Proposed Latin honors system devalues the hard earned distinctions

Steven Berberich, senior vice president of academic affairs and provost, has proposed a change to the UHCL Latin honors system.

Under the current system, undergraduate students who have earned a GPA of at least 3.5 in the semester prior to applying for graduation and are in the top 10 percent of the graduating class for their college are eligible for Latin honors. Students in the top two percent graduate summa cum laude, those in the following three percent graduate magna cum laude, and the remaining five percent graduate cum laude.

Under Berberich’s proposal, the top 10 percent requirement would be eliminated and the GPA requirement would be calculated from the final 45 semester hours earned at UHCL. A 3.9 to 4.0 GPA would constitute a summa cum laude distinction, a 3.7 to 3.89 would constitute magna cum laude, and a 3.5 to 3.69 would constitute cum laude. This system would also more closely resemble those present in other University of Houston System universities and allow more students to receive Latin honors.

However, the proposed system would devalue the Latin honors here at UHCL. Such honors carry with them a tradition of prestige. They indicate that the honored student has put in the exceptional amount of time and hard work necessary to achieve such high academic standing. Under the proposed system, that distinction would go away because of the drastic increase in honors awarded.

For example, in the spring 2018 semester, 11.39 percent of students received Latin honors. Under the proposed system, 42.9 percent would have received honors. The effects that the proposed shift would have are even more prominent when applied to specific colleges. In the spring 2018 semester, 12.5 percent of students in the College of Education received Latin honors, but under the proposed system the number would have been 74.04 percent. When such a high percentage of students are considered to be the best of the best academically, such an honor loses its value.

While the proposal would align UHCL’s system more closely with other UH System universities, an attempt to produce Latin honors statistics similar to these universities is ignorant of the fact UHCL does not have the same enrollment numbers the other universities do. For example, the University of Houston campus had 37,369 undergraduate students enrolled during the fall 2018 semester, and UHCL had 6,488.

With such a great difference in the number of students enrolled, there should be a difference in the percentage of students awarded Latin honors. This is compounded by the fact that UHCL’s lower enrollment numbers allow for smaller class sizes and more one-on-one instruction, which promotes higher GPAs and necessitates the top 10 percent requirement.

Additionally, there is a question of what the proposed changes would entail for alumni. The university would need to decide if honors should be awarded retroactively. If such honors were not awarded, it would not be fair to students who would have received distinction had they graduated a semester or two later. However, such an award may not have much meaning when awarded so long after graduation.

There is also the effect on students who previously received Latin honors and those who currently qualify for the awards to consider. If awards were given retroactively, it would devalue the distinction that previously awarded alumni enjoyed. If the proposal only applies to current students, it would mean that high achieving students would be given an award that does not have the same value as it would have had a semester or two earlier.

While the proposed system has its flaws, it does provide one idea worthy of implementation. The GPA calculation for Latin honors should be based upon a student’s entire career at UHCL rather than just one semester. It is possible that there were unexpected circumstances that affected academic progress for a few months, thus impacting the student’s grades for that particular semester.

Moreover, some classes do not have a prerequisite and can be taken at any point in a student’s career. This means the grades of a student who took relatively easy classes during the semester in question would not be fairly weighed against the grades of a student who took more challenging courses during the same semester. It is not possible to determine a student’s academic ability by looking at a single semester.

Overall, the new proposal for Latin honors would do a disservice to students both current and former. It would devalue the significance of the awards given and would create a rift in the meaning that formerly and currently awarded honors have. However, the idea that GPA for such honors should be calculated based on the last 45 semester hours at UHCL has merit. This idea could make for a more equal and logically sound system of calculation.

Students who feel strongly about this issue should contact SGA for a place to voice their opinions and the Faculty Senate, which will vote on the proposal in May.

To learn more about the Latin Honors system:

INTERACTIVE INFOGRAPHIC: Examining the history and meaning of Latin Honors

Graduating with honors is a proud achievement for any student. These Latin phrases are a way to provide distinction for those who graduate in the top of their class. Continue reading to learn the history of Latin Honors in America, how to obtain this status while attending UHCL, and what it can do for you post graduation.