Hello everyone! I am new here, and this may seem like such a silly, irrelevant question =/ but I'm actually wondering if I should wear these cords to my school's graduation (undergraduate) this fall. I completed my pre-nursing curriculum at a two year school in which I was inducted into a national honor society (Phi theta kappa) for having a 3.75 gpa. You have lifetime membership (I went to the ceremony, participated in events, received official letters and regalia to wear at graduation, and they even give you scholarships to transfer to four year schools, which I received, along with letters of recommendation to send to other schools/employers, etc.) After you accept your invitation, you pay one time membership fees, and you're a lifetime member (you also have to keep your gpa up for local chapters).

I then transferred to a local four-year university that doesn't necessarily have a chapter, but I'm still a lifetime member, and they send me things all of the time. Participation in a local chapter is not a requirement for membership or qualification to wear graduation regalia. You get all of these benefits for just being apart of the society/keeping gpa high. Since they offered me graduation regalia for members only, would it be wrong/tacky to wear it at this new school that doesn't necessarily have an on-campus chapter? My school doesn't seem to have anything against it from what I've read on the websites about graduation regalia so far (I will call to double check), and even if they don't have anything against it, do you think it will be silly? If I wear them, I'll probably have about 3 cords in all. I just feel like people may look at me like I'm silly, as no one else will probably have these particular cords. Again, sorry if this seems petty, I am just trying to figure out if it's appropriate.

I hardly think anyone would be noticing that you have different cords than the school itself grants. I have seen people make their own homemade sashes at graduations, which IMHO are more noticeable than cords. I myself wore 3 cords at graduation: one from the AAMN (American Assembly for Men in Nursing), my honor society cord, and one granted to me by the RWJ Foundation, from which I received a scholarship to attend nursing school.

I say wear what you are proud of!

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

Thank you!!!

I say go for it. The cords are things you earned for your educational achievements. No one is likely to say anything if they even think anything of it at all. Wear them if you want to. And you may be surprised. There could be others at graduation with a similar story to yours who also have the same cords on.

I would not wear any recognition for academic honors that were earned at another school, for another degree. It would look like you had earned the honors in the course of completing this degree at this school, which is not the case, and, IMO, would be inappropriate. You say that you'll "probably have about 3 cords in all" -- sounds like you've earned some "new" honors in the course of completing your "new" degree -- why not be satisfied with that and call it a day?

Hello there, thanks for taking the time to reply. Allow me to clarify--it's not from another degree. It's the exact same degree. I did earn the honors in the course of completing THIS degree. I just didn't get them at this particular school but before I came here. I will be graduating with my very first undergraduate degree (BSN) this fall. I did not receive a degree from the other institution. I transferred and am currently completing the exact same degree path now at a different institution than I started, but still nursing. I was inducted into a national honor society at another school, but I did not earn a degree there. I got a scholarship, transferred to a 4 year school to finish the same degree, and now I'm asking if it's appropriate to wear cords that I earned from the national honor society. I earned while technically at another school, but the organization is actually an international organization that you can participate in from anywhere. It doesn't matter what school you go to--you have lifetime membership wherever you go after you're inducted, so what I'm really asking is not to wear some old cords but should I wear new cords that I earned for the very first time to my very first graduation. It just so happens that I got them while at a different school, but I'm still apart of that international organization. They offered me the cords, and my school hasn't said anything against it. I was just asking to see if anyone has heard of such a thing before. And two of the three cords I am speaking of will come from this organization. The third is still a question mark. Thanks!

I don't see the problem. If people can write obnoxious stuff on their mortars you can certainly wear any honor cords you want.

I think the point of elkpark's post was that while yes you are a dues paid member of the International organization.. it is an organization that is exclusive to Community Colleges... (hence the reason that there is not an active chapter at your current university.) The cords would have been worn to the graduation ceremony at the community college -- but I understand that you didn't finish your associates degree.

Personally - I also wouldn't wear them since they were not earned at the current school.. BUT you are right to double check with the school to assure that they do not have any regalia requirements.. and even if they do, I seriously doubt that they any regalia police at the front door of graduation making sure that every cord and sash are approved ... wear them if you feel so inclined.

edit to add: may I ask - why would you be wearing 2 cords from the same organization? Do they have different levels of recognition? If so, I would think that you would only wear the higher level of recognition...

Wow this is so exciting to read! I’m here 6 years later in the exact same situation to the T wondering at the appropriateness’s and struggling to find guidance anywhere and here it is! I don't know if you will see this but I’m curious did you end up wearing the cords?  I also did pre nursing so my associates “degree” was really quite useless without getting my BSN. 

I personally would really like to wear the cords, PTK made a huge impact on my nursing/collage career (gave me multiple scholarships even to transfer, leadership skills and I won there “All USA academic teams” scholarship/award) and I would love to continue to represent but didn’t know if it was weird!