradition prioritized white formal wear, though for some ceremonies graduates wear traditional graduation gowns and robes. The College Today The 2020–2021 student handbook does not mention a formal dress code for hoods, tassels, or stoles.
When it comes to honor cords and stoles, CofC’s winter commencement program (PDF) indicates that honor graduates wear maroon ribbons and medallions. The College Today Some honor society members, like Phi Kappa Phi, wear a blue ribbon and medallion, and Golden Key International Honor Society members wear a blue and gold cord. The College Today These details suggest that the College does provide color-differentiated regalia for honors, but there is no publicly available, comprehensive color‑chart covering all disciplines or tassel colors.
For faculty regalia, College of Charleston’s storied pageantry is mentioned in alumni stories — including references to “plush caps” and “colorful stoles” by past presidents — yet the institution does not appear to publish a formal academic‑dress guideline or discipline-based hood‑lining color scheme.
In summary, CofC’s commencement style is rich in tradition and pageantry, rooted in its Southern heritage: formal white attire, selective honor cords, and a more understated or flexible academic dress policy. The lack of a widely published regalia color system suggests that much of the academic regalia is traditional, symbolic, and potentially vendor-based, but not strictly codified in publicly accessible policy.
Commemorate your milestone at CofC with this high-quality academic regalia set: a traditional gown, mortarboard cap, and neutral tassel tailored for collegiate ceremonies.
Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at College of Central Florida, 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.