Honors and Awards
Semester Honors
Three lists of semester honors students are posted each semester:
1. President’s List – Students enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester hours must earn a 3.90-4.00 Gardner-Webb University semester grade point average.
2. Dean’s List – Students enrolled in a minimum of 12 semester hours must earn a 3.50 to a 3.89 Gardner-Webb University semester grade point average, with no grade below a “C’.
Alpha Chi
Gardner-Webb University has an active chapter of Alpha Chi (AX), a multidisciplinary honor society with membership in the Association of College Honor Societies. Membership in Alpha Chi is the highest honor bestowed on traditional undergraduate students at Gardner-Webb University. In addition, it offers members opportunities for educational enrichment and for scholarship competition. A list of Alpha Chi nominees is produced by the Registrar and audited for membership requirements once a year in the Fall semester. Alpha Chi nominees then receive a letter of nomination explaining the requirements of membership and an invitation to a formal induction ceremony. Alpha Chi members serve as junior marshals at Commencement and are formally recognized during their own graduation ceremonies.
To be eligible for AX, a student must:
- Have attained junior status by earning at least 60 hours of college credit,
- Place in the top 10% of his/her class based on cumulative GPA,
- Have earned 24 hours credit from Gardner-Webb University,
- Be enrolled in at least 12 hours of college classes in the semester of induction, and
- Have a record of excellent citizenship and character.
Annual Awards
Students with the highest Gardner-Webb University GPA are recognized at Fall Convocation. The first-, second-, and third-year awards are calculated at the conclusion of the academic year and are based on the number of academic years the student has completed at Gardner-Webb.
Awards are made to outstanding students in many individual disciplines at the Spring Awards Ceremony.
The Senior Scholastic Award is presented at each undergraduate Commencement. To be considered for the award, a student must complete a minimum of 60 hours at Gardner-Webb. It is presented to the senior who has the highest Gardner-Webb University GPA; in most cases the Gardner-Webb GPA is 4.000. When there is more than one graduating senior who has the highest GPA, the true overall GPA is used to determine the award winner, functioning as a tie-breaker. This calculation includes transfer work averaged in with all work at Gardner-Webb.
Graduation Honors
To be considered for baccalaureate honors, a graduating student must complete a minimum of 48 hours at Gardner-Webb University, and his or her GPA for that work taken here must merit honors.
Those in the graduating class with a GPA of 3.5 or above will receive honors. Those with a 3.50-3.69 will receive cum laude. Those with a 3.70-3.89 will receive magna cum laude. Those with a 3.90-4.0 will receive summa cum laude.
Honors Program Graduation Recognitions
Gardner-Webb University provides a comprehensive Honors Program to nurture academically qualified students in all majors. Emphasis is placed on Honors classes, leadership through their academic and co-curricular accomplishments, preparation for graduate school, and special activities. Students who participate in the Honors Program, complete a minimum of 27 credit hours of Honors courses, and receive the recommendation of the Honors faculty will receive “Honors Program” recognition during commencement exercises.