Academic Honors and Activities

Albion encourages students to expand their experience both inside and outside of the classroom. A wide range of extra-curricular and co-curricular activities provide recreational and educational opportunities for all students. These include honor societies, honorary organizations, departmental clubs, off-campus study, interdisciplinary courses, performing arts, and more. In addition, Albion provides a complete intramural and varsity athletic program which is described in the Student Life section of this catalog.

Academic Honors

Dean's Honor List—Those full-time students whose grade point average is 3.5 or above at the completion of a semester are named to the Dean's List issued at the close of each semester. To qualify, students must take at least three units in graded courses and successfully complete four units. All course work must be completed on the Albion College campus.

Departmental Honors—Qualified departmental majors may present papers to be considered for departmental honors. Normally such students will have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in their major department and will have conducted the work as part of a directed study. A student whose GPA is lower than 3.0, but whose work promises a thesis of high quality, may petition the major department for permission to submit a thesis. A student whose thesis is accepted by the department will graduate with "departmental honors."

Graduation Recognition—Three grades of recognition are conferred at graduation. For students graduating in 2006 and after, cum laude is granted to those who have a grade point average of 3.50 to 3.74; magna cum laude is granted to those who have a grade point average of 3.75 to 3.89; and summa cum laude is granted to those who have a grade point average of 3.90 or above. Grade point averages are not rounded. A student must complete at least three semesters of study at Albion College to be considered for graduation recognition.

Graduation Honors—Students who successfully complete Albion's Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program and maintain a grade point average of 3.5 will graduate "with Albion College honors.''

Honor Societies

Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest of the national honorary societies, founded in 1776. The Beta chapter of Michigan was established at Albion in 1940. Members are usually seniors in the top 10 percent of their graduating class who meet the chapter's liberal studies and residency requirements.

Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, was founded in 1866 as an honor society for scientists and engineers. The Albion chapter, started in 1959, includes faculty and students who are involved in scientific research. Students who have done research at Albion or in an approved off-campus program and who anticipate a career in science are eligible for nomination as associate members.

Albion College Fellows have attained a 3.7 average for three successive semesters on campus. They must also take at least three units in graded courses and successfully complete four units each semester. Participation in an approved off-campus program does not prevent students from qualifying at the end of the semester after they return.

Mortar Board, a national honorary, was established at Albion in 1941 to honor women who have been outstanding in scholarship, leadership and service. In 1976 the Albion chapter voted to make its membership coeducational.

Omicron Delta Kappa, national leadership honorary, was established at Albion in 1942 to honor juniors and seniors who have actively contributed to campus life and scholarship.

Alpha Lambda Delta, national freshman scholastic honorary, recognizes students who have received a 3.5 average at the end of their first semester and are in the top 20 percent of their class, based on at least three units of graded courses per semester. Alpha Lambda Delta was established at Albion in 1940.

Departmental Honoraries and Clubs

Many academic departments of the College sponsor honoraries in recognition of high scholarship. Minimum requirements for membership in these honoraries usually include: a departmental grade average of 3.0; an all-College grade average of 2.5; a major or minor in the respective department; and sophomore standing, although second semester freshmen are eligible in very unusual cases. The departments and their respective organizations include:

Biology—Beta Beta Beta (national)
Chemistry—Fall Chemistry Club
Economics—Omicron Delta Epsilon (national)
English—Joseph J. Irwin Honorary Society
Geology—Sigma Gamma Epsilon (national)
History—Phi Alpha Theta (national)
Mathematics—Kappa Mu Epsilon (national)
Music—Pi Kappa Lambda (national)
Physics—Sigma Pi Sigma (national)
Political Science—Pi Sigma Alpha (national)
Psychology—Psi Chi (national)
Public Policy—Pi Sigma Sigma (national)
Sociology—Alpha Kappa Delta (national)

Many departments also have their own clubs designed to encourage interest and to supplement the work in the classroom.

Departmental awards are given on a broad range of criteria to students in the form of prizes, honors and other distinctions. Students are urged to familiarize themselves with the awards by contacting the respective departmental chair.

Scholarships and Fellowships for International Study

The national scholarships and fellowships listed below assist students who wish to study and/or conduct research abroad. Because the selection process for these awards is highly competitive, students are strongly encouraged to consult with the campus advisers for these programs during the application process.

Freeman-ASIA—The primary goal of the Freeman-ASIA Program is to increase the number of U.S. undergraduates who study in East and Southeast Asia by providing students with the information and financial assistance they will need. Awardees are expected to share their experiences with their home campus to encourage study abroad by others and to spread understanding of Asia in their home communities. For more information, see http://www.iie.org.

Fulbright Grants—Congress created the Fulbright program in 1946 to foster mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchanges. Each year, the Fulbright program enables U.S. students, artists and other professionals to study or conduct research in more than 100 nations. The program offers Fulbright full grants, Fulbright travel grants, foreign and private grants and teaching opportunities. Brochures, application forms and information are available from the Center for International Education or the Fulbright campus adviser, Dale Kennedy, director of the Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program. The campus application deadline is Oct. 1. For more information, see http://www.iie.org/.

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)—The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is a publicly-funded independent organization of higher education institutions in Germany. Each year DAAD, its Regional Branch Offices, its Information Centers and DAAD professors around the globe provide information and financial support to over 67,000 highly-qualified students and faculty for international research and study. Located in New York, San Francisco and Toronto, DAAD North America advises students, faculty and current DAAD fellows in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, contact Perry Myers, Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, or see http://www.daad.org/.

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program—The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program reduces barriers to study abroad by providing assistance to those undergraduate students who have demonstrated financial need. This program offers a competition for awards for study abroad, for U.S. citizens who are receiving federal Pell Grant funding. Pell recipients planning to study abroad should also apply for a Gilman Scholarship. This congressionally funded program is offered through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and is administered by the Institute of International Education. Selected by competition, recipients are awarded up to $5,000 to defray the costs associated with studying abroad. For more information, see http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program.

British Marshall Scholarships—Established by an act of Parliament in 1953 to commemorate the ideals of the European Recovery Programme (the Marshall Plan), the British Marshall scholarships are intended to enable "intellectually distinguished young Americans to study in the United Kingdom and thereby to gain an understanding and appreciation of the British way of life." Applications must be submitted on prescribed forms available by mid-May from the Office of International Education. The campus application deadline is Oct. 1. For more information, see http://www.marshallscholarship.org/.

NSEP Scholarships—Established by the National Security Education Act of 1991, NSEP scholarships aim to provide U.S. undergraduate students with the resources and encouragement they need to acquire expertise in languages, cultures and countries less commonly taught in the United States. NSEP scholarships can be applied for study in all countries except Western Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Applications can be obtained from the Office of International Education or the NSEP campus adviser. The campus application deadline is Dec. 1. For more information, see www.borenawards.org.

Rhodes Scholarship—The Rhodes scholarship provides for study at Oxford University and is one of the most competitive awards available. Applicants must demonstrate outstanding intellectual and academic achievement, but they must also be able to show integrity of character, interest in and respect for their fellow beings, the ability to lead and the energy to use their talents to the fullest. Forms and information are available from the Office of International Education. The campus application deadline is Oct. 1. For more information, see http://www.rhodesscholar.org.

Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships—The primary purpose of this program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries. Scholarship applications need to be made more than a year in advance of the planned study abroad program experience. Rotary awards provide for all expenses of most semester and year-long study-abroad programs. For more information, see http://www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/EducationalPrograms/AmbassadorialScholarships/Pages/ridefault.aspx .

Information on other study-abroad scholarships may be obtained in the Center for International Education.

Scholarships and Fellowships for Study in the United States

The scholarships and fellowships listed below are awarded nationally to undergraduate students who wish to continue their studies in the areas specified by the respective program. Because the selection process for these awards is highly competitive, students are strongly encouraged to consult with the campus advisers for these programs during the application process.

Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship Program—The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation provides scholarships to college seniors or recent college graduates of high need to enable them to attend graduate or professional schools. Approximately 65 of these scholarships are awarded annually. In order to apply, you must be nominated by our campus representative, the associate provost. For more information, see http://www.jkcf.org/scholarships

Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship—The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program “was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry M. Goldwater, who served his country for 56 years as a soldier and statesman.” The purpose of the foundation is to develop highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields. For more information, contact the Goldwater campus representative, Vanessa McCaffrey, Department of Chemistry, or see http://www.act.org/goldwater.

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships—The program recognizes and supports graduate students pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. "NSF Fellows are expected to become knowledge experts who can contribute significantly to research, teaching and innovations in science and engineering." For more information, go to: http://www.nsfgradfellows.org/.

Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program—Outstanding students who are interested in pursuing a foreign service career with the U.S. Department of State may apply for a Pickering fellowship during their sophomore year. The fellowship award includes tuition, room, board and mandatory fees during the junior and senior years of college and during the first year of graduate study with reimbursement for books and round trip travel. The fellow must commit to pursuing a graduate degree in international studies at one of the graduate schools identified by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Fellows meet annually in Washington, D.C., for a program orientation. Only U.S. citizens will be considered for the Pickering fellowships. Women, members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, and students with financial need are encouraged to apply. For more information, see http://www.woodrow.org/fellowships/index.php.

Harry S. Truman Scholarship—These awards go to college juniors with “exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education or elsewhere in the public service. . . .” Approximately 80 awards are given annually for support in graduate school. For more information, go to http://www.truman.gov.

Morris K. Udall Undergraduate Scholarship—These highly competitive scholarships are awarded to college sophomores and juniors who have demonstrated commitment to careers related to the environment or who are Native American or Alaska Native and have demonstrated commitment to careers related to tribal public policy or health care. Interested students should prepare to apply at least a year in advance of the application deadline. Forms and information are available from the Udall campus representative, Timothy Lincoln, Department of Geological Sciences. For more information, see http://www.udall.gov/OurPrograms/MKUScholarship/MKUScholarship.aspx .