AKD is a honor society for Sociology students. The purpose of AKD is to acknowledge and promote excellence in the study of sociology, the research of social problems, and other social and intellectual activities that will lead to the improvement in the human condition. Currently, there are more than 120,000 members nationally. For more information, visit Alpha Kappa Delta.

The Biology Department honors Biology Student Ambassadors and Lead Peer Mentors for their hard work and contributions to the department and student success with a leadership cord. They have helped build connections, worked to find new ways to engage with students, and piloted a new peer mentoring program.

Celebrating graduating students who are undocumented, DACA-mented, and from mixed status families! Learn more on Instagram or email mss.brc@wwu.edu. You can also visit the BRC office in VU 721 to pick up a cord.

The ESJ minor program began in 2013. Since that time, program employees have hand-made graduate stoles. The stole represents completion of requirements while honoring student commitment to understanding and effectively using social justice frameworks to address equity issues in educational, nonprofit, public services, and private organizational settings.

In 2021, WWU was nationally designated in 2021 by the Center for First-Generation Student Success as a First-gen Forward institution with a proud history of supporting “first in their family” students. Our first-generation students proudly wear this stole in recognition of their success.

Students participating in WWU’s International and Study Abroad program can wear stoles displaying the flags/color of their country of origin or the location of their study abroad courses. In an increasingly inter-connected world, WWU’s Institute for Global Engagement aims to engage Western’s communities in thinking and acting globally. For more information, visit Education Abroad.

Linguistics became a department in 2019. Our mission is to pursue the scientific investigation of language as a human phenomenon in its historical, psychological, and social dimensions. Our students significantly advance their appreciation of linguistic and cultural diversity.

As one of the largest research labs on campus, we work hard to maintain a close-knit community. Our observational studies require researchers to work together and navigate the often-unforgiving elements. These light grey/silver ("seal colored") cords are a well-deserved representation of the hard work and dedication demonstrated by our graduates and go out to those who have shown consistent contribution to furthering the scientific knowledge of marine mammal ecology.

The NeRDS club honors the commitment and leadership of their graduating officers at commencement with pink cords. The Neuroscience Research Driven Students (NeRDS) are a student-led club that discusses neuroscience research and provides brain outreach to WWU and schools around the Bellingham community. Their hard work and proactive community engagement are worthy of this special recognition.

For the Pre-Med Club we want to honor our officers for their hard work, the connections they have built, and the skills they have gained by being in a leadership role. Leadership roles are not easy and that hard work deserves to be honored and seen my everyone with this cord.

The Pre-Veterinary Club’s mission is to enable Western students interested in veterinary medicine to join a welcoming community and gain information about current career options, ethics, and research within the veterinary field, as well as the requirements and expectations of veterinary schools in order to prepare students for the veterinary school application process. We strive to promote interaction between students and veterinarians within the community, encouraging students to experience many different aspects of the veterinary field. 

Graduates wearing white veteran stoles at commencement identify the student veterans graduating. These students are honored for their academic accomplishments and their service to our country. Red, white, and blue cords represent students who are dependents of veterans graduating - whether that be children or spouses of veterans.

In 2011, the DRR minor became a way for students to understand and address the causes of disaster. Students explore how environmental disturbances impact vulnerable communities and how socio-political and historical processes in these communities create inequitable outcomes. Students that have successfully completed the DRR minor requirements may wear the DRR cord at graduation. It is a marker of their achievement and a reminder that they can support vulnerable communities in reducing disaster risk by addressing social and environmental injustice through planning, policy, advocacy, and education.

The Waterski Team cords honor our skiers who have qualified for nationals at any point in their collegiate careers. It is honorable to go and represent not only Western Washington University but also the West Coast Region. For that reason we would like to honor our skiers for their great accomplishments.