Traditions, Honors, and Recognition

Honors

Honors are conferred at graduation upon students who have maintained scholastic excellence:

• those with a 3.5 cumulative GPA graduate “Cum Laude” (meaning “with distinction”)
• those with a 3.7 “Magna Cum Laude” (meaning “with great distinction”)
• those with 3.9 “Summa Cum Laude” (meaning with the highest distinction”).

In order for honors to be announced at graduation, the student must have completed all classes by the end of the summer term of the academic year. The GPA used to determine honors at graduation includes the summer term of the academic year. The GPA used to determine honors at graduation includes quality points earned only from the University of Saint Francis.

Honor Cords

Honor cords are worn by graduates in recognition of special achievements. Honor cords worn by Saint Francis graduates include the following:

• Academic Honors (gold cords)
• Alpha Theta Epsilon, Kappa Delta Pi (green and purple cords)
• Assisi Program for Discipleship and Leadership (garnet and navy cords)
• Association of Surgical Technologists National Honor Society (navy and white cords)
• John Duns Scotus Honors Program (bronze medallion with brown and white ribbon)
• Lambda Nu, the National Honor Society for Radiologic and Imaging Sciences (maroon and forest green cords)
• Phi Alpha Honor Society (Social work; blue and gold cords)
• Pi Alpha Honor Society (Physician Assistant; green and blue cords)
• Reserve Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC; red, white, and blue cords)
• Saint Francis Council for Exceptional Children Student Chapter (royal blue and maroon cords with Council for Exceptional Children charm)
• Saint Francis Legacy (royal blue, white, and black cords)
• Sigma, Honor Society of Nursing (orchid and white cords)
• Student Athletes (royal, white, and gray cords)
• Student Government Association (gold and white cords)

Honorary Degrees

Honorary degrees are awarded to persons of acknowledged eminence in the arts, letters, or sciences, in the professions, or in public service whose contributions are so significant that benefits are recognized and acknowledged on a state, national, or international level.

Traditions

Presidential Medallion

The medallion worn by the University of Saint Francis President features the University Seal on one side and a listing of all past University Presidents on the other side.

The center of the University of Saint Francis Seal features the Shield that Franciscans have used since the 15th Century. It shows Christ’s bare arm crossing over Saint Francis’ sleeved arm, with the Cross as a background. Saint Francis’ hand bears the same nail mark as Christ’s, which represents the fact that Saint Francis bore in his body the stigmata of Christ. The olive branches surrounding the Franciscan Shield represent Peace, which Saint Francis included in his typical greeting, “Pax et Bonum” (Peace and Good).