Academic Honors and Apparel

Academic Honors

Students who have Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude after their names have attained a specific grade-point average (GPA) during their education at St. Norbert College. The honors are calculated on grades earned through January, with final honors determined after all grades for the current semester have been entered on students’ records. This average is computed from all courses taken at St. Norbert College. The designation with accompanying GPA shows the high academic standards students have attained:

• Cum Laude — 3.50-3.74
• Magna Cum Laude — 3.75-3.89
• Summa Cum Laude — 3.90-4.00

Students graduating Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Summa Cum Laude wear double gold cords.

Honors Program

The St. Norbert Honors Program provides highly motivated, intellectually curious and creative students with a college experience that challenges them academically and engages them in a diverse and dynamic intellectual community. Students who graduate from the Honors Program have demonstrated the ability to approach complex issues through the application of reason and critical thinking, as well as the ability to clearly and effectively communicate their analyses. They have successfully completed all honors courses and project requirements, have maintained a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or above, and have modeled academic integrity.

Honors students are challenged personally as well as academically: They are expected to actively engage with the Catholic, Norbertine mission of the college and the ideal of communio by treating all members of the community with respect, being conscious of and attentive to the needs of the greater community, and pursuing a life that includes service to others.

Academic Apparel

Graduates of the master’s programs wear hoods depicting the colors historically associated with St. Norbert College — green, white and gold. Hoods additionally feature a band of red for Master of Theological Studies graduates, white for Master of Arts in Liberal Studies graduates, and drab for Master of Business Administration graduates.

Membership in one of the national honor societies may be indicated by the following:

• Beta Beta Beta, National Biological Honor Society — red and gold cords; green and gold cords
• Delta Epsilon Sigma, National Catholic Honor Society — gold “lamp of learning” medallion on yellow ribbon
• St. Norbert College Honors Program graduate — gold medallion on white ribbon
• Lambda Pi Eta, National Communication Honor Society — gold cord
• Order of Omega, National Honor Society for Leadership in Greek Organizations — ivory and gold cords
• Omicron Delta Epsilon, International Economics Honor Society — blue and gold cords
• Omicron Delta Kappa, National Leadership Honorary — white, black and light-blue cords
• Phi Beta Delta, Honor Society for International Scholars — gold medallion on red and gold ribbon
• Phi Kappa Phi, National Honor Society — blue and gold medallion on royal-blue ribbon; gold and blue cords
• Phi Sigma Iota, International Honor Society of Languages — white ribbon with PSI in purple
• Pi Gamma Mu, International Social Sciences Honor Society — navy-blue and white cords
• Pi Kappa Lambda, National Music Honor Society — gold and white cords
• Pi Mu Epsilon, National Mathematics Honor Society — purple, gold and lavender cords
• Pi Alpha Sigma, National Political Honor Society — medallion on red ribbon; black, white and red cords
• Psi Chi, National Psychology Honor Society — platinum and dark-blue cords; key or insignia
• Sigma Beta Delta, International Honor Society for Business, Management & Administration — green and gold cords
• Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society — brass medallion on green ribbon and/or cardinal and black cords and/or cardinal stole
• Summa cum laude honorees wear a medal designed by Egino Weinert.

In addition to academic regalia, students may be wearing approved regalia in celebration of any of the following: their study abroad location, their national origin or identity, or their campus leadership roles.

Faculty Gowns

In an academic procession, college faculty display their doctoral and master’s degree colors on their robes, tassels and hoods. Following are the colors associated with each academic degree field:

Arts, Letters and Humanities — White

Business Administration, Commerce, Accountancy — Drab

Economics — Copper

Education — Light Blue

Engineering — Orange

Fine Arts, including Architecture — Brown

Journalism — Crimson

Library Science — Lemon

Music — Pink

Nursing — Black

Oratory (Speech) — Silver-Gray

Philosophy — Dark Blue

Physical Education — Sage Green

Public Administration, including Foreign Service — Peacock Blue

Science — Gold-Yellow

Social Science — Citron

Theology or Divinity — Scarlet