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The faculty has provided for the award of Final Honors to accompany the Bachelor of Arts degree, according to the following requirements (in the graduated four-point grading system):
A.B. Cum Laude: Awarded to students who have attained a cumulative average of 3.40 to 3.59 or a cumulative average of 3.17 to 3.32 and Distinction rating (for double majors, two ratings of Distinction or one rating of Distinction and one of High Pass; for triple major a minimum rating of two Distinctions and one of Pass or one of Distinction and two of High Pass) in Comprehensive Examinations.
A.B. Magna Cum Laude: Awarded to students who have attained a cumulative average of at least 3.60 or a cumulative average of 3.33 to 3.59 and Distinction rating (for a double major two ratings of Distinction or one rating of Distinction and one of High Pass: for triple major a minimum rating of two Distinctions and one of Pass or one of Distinction and two of High Pass) in Comprehensive Examinations.
A.B. Summa Cum Laude: Awarded to students who have attained a cumulative average of at least 3.60 and a Distinction rating (for a double major two ratings of Distinction or one rating of Distinction and one of High Pass; for triple major a minimum rating of two Distinctions and one of Pass or one of Distinction and two of High Pass) in Comprehensive Examinations.
A student's final grade point average is used as the basis for conferring Final Honors.
Dean's List
To honor students for outstanding academic achievement, the Dean of the College each semester names to the Dean's List those students who attain a semester average of at least 3.5. In addition, the students must have completed a minimum of three course credits which count toward the semester average. Courses declared by the instructor as Incomplete are treated, for the purposes of the Dean's List average only, as if they had the grade of C.
Requirements for Phi Beta Kappa at Wabash College
The requirements for election to Phi Beta Kappa at Wabash College are determined by the by-laws of the Wabash Chapter, which consists of Phi Beta Kappa members of the College faculty and staff. Since 1948 they have permitted the election of not more than 1/8 of the graduating class. The Wabash Chapter, one of the oldest, is not bound by the rule of the United Chapters which permits the election of no more than ten percent.
It is the normal practice of the Chapter (but not a requirement) to elect the 1/8 whose grade averages are the highest. In determining grade point average these provisions apply:
Phi Beta Kappa uses a graduated four-point scale.
Comprehensive Examinations are treated as equivalent to one and one-half courses, and rankings are assigned these values: Distinction, A (i.e., one and one-half courses at 4 points); High Pass, B (3.00 points); Pass, C (2 points).
To be eligible for election a candidate must have at least 20 credits of graded work at Wabash.
To be eligible for Phi Beta Kappa membership, students should have incompletes removed from their records by mid-semester of the spring semester of their election year.
The by-laws permit the election of no more than three juniors. Those elected as juniors are counted in the quota of their graduating class.
The charter of the Chapter requires “good moral character;” for many years this has been interpreted to mean primarily, but not exclusively, “academic honesty.” Since election to Phi Beta Kappa depends primarily on rank in class, the grade average required varies from year to year as do grades in general.