Traditions & Symbols

A traditional symbol of enlightenment, the lamp’s rendering on the gonfalon is a classical form which existed with little change into the 19th Century. Its practical uses for shedding light or preserving a flame to ignite others makes the ancient device appropriate as a contemporary symbol of education’s best purposes. The use of three lamps on the gonfalon suggests the three levels studied at Rowan: elementary, secondary and higher education. The repetition of the art also signifies the pedagogical fundamentals inherent in each course of study that link them together and build upon one another in the College of Education. The motto of the College of Education is "Communitas Discens" which translates to “The learning community.”