LEOPOLD'S JANSEN AMONG TO 11 FOR SOUTHEAST

Degrees will be conferred on 1,009 graduates during commencement exercises scheduled for May 13 at Southeast Missouri State University.

Amy Jansen of Leopold, who will receive a bachelor of science in education degree with a major in exceptional child education, is one of 11 undergraduates who are completing their degrees with perfect 4.0 grade point averages.

Bill McClellan, a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, will present the commencement address during exercises scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Show Me Center. Degrees will be conferred on 887 undergraduates and 122 graduate students.

Nineteen honors scholars will be recognized in the graduating class. To be recognized as an honors scholar, students must complete 24 hours of honors coursework, six of which are at the senior level, and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.25. Honors scholars also must complete a senior research project.

Two students will graduate with academic distinction in their major departments. They are Matthew Champlin of Elk Grove, Ill., who will be recognized for academic distinction in the Department of Criminal Justice; and Kevin Byrd of Neosho, Mo., who will be recognized for academic distinction in the Department of Chemistry. Students who graduate with "Academic Distinction in the Department of Major" complete a special project in conjunction with a faculty committee, department chair and dean. Students carry out the project after they complete at least 75 credit hours of course work with a minimum 3.25 grade point average in their major department and a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average.

In addition, 79 members of Phi Kappa Phi will be recognized during commencement exercises. Phi Kappa Phi is an international honor society for academic distinction that brings together individuals from a variety of disciplines.

An Honors Convocation is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. in the Show Me Center, during which 208 undergraduates and 67 graduate students will be honored. Dr. Fred Yeo, Southeast professor of secondary education, will present the Honors Convocation address. Among the undergraduates participating in the honors convocation, 49 students will graduate summa cum laude, 53 will graduate magna cum laude and 103 will graduate cum laude. Three will graduate with honors in associate degrees. The required undergraduate grade point average for graduating cum laude is 3.5 to 3.74, for magna cum laude is 3.75 to 3.89 and for summa cum laude is 3.9 to 4.0. Graduate students participating in the Honors Convocation must have achieved at least a 3.9 grade point average.

The commencement speaker, McClellan, was born in Chicago and attended public schools. He began college at the University of Illinois, but then dropped out and entered the Marine Corps. He served in Vietnam and then attended Arizona State University.

He worked for the Phoenix Gazette from 1975 to 1980 when he came to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He worked as a night police reporter and began writing a column in 1983. He has received numerous awards, including the Ernie Pyle Award from Scripps Howard. He also appears on a weekly discussion show on St. Louis public television. He and his wife, Mary, are the parents of two children.