THE CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE STUDIES
DISTINCTION IN THE INDIVIDUAL MAJOR

Each department and interdisciplinary program at St. Olaf College may award distinction to selected graduating senior majors for outstanding performance in the major. Indication of distinction appears in the commencement program and on the academic transcript.

Eligibility

The criteria and application process for distinction vary by academic area. To be eligible for distinction in Integrative Studies, students must have developed and successfully completed a coherent, creative, integrative major, which includes an ambitious senior project and a richly interconnected web portfolio. This major must demonstrate significant achievement of the program's integrative goals. Consult the CIS web page "Components of a successful integrative major" for more details.

To be eligible, students must also have achieved a 3.3 overall gpa, and a 3.6 gpa in the individual major.

Application Guidelines

In the first week of Semester II, CIS will notify seniors eligible by gpa and their advisors, and direct them to the following guidelines for application.

Students:

•  Eligible students intending to apply for distinction must meet with their adviser to discuss their intent.

•  Students applying for distinction must notify CIS by March 1. At this time, they must also confirm the date, time, and location of their April public presentation.

•  Before May 1, CIS will send distinction applicants a distinction application information card. On this card, which should be promptly returned to CIS, students indicate what portion of their senior project and web portfolio they would like to call to the attention of the distinction committee.

Advisers:

•  By May 1, advisers must indicate support of their advisee's distinction application. This may be done by email to CIS.

•  After they have attended the student's public presentation in April and received the student's completed senior project, advisers will provide CIS with a short narrative evaluation of the student's work. This evaluation will be included in the distinction application portfolio.