Three Rivers College (TRCC), located in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, holds its annual commencement ceremony in early May at the Libla Family Sports Complex, celebrating graduates from fall, spring, and summer terms Graduates assemble in the arena under a formal procession, with rehearsal offered beforehand.
During the ceremony, TRCC students wear a traditional black graduation gown and a square mortarboard graduation cap. Tassel color is uniform for most degrees—black—but a gold-thread tassel is reserved for doctoral-level regalia.
The college’s academic regalia includes a hood, with discipline-specific velvet trim and linings. According to TRCC’s commencement program, fields like Music use pink, Nursing uses apricot, Oratory (Speech) uses silver-gray, Pharmacy uses olive green, Philosophy uses dark blue, Science uses golden yellow, Theology uses scarlet, and other disciplines have their own assigned colors.
Regarding honor cords and stoles, TRCC has a strict policy. Only cords or stoles issued by the institution or approved societies are allowed at commencement. Specifically, PTK (Phi Theta Kappa) members wear a stole (not a cord), and students in the Alpha Delta Nu nursing society receive their respective stole. No other honor cords or stoles from outside organizations are permitted during the ceremony.
Faculty also wear full academic dress, donning robes and hoods. The hood velvet trim reflects their academic discipline, following the same color scheme used for student hoods—but TRCC’s publicly available materials do not provide a full color-chart for all faculty disciplines.
In summary, Three Rivers College’s commencement emphasizes tradition, unity, and academic integrity. The use of a classic black cap and gown, discipline-specific hood colors, and a tightly controlled honor cord and stole policy underscores a dignified, formal academic ceremony that highlights student achievement within the college’s established regalia framework.
Note: This regalia set is aligned with Three Rivers College’s official commencement attire and honors society policies.
Note: To confirm the exact colors of the graduation gown, cap, tassel, honor cords, and stoles for your specific program at Three Rivers 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.