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Academic Honors, Attendance, and GPA

Academic Honors, Attendance, and GPA

Academic Honors

Each fall and spring, students who have demonstrated high academic achievement will be recognized in one of the following ways:

  • Dean's List: To be eligible for this recognition, a student must be "in good standing" and have (1) completed a minimum of twelve (12) credit hours in the semester; (2) earned a semester GPA of 3.75 or better; (3) maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 ("B+") or better; and (4) completed a minimum of twelve (12) credit hours at Prairie State College (excluding courses transferred in to PSC).
  • Part-Time Honors List: To be eligible for this recognition, a part-time student must be "in good standing" and have (1) completed a minimum of six credit hours in the semester; (2) earned a semester GPA of 3.75 or better; (3) maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 ("B+") or better; and (4) completed a minimum of twelve (12) credit hours at PSC (excluding courses transferred in to PSC).

Other honors that the college offers include Trustee Scholars (for high school seniors), Phi Theta Kappa (community college honor society), the Honors Program (honors credit for some courses) as well as three categories of Graduation Honors: Cum Laude (3.30-3.64 GPA); Magna Cum Laude (3.65-3.84 GPA); and Summa Cum Laude (3.85-4.0 GPA). Grade point averages for graduation honors are based on course work completed by the fall semester prior to the May graduation ceremony. Grade point averages are not rounded. Additional information about these honors is available by calling the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs at (708) 709-3507.

Attendance

Regular class attendance is an essential component of successful learning. Students are responsible for prompt attendance and participation in all class meetings of every course for which they are registered. You have the responsibility to contact professors in case of unavoidable absence. Make-up work will be arranged at the professors' discretion.

The specific attendance policy of each professor will be included in the course syllabus distributed on the first day of class. Students who do not regularly attend class are strongly advised to officially withdraw from the course by the designated date for the semester. Those who do not officially withdraw will be given a grade of "F" or "FW" for the course. Both grades of "F" and "FW" factor into your GPA for 0 points.

Calculating Grade Point Average (GPA)

Each academic term, the college calculates two grade point averages for a student. First, your semester's grades will be combined in the term GPA. This includes all courses graded as outlined in the section above. Second, the college calculates your cumulative GPA. This calculation includes only those courses numbered 100 and above and excludes developmental courses, since they do not count toward meeting degree or certificate requirements. All academic honors and decisions about academic standing are based on your cumulative GPA. A student's cumulative GPA is calculated by using total grade points divided by total credit hours attempted.

For the purpose of your official transcript, honors at graduation, and the Dean's and Part-Time Honors Lists, the GPA calculation will not include developmental courses. For the purposes of Illinois Veteran Grants, financial aid, and Satisfactory Academic Progress, the GPA calculation will include developmental courses.