Rowan–Cabarrus Community College

Rowan–Cabarrus Community College Commencement & Academic Regalia Overview

Rowan–Cabarrus Community College holds its annual Commencement Ceremony at the end of the spring semester. Graduates who complete their degree or certificate requirements must participate in the institution’s “Graduation Fair” to pick up their official academic regalia — this includes a cap, graduation gown, and tassel. Participation in the ceremony and the regalia distribution depends on RSVP and completion of required clearances as indicated by the Registrar’s Office.

The standard academic-regalia set provided by RCCC comprises a mortarboard graduation cap, a gown, and a tassel. The college’s public commencement information makes clear that this regalia is mandatory for participation in the ceremony.

For graduates earning honors — defined as a program GPA of 3.5–3.99 or “High Honors” for a 4.0 GPA — RCCC provides a gold tassel (or cord) to wear at Commencement to denote their academic distinction. However, beyond this honor-based variation, there is no publicly available “color-chart” or official policy linking gown color, tassel color, honor cord color, or stole color with degree type (associate/ bachelor), academic discipline, or faculty / department. The published catalog and commencement guidance do not reference hoods, velvet trim, discipline-based regalia, or mandatory stoles.

Because no institutional color-scheme or discipline-based regalia guideline is published, any cords, stoles, or custom tassels beyond the standard cap/gown/tassel set should be considered optional or student-driven rather than “official RCCC regalia.” Personal decoration of the mortarboard cap is allowed (with encouragement for creative designs), provided it remains respectful and does not obstruct visibility.

In summary: Rowan–Cabarrus Community College’s commencement protocol relies on a basic academic-regalia set — mortarboard cap, graduation gown, and tassel — issued via the Graduation Fair. Honors graduates receive a gold tassel or cord, but the college does not publicly support a comprehensive color code for gowns, tassels, or stoles based on degree level or discipline. Therefore, any additional adornments should be treated as optional or custom, and prospective buyers or sellers of regalia sets should present them as “RCCC-compatible, neutral graduation gown & tassel sets,” rather than claiming institutional colors or discipline-specific regalia.

• Mortarboard cap, academic gown and tassel — required regalia for Rowan–Cabarrus Community College commencement.
• Standard-color gown and cap — neutral base since RCCC does not publish a mandatory gown-color chart.
• Compatible with gold honor tassel/cord — for eligible Honors or High Honors graduates based on GPA.
• Optional accessory friendly — supports custom cords, stoles or tassels for student organizations, personal recognitions, or cultural affiliations (check with Registrar for compliance).
• Ideal for associate or bachelor-level degrees — graduation-ready kit for ceremony, photos, and memorabilia.

Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Rowan–Cabarrus Community 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.