Graduate Information

Honor Cords, Regalia, Exit Counseling & More

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Exit Counseling for Student Loans

Any student who received a Subsidized, Unsubsidized and/or Perkins Loan is required to complete an Exit Counseling Session prior to graduation. Contact the Office of Financial Aid with questions at finaid@batten.edu or 757.455.3345.

  • Direct Subsidized and/or Direct Unsubsidized Loans: Log into studentaid.gov using your FSA ID and password (for help resetting, call 1.800.4.FED.AID). Navigate to the Loan Repayment menu, click "Loan Exit Counseling," then click "Log In To Start" next to "I am an Undergraduate Student." This takes approximately 45 minutes and must be completed in one session.
  • Perkins Loans: Log into heartland.ecsi.net. Contact the Office of Finance and Administration at 757.455.3280 or finance@batten.edu with questions.

Graduation Honor Cords

All honor cords are distributed prior to the Commencement Ceremony. Only Latin Honor Cords will be available on the day of commencement and will be distributed to qualified graduates in the CMAC.

Graduates are permitted to wear an academic honor cord for each honor society in which they hold membership. Each cord represents one of the following:

  • Latin honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, cum laude)
  • Membership in an academic honor society, including Honors and Scholars
  • Batten Honors College
  • Global Citizenship (represented Batten University in a semester Study Away)

Contact your honor society advisor for distribution details. Some cords are included in membership fees; others are an additional cost. If your honor society does not have cords, the Office of Academic Affairs (Clarke Hall, Suite 210) will supply a unity cord in Marlin colors.

Recognized Honor Societies

  • Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology)
  • Alpha Phi Sigma (Criminal Justice)
  • Alpha Psi Omega (Theatre)
  • Alpha Sigma Lambda (Adult Honors)
  • Beta Beta Beta (Biology)
  • Chi Alpha Sigma (Athletic Academic)
  • Delta Phi Alpha (German)
  • Eta Sigma Phi (Greek/Latin)
  • Gamma Sigma Alpha (Greek)
  • Gamma Sigma Epsilon (Chemistry)
  • Honors & Scholars Assoc. (Academic Achievement)
  • Iota Iota Iota (Women's & Gender Studies)
  • Kappa Delta Pi (Education)
  • Lambda Pi Eta (Communication)
  • Mu Phi Epsilon (Music)
  • Omicron Delta Kappa (Leadership & Scholarship)
  • Order of Omega (Greek)
  • Phi Alpha (Social Work)
  • Phi Alpha Theta (History)
  • Phi Eta Sigma (Freshman Honors)
  • Pi Delta Phi (French)
  • Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science)
  • Psi Chi (Psychology)
  • Rho Lambda (Panhellenic)
  • Rho Phi Lambda (Recreation & Leisure)
  • Sigma Beta Delta (Business & Management)
  • Sigma Delta Pi (Hispanic)
  • Sigma Tau Delta (English)
  • Sigma Zeta (Science & Math)
  • Society for Collegiate Journalists (Journalism)
  • Theta Alpha Kappa (Religious Studies)

Approved Regalia

Academic and non-academic regalia may be worn in accordance with the guidelines below. In keeping with the honor and tradition of Commencement, graduates should exercise good taste and judgment and only wear approved regalia to which they are entitled.

Military Honor Cords

Graduates who are active duty, selected reserve, or veterans of the United States Armed Services are permitted to wear a red, white, and blue Military Honor Cord. These will be distributed to eligible graduates prior to the ceremony.

Stoles

Graduates who have completed a full semester of study away may wear a stole representing their host country, approved by the Director of Global Engagement. Graduates in good standing who are current members of recognized Greek organizations may wear one stole and/or one membership pin, approved by the Office of Campus Life.

*Graduates with both a study away semester and Greek membership may wear only one stole (approved Greek or Study Away) and/or one pin (flag pin or Greek membership pin).

Pins

Graduates who have participated in non-academic clubs and organizations recognized by the University may wear membership pins (no larger than 1" × 1") during the ceremony, approved by the Office of Campus Life. Pins are to be worn on the left breast, pinned to the stole or gown. Pins are the financial responsibility of the club or organization.