3341-3-25. Academic honors- undergraduate

(A) Policy statement and purpose

This policy provides the requirements for undergraduate academic honors.

(B) Policy

(1) Dean's list

Full-time undergraduate students who demonstrate a high level of excellence in academic work have their names placed on the academic dean's list. The requirement for achieving the academic dean's list is a grade point average of 3.5 or above in the preceding semester with no fewer than twelve credit hours per semester included in the grade point average computation.

(2) Graduation with honors

The record of each undergraduate candidate for graduation with a very high grade point average is carefully reviewed by the university committee on honors and awards so that appropriate recognition and honor may be accorded each student who has achieved outstanding academic success throughout his or her undergraduate years. The tentative honor, announced at commencement and released to the newspapers, is figured without the grades from the student's last academic term. The final honor that is put on the permanent record and diploma is based on the student's entire academic record. Note that graduation with honors does not imply that the recipient has participated in the university honors program. For further details about graduation with university honors, contact the university honors program.

In determining academic honors, total letter-graded credits (TLC) are credits for those courses that determine the student's grade point average. The GPA requirement will be higher than the minimum of three point five, three point seven five, or three point nine for those students who have completed fewer than one hundred ten TLC (or fifty-five TLC for associate degree candidates). See formula in this policy.

More than twelve semester hours of "S/U" grades may increase the grade point average needed for graduation with honors. Courses taken under advanced placement, credit by exam, CLEP, etc. are considered "S/U" and do not count as letter-graded hours.

(a) With distinction

With distinction signifies a high level of academic achievement in an associate degree program and graduation with praise. The honor requires a minimum of twenty-eight TLC and a cumulative GPA at least as high as the larger of three point five and [four point five - (TLC/fifty-five)].

(b) With highest distinction

With highest distinction signifies the highest level of academic achievement in an associate degree program and graduation with great praise. This honor requires a minimum of fifty TLC and a cumulative GPA at least as high as the larger of three point nine and [four point nine - (TLC/fifty-five)].

(c) Cum laude

Cum laude signifies a high level of academic achievement in a baccalaureate degree program and graduation with praise. This honor requires a minimum of fifty-five TLC and a cumulative GPA at least as high as the larger of three point five and [four point five - (TLC/one hundred ten)].

(d) Magna cum laude

Magna cum laude signifies a very high level of academic achievement in a baccalaureate degree program and graduation with great praise. This honor requires a minimum of eighty-three TLC and a cumulative GPA at least as high as the larger of three point seven five and [four point seventy five - (TLC/one hundred ten)].

(e) Summa cum laude

Summa cum laude signifies the highest level of academic achievement in a baccalaureate degree program and graduation with great praise. This honor requires a minimum of ninety-nine TLC and a cumulative GPA at least as high as the larger of three point nine and [four point nine - (TLC/one hundred ten)].

(3) Transfer credit

In the case of transfer credit, each record from the transfer institution(s) is studied and evaluated individually. In general, the following principles serve as guides:

(a) A student entering the university with transferred credit must meet the cumulative grade point average standard for honors in all hours completed, transferred and otherwise. In addition, the grade point average of all work taken at Bowling Green state university must be of honors quality;

(b) A student must have completed at least thirty hours in letter-graded courses at BGSU (fifteen hours in letter-graded courses for an associate degree candidate);

(c) A candidate should be in residence at least one academic year (one academic term for an associate degree candidate) or thirty hours in consecutive summers (attending either the full summer session or both of the terms each summer) immediately preceding graduation. A student with written permission to participate in an approved combination curriculum in cooperation with a professional school or college of another institution is exempt from this requirement.

The academic honors policy is to apply for students graduating fall semester 2010 and thereafter.

(4) Graduation with university honors

Graduation with university honors is one of the highest honors awarded by the university. The requirements are:

(a) A minimum three point five GPA overall, as well as a three point four or better in university honors courses;

(b) The completion of at least twenty-three semester hours of university honors courses, including the honors core sequence (HNRS 2010 and 2020) and the two-course honors project sequence (HNRS 4980 and 4990) for bachelor degrees (thirteen hours, honors core sequence, and HNRS 2990 for associate degrees, BGSU Firelands only); and

(c) At least a "B" in each course and no more than ten of the twenty-three hours in any single university general education knowledge domain.

(5) Graduation with presidential honors

Graduation with presidential honors is the highest honor awarded by the university. The requirements are:

(a) A minimum three point seventy five GPA overall, as well as a three point five or better in university honors courses;

(b) The completion of at least twenty-seven semester hours of university honors courses (including the four-course interdisciplinary sequence HNRS 3010, 3020, 3030, 3040) with at least a "B" in each course; and

(c) The completion of the two-course honors project sequence (HNRS 4980 and 4990).

Date: January 2015

Effective: 3/24/2015
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 3345
Rule Amplifies: 3345