POLICY NO: 1-23
VCCS POLICY NO: N/A
EFFECTIVE DATE: 10/01/1990
REVISED DATE: 11/12/2024

  1. Purpose:

    To describe college policy with regard to honoring and recognizing a student's academic performance.

  2. Definitions:

    N/A

  3. Policy:

    Both curricular and non-curricular students are eligible for academic honors at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Reynolds). Listed below are the criteria established for each award. Only the highest applicable honor shall be awarded.

    Students who earn grades of incomplete ("I") will not be eligible to earn academic honors. If a student qualifies to receive an academic honor once any "I" grades are changed, the student shall be awarded the honor at that time.

    1. President's Honor Roll

      Awarded to a curricular or non-curricular student who has successfully

      1. earned a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher;
      2. earned a semester GPA of 3.5 or higher;
      3. carried at least six (6) non-developmental credit hours for the semester;
      4. earned twenty (20) or more credit hours at Reynolds;
      5. earned no grades of D, F, I, or U for the semester; or
      6. earned no more than one (1) W for the semester.

    2. Dean's List

      Awarded to a curricular or non-curricular student who has successfully

      1. earned a semester GPA of 3.2 or higher;
      2. carried at least six (6) non-developmental credit hours for the semester;
      3. earned no grades of D, F, I, or U for the semester; or
      4. earned no more than one (1) W for the semester.

      The Registrar’s Office will generate a list of all students who qualify for the President’s Honor Roll and the Dean’s List for each semester, including the summer session.

      The Registrar’s Office will submit the qualified student names to Parchment where the certificate will be created digitally and an email of congratulations will be sent out no later than thirty (30) days after the completion of the semester or summer session.

    3. Commencement

      1. Participation in Commencement

        Participation in commencement is limited to those who either (1) have completed all graduation requirements; or (2) are within 2 courses (7 credit hours) of the total required for graduation.

      2. Early Participation

        Students who meet the preceding criteria articulated in (2) above for early participation in the commencement must successfully apply for permission to do so. Once permission is granted, these students will not be eligible to participate in any other future commencement, and will receive their credential only after all degree requirements have been satisfied.

      3. Process for Early Participation

        The student will submit both the Early Participation Application and the Application for Graduation for the Summer semester by February 15th.

    4. Graduation Requirements

      1. Curricular students (those in an academic program) eligible for graduation are required to complete the graduation application through the Student Information System for each degree and certificate they are completing by the deadline for that semester or term. Following are graduation application deadlines by semester: Fall semester: September 30, Spring semester: February 15, Summer semester: June 30

        If you file for graduation but do not graduate, you must submit another graduation application for a subsequent term. Students may graduate after fall, spring, or summer terms.

      2. Complete all program requirements as specified in the Reynolds College Catalog, including curricular admission requirements.

      3. Earn a grade point average of at least 2.000 in the curriculum.

      4. Fulfill all of the course and credit-hour requirements of the curriculum with at least 25 percent of credit semester hours acquired at Reynolds.

      5. The student must submit all documentation of training, education, or tests from organizations outside of Reynolds to the Registrar’s Office by the last day of classes in their final semester. All Reynolds courses must also be completed by the last day of classes in their final semester. Incomplete “I” grades must be completed by this time in order to be used for graduation.

      6. The school dean for the curriculum must recommend the student for graduation, and the registrar must certify completion of all graduation requirements.

      7. Resolve all financial obligations with Reynolds and return all library and college materials

      The Graduation requirements apply to ALL students who are just shy of their degree who meet the above criteria.

  4. Procedures:

    Procedure for Reynolds Policy 1-23, Student Academic Honors and Recognition

  5. Other Information:

    Early Participation in Commencement Request