Award-seekers find academic opportunities, extra projects

By Marcelle Richards
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

For students seeking special recognition upon graduating UCLA,
the university offers various honors opportunities to those who
maintain high grades while committing themselves to other academic
or extracurricular projects.

From college and departmental honors to membership in national
honors societies, entering students may participate in one or all
of the above if eligible.

“The primary goals of the program are to provide the most
challenging educational experience possible to students at
UCLA,” said G. Jennifer Wilson, director of the College of
Letters and Science Honors Programs, stressing that the school
offers a wide array of honors courses and resources through
seminars, tutorials and independent research projects.

Students may submit an application for College Honors when they
apply for admission to UCLA.

College Honors has different requirements for freshmen and
transfer students, but both receive priority passes in course and
housing enrollment.

Students entering the university with 43 units or fewer must
take 44 units of honors course work. Those entering with 44 to 83
units must take 40 units of honors courses and those with 84 or
more units must complete 36 honors units.

Transfers must complete 28 honors units, though they may
petition to have up to 8 units of previous honors coursework added
to their quota.

Participating in College Honors does not necessarily mean taking
extra courses. Many honors classes satisfy general education or
major requirements.

To remain in the program, students must enroll in at least 8
honors units per year. As these units accumulate, the minimum
required GPA slowly rises from 3.1 to 3.5 by graduation.

A thesis route is also available through individual departments,
which allows students to complete research in three consecutive
quarters. This alternative is ideal for students who wish to pursue
departmental honors since the course load is geared toward courses
in a student’s major.

Departmental honors are not bestowed upon a student until junior
or senior year. Students may apply during this time by submitting a
transcript, letters of recommendation and a nomination form. The
student must hold at least a 3.5 GPA in both the major and overall
coursework.

Upon admission into the program, the student can pursue a
bachelor’s and a master’s degree simultaneously, which
streamlines the graduate application process and provides the
opportunity for graduate-level research.

“The reason the Undergraduate Student Association came up
with this idea was because that particular group was graduate
school-bound, They wanted to have the best kind of academic writing
they could do,” said Beth Gray, staff advisor in art history
for undergraduates.

But after implementing the program, Gray said, not many students
have proceeded to seek honors. The intimidation shrouding such an
extensive research project has been the largest deterrent, she
said.

Less daunting are honors societies, which mix social interaction
with the academics.

Breaching into the national sector of available honors, Alpha
Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma claim 550,000 and 575,000 members,
respectively.

“Membership in an honors society is an opportunity for
students to be involved with other students who have the same
desire and goal to seek academic excellence,” said dean of
students Joan Nelson.

“It does serve as a club and an organization students can
be involved in and find friendships with students of like
interests,” she said.

All freshmen with at least a 3.5 GPA after their first quarter
are automatically invited to join, though any student with an
overall GPA of 3.5 or above is eligible and may contact the dean of
students’ office to apply. The GPA is required to enter the
society, but does not need to be maintained, since the society
trusts that its members will uphold their own academic
standards.

Though participation in events is optional, members are
encouraged to run for office and get involved in the
decision-making process.

“A lot of times, you have to be a junior or senior to be a
leader, as far as the level of responsibility goes,” Nelson
said. “In these organizations, you can start into leadership
as a freshman or sophomore.”

For students looking for honors recognition later in their
academic career, other societies offer more cumulative
criteria.

The Mortar Board is a national honors organization that
recognizes seniors for outstanding academic and community service
performance. At graduation, members carry a spiral-bound day
planner ““ the “mortar board” ““ that
signifies scholarship, leadership and service, the group’s
motto.