Requirements and Policies

Students are required to take a minimum of four honors sections to graduate as an Aquinas Scholar. Transfer students who enter the program and those admitted as continuing St. Thomas students are required to take three honors sections.

• Exceptions to this requirement are granted only under extraordinary circumstances and usually require a substitution (e.g. an extra honors seminar) rather than a compete waiver. Any such arrangement must be made with the director of the honors program and set forth in writing in a document to be kept on file with the Aquinas Scholars.

Students are required to take a minimum of three honors seminars to graduate as an Aquinas Scholar.

• These three seminars must be taken for a grade, not pass/fail. If a fourth seminar is taken, it can be taken pass/fail.
• Honors seminars are tuition-free.
• Credits earned in honors seminars do count toward the 132-credit graduation requirement at the University of St. Thomas.

Students need to maintain an overall GPA of 3.6 or above (starting with students who enter the program in the 2009-2010 academic year) to remain a member in good standing of the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program.

• If a student's GPA dips below 3.6 during a given semester, he or she will be placed on probation and will have one additional semester to raise the GPA to 3.6 or higher.
• If a student's GPA is below 3.6 for two consecutive semesters he or she will be removed from the program and will need to reapply if he/she wishes to be reinstated.

Students must complete the Honors Signature Assignment when they complete their Signature Work requirement and submit this material to the program for review prior to graduation.

Students are bound by the University's Academic Integrity Policy as specified in the Undergraduate Catalog. Aquinas Scholars who are found to be in violation of that policy may incur additional program-specific consequences.

Students have the right to request from the director of the program at any time an audit of their progress in the completion of the requirements for the honors program, but otherwise are responsible for monitoring their own progress. Students can monitor their own progress through the "Degree Evaluation" function in Murphy Online. Apart from the degree evaluation, students will receive no written communication about the number of honors sections and seminars they have taken or about whether they have fulfilled the necessary requirements unless they specifically request this information from the director of the program.

All members of the Aquinas Scholars have the right to run for positions in the student leadership of the group.

Members of the Aquinas Scholars have the right to use the Aquinas Scholars physical facilities in the Aquinas Scholars Lounge, located in Murray-Herrick, Room 200. Use of the Lounge includes the PCs, printer and to partake in refreshments offered by the Aquinas Scholars. Students must agree not to allow non-Aquinas Scholars to utilize this space or consume products intended only for Aquinas Scholars. Students should understand that they will have their St. Thomas ID coded to gain entrance to this room and should also understand that they will be financially responsible for any damage they do to this room or the equipment in it.

Members of the Aquinas Scholars have the right to participate in all academic, social and service activities of the Aquinas Scholars, subject to the conditions set forth by the student organizers for the these events.

Members of the Aquinas Scholars are required to earn at least 4 points by attending events or participating in Scholars sponsored activities. Each event and activity will have a point value based upon the amount of time or effort required for participation. Upcoming events and their individual point values will be advertised each month.

Aquinas Scholars who are part of the Aquinas Scholars LLC must earn 2 of their points per semester through Aquinas Scholars LLC events, which will be specifically advertised as such.

Failure to attain the required point total for a specific semester will result in a one-semester probation period. Students on probation will have the opportunity to attain the next semester's 5 points. Failure to attain the required point total in two consecutive semesters will be sufficient grounds for removal from the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program.

Any funds expended for the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program must have the prior approval of the faculty director of the program. Students may not be reimbursed for funds expended without this approval.

All students in the honors program will be included on the Aquinas Scholars e-mail distribution list and will receive all e-mails related to the program. This distribution list is for the business of the Aquinas Scholars only and is not to be used for personal or commercial purposes.

Upon graduation, students have the right to be recognized as Aquinas Scholars at the Honors Convocation, at which time they will receive the honors cords that will mark them as an Aquinas Scholar at their graduation ceremony, and at the graduation ceremony, where their names will be marked on the program as Aquinas Scholars.

After graduation, if a final check reveals that students have completed all of the requirements of the program, they have the right to have it noted on their transcripts and on their diplomas that they have successfully graduated from the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program at the University of St. Thomas.

Photo/Video Release Policy: Students must authorize and grant permission to the University of St. Thomas to reproduce their photographic or video images and/or first names for the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program. Details of the policy are included in the student contracts.