The symbol used as part of the CBU logo is a cruciform shape that was adapted from the shape of the original Brothers' collars. This collar is called a rabat (pronounced rab´-a) -- a word derived from the French meaning flap or fold.

In the traditional habit worn by the Christian Brothers, a long black robe is accompanied by a white bib collar called the rabat, similar to that worn by judges and barristers in England and other European nations. The rabat's two flat sections are said to signify the two tablets of the law given to Moses by God.

The adapted graphic symbol, which we also call the rabat, has been widely incorporated into the architecture of the campus as a decorative element.