Each semester, students are recognized by the college for placement
on the Dean's List. Those students are eligible who meet the following
criteria and are in the top 20 percent of their classes. To be
eligible for Dean's List recognition, you must have completed at least
14 hours of course work, excluding military and religious foundation
courses and graduate-level courses taken for unit credit. Of these 14
hours, at least 12 hours must be earned in courses taken for
traditional letter grades, which excludes courses graded credit/no
credit, satisfactory/unsatisfactory, and test-based credit, which is
graded pass/fail. Course work completed through study abroad may be
included in determining Dean's List eligibility, subject to these same
limitations. Students with work graded excused or deferred are not
considered for the Dean's List until grades have been submitted for
that work. These students should notify the honors dean when such work
has been completed if they expect to be placed on the Dean's
List.
James Scholar Program
The official honors program in the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences is called the Edmund J. James Scholar Program. This program
allows students with exceptional ability to pursue rigorous academic
courses of study and provides the opportunity for those students to
meet with faculty members who are particularly interested in honors
programs. There are honors advisers available in the respective
departments and an honors dean in the college office. James Scholars
register in some special honors courses, sections, seminars, and
colloquia; they may also arrange individualized honors credit
agreements for specific courses. James Scholars have open access to
the University Library stacks (ordinarily open only to graduate
students and the faculty); such access to library stacks is
particularly helpful for students involved in independent study and/or
undergraduate research projects. James Scholars also have their
program requests processed early to minimize conflicts in scheduling
honors courses.
Any qualified LAS student may become a James Scholar
Designate or Nominee. Entering freshmen who are in the top 15 percent
of the admitted class are invited immediately into the program as
James Scholar Designates. Each continuing student in the college must
maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 4.5 and must complete two
honors courses during the academic year. In order to remain in the
program as James Scholar Nominees, students must satisfy the
requirements for continuing students (i.e., 4.5 GPA and two honors
courses). Official certification of James Scholar standing on the
University transcript is made at the end of the academic year (upon
completion of these requirements).
Further information about the James Scholar program is
available from the college office,
270 Lincoln Hall.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has established the Robert
W. Rogers Merit Scholarship program for highly qualified freshmen. A
freshman chosen as a Robert W. Rogers Scholar enrolls in any
curriculum in the college and is awarded $1,000 for the year; the
award may be renewed for the sophomore year if the student maintains
at least a 4.5 (A = 5.0) grade-point average and continues in the
college. Admitted freshmen with the highest qualifications are invited
to apply. The selection of a Rogers Scholar is made by a faculty
committee and based on exceptional scholastic achievement, high
performance on either the ACT or SAT examination, and evidence of
leadership in the school or community. No more than twelve new awards
are made each year.
The Cohn Scholars Program provides intellectual and financial support
and special academic opportunities for a small group of highly
qualified freshmen majoring in the humanities. Each Cohn Scholar
participates in a yearlong tutorial in his or her field of interest
(or in a closely related field) with a faculty mentor from one of the
humanities disciplines. The tutorial offers each student the
opportunity to interact with a faculty member on an individual basis
through intensive study in a selected subject.
Cohn Scholars also enroll in a two-semester course sequence
in western civilization offered by the Department of History or the
Program in Comparative Literature, with special discussion
sections. Periodic seminars feature informal discussions among
students and invited faculty members on selected topics. Cohn Scholars
participate in special campus activities designed to acquaint them
with some of the University's many academic and cultural
resources.
Applications to the program are invited in early spring from
highly qualified high school students who have been admitted for the
following year to one of the humanities departments or programs in the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Potential students are selected
by a faculty committee on the basis of an application, high school
class rank, and performance in a competitive entrance examination (ACT
or SAT). Inquiries should be addressed to the Cohn Scholars Program,
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences,
294 Lincoln Hall,
Urbana, IL 61801.
College honors at graduation are awarded on the basis of academic
excellence and satisfaction of one of the following: (1) successful
completion of 25 hours of honors courses (including work taken on
honors credit learning agreements); (2) successful completion of 35
hours of advanced hours course work; or (3) earning departmental
distinction. Provided that one of the requirements above is satisfied,
the award of college honors is made according to the following ranges:
cum laude, if the college grade-point average places a student in the
top 12 percent of the graduating class but not in the top 7 percent;
magna cum laude, if the college grade-point average places a student
in the top 7 percent of the graduating class but not in the top 3
percent; and summa cum laude, if the college grade-point average
places a student in the top 3 percent of the graduating class.
Students who have shown exceptional competence in one or more areas
of study may earn distinction in their major(s) or curricula. Criteria
for awarding distinction are established by the departments. Students
interested in working for distinction should consult their honors
adviser early in the junior year. Specific information about
requirements is available from the departmental and curriculum
advisers. Generally, in addition to meeting the scholastic
requirements and the minimum requirements for a major, a student
graduating with departmental distinction must satisfy at least one of
the following requirements: (1) presentation of an acceptable thesis;
(2) satisfactory performance on a comprehensive examination prepared
by the major department; or (3) completion of a special course of
study of at least four semester hours approved by the major
department.
A student who has completed a curriculum in teacher education
and has shown superior ability in that area may be recommended for
distinction in the teacher education program. Information about
requirements may be obtained from the adviser in the area of
specialization.
Invitations for membership into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest
honor society, are sent to outstanding students in Liberal Arts and
Sciences each April. Eligibility requires rank in the top 7 percent of
seniors in LAS, as well as a minimum number of graded hours and
appropriate course distribution. Precise criteria and detailed
information may be obtained from the chapter secretary, Dr. Susan
Gonzo, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Swanlund
Building, University of Illinois, 601 East John Street, Champaign, IL
61820, (217) 333-8159.
There are a number of prizes and awards available to outstanding
students in certain areas of the college. A department will generally
notify the student of the possibility of such an award; however, an
interested student may obtain information on the awards from the
college office,
270 Lincoln Hall.
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