SMCC holds an annual commencement ceremony, with the 2025 event held on Sunday, May 18 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. The ceremony celebrates graduates receiving degrees and certificates from across SMCC’s various programs — a gathering of students, families, faculty, and staff recognizing academic achievement and completion. Graduates must meet all academic and administrative requirements to participate in the ceremony.

Graduation Regalia: Cap, Gown & Tassel Requirements

Graduates are expected to wear traditional academic regalia: a mortarboard graduation cap (or approved cap), gown, and tassel. The attire is standardized to reflect the institution’s academic regalia protocol for commencement. SMCC allows graduates to receive and keep their cap and gown/tassel set. Students who participated in virtual or alternative ceremonies (e.g. pandemic‑era adjustments) were offered mailed regalia and diploma covers to commemorate their achievements.

Honor Cords, Stoles & Color‑Coded Regalia — Public Documentation Status

SMCC’s publicly accessible commencement information does not include a formally published color‑coded chart or policy for honor cords, stoles, or tassel/hood colors tied to different degree levels, academic distinctions, or disciplines. There is no publicly available handbook or PDF on the SMCC site specifying standard cord/stole colors for Latin honors or academic awards. As a result, there is no verifiable public data to support claims about colored cords or stoles for honors or discipline‑based regalia at SMCC.

Conclusion — Verified Regalia Items Only

In summary: SMCC’s commencement and academic‑regalia policy reliably includes a standard cap, gown, and tassel set for all participating graduates. Because no official public policy exists for honor‑cord or stole color‑coding, any product‑listing, catalog description or informational page should reference only the basic regalia items (cap, gown, tassel) and avoid unverified claims regarding colored cords, stoles or discipline‑specific regalia sets.

Southern Maine Community College – Official Graduation Regalia Guide

Graduation at SMCC requires appropriate academic regalia — graduation gown, mortarboard cap, and tassel — for all eligible graduates participating in commencement ceremonies. The following is a summary of what SMCC publicly outlines, and where specific color coding or cords/stoles policies remain undefined.

Cap & Gown Requirements for Graduation

All graduates must wear an academic gown (robe) and mortarboard cap as part of the official regalia set for the ceremony. This applies to all credentials awarded by SMCC, whether certificate programs or associate‑level diplomas.

Standard Tassel & Regalia Set

Each regalia package includes a tassel, together with the cap and gown, forming the standard graduation outfit.

SMCC does not publicly publish any guideline or chart linking academic program or degree to a specific tassel or hood color.

Honor Cords, Stoles, Hoods & Discipline‑Based Colors

No public discipline‑color chart available: There is no accessible public document mapping academic disciplines or programs to specific tassel, hood, stole, or honor‑cord colors at SMCC.

No documented standard for cords or stoles: SMCC’s publicly available graduation or commencement materials do not define a uniform honor‑cord or stole program tied to honors, societies, or departmental affiliation.

Guidance for vendors and buyers: Any custom-colored hoods, stoles, or cords offered for SMCC graduates should be treated as optional add-ons and sold with a disclaimer: “Color assignment not defined publicly — verify with SMCC Registrar or Bookstore before ordering.”

Advice for Graduates & Regalia Sellers

Use only the officially approved gown, cap, and tassel set for graduation participation at SMCC.
Do not assume the existence of discipline‑specific color schemes for tassels, hoods, or stoles — none are publicly codified by SMCC.
If offering additional regalia items (cords, stoles, colored hoods), clearly note that these are optional or custom and require verification with SMCC Registrar or official bookstore before purchase.
Market cap‑and‑gown sets for SMCC as “standard graduation regalia,” and treat any colored accessories as optional customizations rather than standard issue.

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