Scholarships and Honors
Department Scholarships
Scholarship decisions are typically made in the spring semester prior to the upcoming academic year by the department chair. There are no applications and decisions are based on academic performance and financial need. To be considered for a scholarship, you must be a registered University of St. Thomas student who has officially declared a major in English, a major in English with a Writing Emphasis, or a major in English with a Teacher Education Emphasis (5-12).
The Hague Award for Excellence
This award recognizes one senior English major who has demonstrated excellence and the promise for further growth in the study of language and literature, has a record of academic achievement, service to the community, and active engagement and/or leadership at the University of St. Thomas. The Hague Award for Excellence was established by a generous donation from the James A. Kurpius '60 family in honor of Paul Hague, a faculty member in the English Department from 1955-1990 and an advisor to the Aquinas yearbook from 1957-1961. Hague was also named Professor of the Year by St. Thomas students and faculty in 1987. A plaque that recognizes past recipients of this award hangs outside of the English Department administrative office, located on the third floor of the John Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
The Joseph B. Connors Scholarship
This scholarship is given to a senior English major who excels academically and has financial need. This scholarship honors professor Joseph B. Connors, who served for many years in the English Department at St. Thomas. He is also the author of Journey Towards Fulfillment, a history of the College of St. Thomas.
Other Scholarship Opportunities
Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society, offers scholarship opportunities to its members. Amounts range from $1000 to $4000, depending on the scholarship applied for. Additional information about these scolarship opportunities can be found on Sigma Tau Delta's web site.
Honors
Sigma Tau Delta
The International English Honor Society formed the Iota Psi chapter at St. Thomas in 1988. The honor society brings together students and faculty with a love of literature, language, and writing; it sponsors a variety of scholarships, holds regional and national conventions, and provides a forum for both creative and critical writing. Students who have a grade point average of at least 3.0 in English courses, rank at least in the highest 35 percent of their class in general scholarship, and have completed at least three semesters of university level work are eligible to apply for membership. For more information about Sigma Tau Delta, please check out its national web site or write to Dr. Alexis Easley, faculty advisor for Iota Psi. Those members who are in good standing at the end of their senior year will receive an honors cord for the commencement ceremony.
