ACADEMIC HONORS

Two designations signify outstanding performance by a student in academic studies in the Biology Department at Whitman College.

• Passed with Distinction

  The department gives this accolade to students who perform outstandingly on the Comprehensive Major Oral and Written Examinations. The College notes this designation on the official transcript as "Major Oral, Passed with Distinction."

• Honors with Major Study (Biology)

  This designation entails performance above and beyond "Distinction in Biology." Besides passing one's orals "with Distinction," the student who pursues honors must maintain a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average, a 3.5 grade point average in their major, achieve the 85th percentile on the Biology Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and write an acceptable honors thesis. Students taking a chemistry-biology combined major must achieve the 70th percentile on the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology GRE and students taking a biology-environmental studies combined major must achieve the 80th percentile on the Biology GRE.

To apply for and receive "Honors in Major Study," students must follow a prescribed course of action established by the college and the biology department:

• Often students decide to go for honors in their junior year. During the last weeks of Biology 488, Research Preparation, all biology major juniors submit a paragraph outlining their senior research proposal. Those students who opt for honors will indicate that they want to pursue honors. Frequently, students decide to pursue honors after they complete their summer research work.
• During the first weeks of the senior year the student will write a formal 2-3 page research project proposal, with references, in consultation with and approved by a supervising research professor and the major advisor. This research project will entail original laboratory or field research work.
• The supervising research professor and the major advisor must recommend the project to the biology department. The proposal will circulate for approval among the biology faculty.
• A prospective candidate must submit an application for admission to candidacy, with the departmentally approved proposal, to the registrar and board of review early in the fall semester of their senior year. Honors application forms are available from the Registrar's Office.
• In fall all honors candidates will take the Graduate Record Exam in Biology (or the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology GRE if they are a chemistry-biology major). Further, they will take an oral exam administered by the biology faculty. Chemistry-biology and biology-environmental majors will have committee members appropriate for the major. Honors orals usually take place in late November or early December.
• The honors candidates should enroll in Biology 489, Senior Research, during the first semester of the senior year. In the second semester of their senior year they enroll in Biology 498, Honors Thesis (instead of Biology 490).
• During the candidate's last semester in residence at Whitman College he/she will present a 30 minute research seminar covering the significant findings of their project.
• The supervising professor and candidate will circulate the final draft of the honors thesis to the department faculty for review and approval.
• The supervising professor must approve and sign the honors thesis not later than two weeks before the beginning of final examinations in the last semester in residence.
• The honors candidate will present three copies of their Honors Thesis to the Library conforming to the directions contained within the booklet "Instructions for the Preparation of the Thesis" available from Penrose Memorial Library.
• Advancement to honors candidacy occurs on approval by the entire Department of Biology faculty based on the candidate's GRE score, major oral performance, accumulated grade point average and research project.
• If at any time the supervising research professor feels that unsatisfactory progress is being made on the research project they may, with the approval of the remaining faculty in the Biology Department, withdraw candidacy from the student. The student must still complete the research project as Biology 490, Senior Research.

It should appear obvious that the earning of "Honors in Biology" is a challenging undertaking, not undertaken lightly. One may ask "Why go for Honors?" To some the honor and satisfaction of obtaining this distinction is sufficient. To most students the mere acquisition of a single phrase on one's transcript and an Honors Certificate is insufficient to justify the work required. However, for those students intending to pursue medical and postgraduate study in biology the experience gained will be invaluable both as a window in which to behold the world of research and as a way to gain valuable technical research skills. In addition, favorable impressions made by a student on the supervising research professor during a research project will significantly add to letters of recommendation written by the professor.

Updated 2 September 1998