I
thursday, april 13, 1978
daily nebraskan
page
Distinction criteria varies
from GPAs to activities
By Deb Shanahan
The nomination of seniors for gradua
tion with distinction or high distinction
varies from college to college.
The criteria used ranges from grade
point averages to extra-curricular activities
to senior theses.
Students in the College of Arts and
Sciences write theses for the honor, usually
on the advice of someone with whom they
have been doing research, according to
Donal Burns, chairman of the college's
committee on academic distinction and
awards for students.
The theses is read by the student's de
partment advisor and one other person,
Burns said. The student also is given an ex
am over the work before a recommenda
tion is written to the committee, he said.
Graduation with distinction is granted
automatically if the student's grade point
average falls within the top 10 percent of
the class.
Students graduate with high distinction
if their CPA's fall in the top 5 percent, he
said.
The honors paper enables students to
move up a level - from high distinction to
highest. If the student did not qualify for
distinction, any student who writes a
thesis can be considered, Burns explained.
"We are expecting 30 theses this semes
ter for May graduation. We have seen some
exceptional work in the past," Burns said.
Graduating with distinction or high dis
tinction is based almost entirely on grade
point averages in both the College of Busi
ness Administration and in the College of
Engineering and Technology.
CBA dean, Gary Schwendiman, said the
top 6 percent of business students are grad
uated with distinction or high distinction.
He said the selection is based entirely on
GPA. The cut-off point usually is 3.85 or
3.9. The associate dean decides who is eligi
ble, then the names are voted on and ap
proved by the faculty, he said.
The College of Engineering and Tech
nology has a committee to review which
seniors will be graduated with the honor,
according to Associate Dean Lyle Young.
The decision is primarily based on GPA,
he said. The top 2 percent are eligible for
high distinction and the next 6 percent for
distinction, he said.
The committee is necessary because
people from both the Lincoln and Omaha
campuses have to be reviewed, he said.
The grading system is different in
Omaha - they don't have pluses - so the
committee spends a lot of time figuring
equivalents," he explained. Faculty ap
proval is required, he said, but "they usual
ly go along with what the committee
decides."
These differences in the way colleges de
termine who graduates with distinction and
high distinction bother some people, in
cluding Josie Weber, associate professor of
journalism.
"If the students are wearing the same
little red or white cords at graduation, it
should mean the same' thing," she said. The
honor means more to students who have to
do something for it than to students who
are chosen from a list or are nominated by
their advisers, Weber said.
"It doesn't seem fair to not have the
same measuring stick. All students should
be rated equally for the same honor," said
Weber, suggesting that a university wide
committee might be the answer.
Gordon Culver, chairman of the Teach
ers College committee on degrees with dis
tinction, disagreed.
"I think it's a plus to the university that
each college has its own criteria for this
honor," he said. This difference reflects
differences in college requirements, he said.
"We're turning out a person who will be
working with people of all ages. It's impor
tant that this person be a well-rounded in
dividual, and not just able to do well with
the books," Culver said.
"IVe known a number of brilliant peo
ple who could make terrible teachers. They
shouldn't be graduated with distinction
from a Teachers College," he said.
Culver said his committee, makes its
final decision after looking at three areas -grades,
student teaching experience, and
extra-curricular activities. Recommenda
tions from the faculty also are important,
especially for students not seeking certi
fication who do not student teach, he said.
Schwendiman also favors the idea of in
dividual colleges determining which seniors
will receive degrees with distinction.
"Different colleges have different stan
dards and the average GPA would be lower
in colleges, such as engineering and busi
ness, where the standards are tougher."
Schwendiman said .
"There's not a great deal of unevenness
across the colleges, although at the bottom
end there may be some discrimination," he
said.
"I'd be delighted if a group of students
got together and came up with a better
way of doing things," he added.
VI
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