Policies of the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program

Upon being admitted to the program, students are required to sign a contract that indicates their understanding and acceptance of the terms and conditions laid out below.  There are two versions of this contract, one for students who enter the program as incoming freshmen or as transfer students with 42 or fewer college credits (.pdf)  and one for continuing UST students or transfer students who enter the program with more than 42 college credits (.pdf)  Students may print a copy of these contracts by following the links above.

1.  Students are required to take a minimum of four honors sections to graduate as an Aquinas    Scholar.  Transfer students who enter the program with 42 or more college credits already earned and those admitted as continuing UST students are required to take three honors sections.

            a. Exceptions to this requirement are granted only under extraordinary circumstances and usually require a substitution (e.g. an extra honors seminar) rather than a complete 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.

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

            a. These three seminars must be taken for a grade, not pass/fail.  If a fourth seminar is taken, it can be taken pass/fail.

            b. Exceptions to this requirement are granted only under extraordinary circumstances and usually require a substitution (e.g. an extra honors section) rather than a complete 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.

            c. Honors seminars are tuition-free.

            d. Credits earned in honors seminars do count toward the 132-credit graduation requirement at the University of St. Thomas.

3.  Students need to maintain an overall G.P.A. of 3.4 or above (starting with students who enter the program in the 2005-06 academic year) to remain a member in good standing of the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program.

            a. If a student's G.P.A. dips below 3.4 during a given semester, he or she will be placed on probation and will have one additional semester to raise the G.P.A. to 3.4 or higher.

            b. If a student's G.P.A. is below 3.4 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.

4.  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.

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

6.  Member of the Aquinas Scholars have the right to use the Aquinas Scholars physical facilities in Murray Herrick Campus Center MHC 160B, including the computers in the lounge, 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 need to have their St. Thomas ID coded to gain entrance to this room after hours and should also understand that they will be financially responsible for any damage they do to this room or the equipment in it.

7.  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 of these events.

8.  Members of the Aquinas Scholars are required to attend one meeting (the "All-Scholars" annual meeting held in September), and are responsible for any information given out at this meeting.

9.  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.

10.  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.

11.  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 Aquinas Scholar at their graduation ceremony, and at the graduation ceremony, where their names will be marked on the program as Aquinas Scholars.

12.  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.