DEPARTMENTAL DISTINCTION IN HISTORY

What is Distinction?

        Distinction is a formal academic honor (which appears on the transcript) that
        each Department in the College may vote to bestow upon its senior majors
        who have those qualities most valued in their discipline and who demonstrate
        their ability to produce independent work of the highest scholarly or artistic
        standard. A Department awards Distinction to recognize outstanding
        achievement and encourage potential.
 
        The Department of History invites senior majors who seek a significant and
        challenging intellectual experience to apply for Distinction in History.

        See St. Olaf College Statement on Distinction.

Application

        Candidates must select an advisor, complete an application describing the
        project signed by their Project Advisor, and submit the form to the
        Chair of the Distinction Committee, Eric Fure-Slocum, by 11 November.
        Forms are available on-line and also from Nancy Hollinger in 513 Holland
        Hall.

Criteria for Distinction

        To be considered for Distinction, you must satisfy certain minimum GPA
        requirements, prepare a project under the direction of a Project Advisor in
        the Department of History (or an advisor approved by the Department of
        History), have your work reviewed by faculty, and successfully complete an
        oral defense of the project.
 
        GPA requirements: Cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 and GPA in history
        courses of at least 3.50. Under special circumstances, and after consultation
        with their Project Advisor, students who do not meet the minimum GPA
        requirements may petition the Chair of the History Department for
        permission to begin the Distinction process.

        Project: The core of Distinction work is a formal research project based on
        primary sources or an extended historiographical essay that demonstrates
        excellence in historical method and analysis. For the most part, these projects
        take the form of papers, but students might also submit a substantial museum
        display, website, or poster accompanied by a shorter analytic paper. In all
        cases, a Distinction project should exhibit research and writing above and
        beyond “normal" coursework. A Distinction project is something you might
        use in a graduate school application, present at an academic conference, or
        submit to an academic journal for publication.
 
        A Distinction project poses a provocative, clearly-defined historical question
        and cogently argues a response to that question based on critical and
        sensitive evaluation of primary and/or secondary sources, as appropriate to
        the type of project submitted. A Distinction project must place its question
        firmly within the historical and scholarly context -- that is, it must
        acknowledge the scholars who have influenced the question as well as
        assess the importance of those scholars’ contributions to the context of
        the question.
 
        While Distinction is a matter of quality, not quantity, typically the written
        component (the paper) is between 30 and 40 pages in length.

        The Department of History uses the Chicago Manual of Style [see Kate
        Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations]
        and expects all footnotes and bibliographic references to conform to that
        system. MLA or other styles are acceptable under special circumstances only.  

        Faculty Review:  The award of Distinction depends upon an evaluation of
        the project and an oral exam, which considers the project within the larger
        context of your work as a St. Olaf history major.
 
        Faculty review of your project occurs at three levels: A Distinction
        Committee (three members of the Department) screens all projects that
        have been submitted. A project meriting further consideration passes to a
        readers committee (three members of the Department, usually including
        your Project Advisor), which discusses your work with you in an oral exam.
        The entire History faculty then reviews the project and votes to award
        Distinction.
        Please Note: Final decision to award Distinction is made by the
        History faculty as a whole, not the Distinction or readers committees.
 

Past Examples

        Examples of past Distinction projects are available for you to consult in the
        St. Olaf Archives (Scope: All Collections;   Keywords: History Distinction;
        Format: Paper; Date: Any Year.) Successful Distinction projects have
        included: (1) research based on the imaginative use of primary sources to
        present an original argument; (2) reflective or critical analysis based on
        extensive reading in the scholarship of a significant historical topic; or
        (3) analysis of a particular methodological dissemination of historical
        understanding.
 
        The History faculty encourage each student (in consultation with a faculty
        advisor) to develop original projects that contribute to the study and
        scholarship of history in diverse and creative ways.


Routes to Distinction

•         Many students use work begun in another course (including the
          History Research Workshop, Level III seminar, IS or IR) as a
          foundation for their Distinction project. Please note, though,
          that if a project has its origins in work for an earlier course,
          the final Distinction project must undergo *substantial*
          revision in size and scope, conducted under the direction of
          a Project Advisor in the Department of History (or advisor
          approved by the Department of History) for it to qualify
          for Distinction in History.
   
  
  Important Dates
   
              • Spring Semester, junior year:  select Project Advisor and
                 discuss research goals to determine if Summer work or travel
                 is required
  
              • Fall Semester, senior year:  meet with Project Advisor to
                 focus Distinction proposal, complete Distinction Application,
                 and finalize research timeline and goals
   
              • 11 November:  submit completed Distinction Application form
                 to Chair of Distinction Committee
  
              • 03 January - 9 March:  substantive discussions (at least 3)
                 with advisor about progress
  
              • 14 March:  completed paper submitted to Project Advisor
  
              • 2 April:  Final Draft submitted electronically as a Word
                 document to Chair of Distinction Committee
  
              • 12-29 April:  Oral Exams scheduled
  
              • 30 April:  Department meeting to vote
  
  
  Please Note:
          If, for any reason, you decide not to pursue the approved project or
          wish to make changes in the scope and scale of the approved
          project, you must meet with the Chair of the Distinction Committee
          for approval before making any changes.