SEMO TO GIVE OUT 491 DEGREES AT DECEMBER COMMENCEMENT

Degrees will be conferred on 491 graduates during commencement exercises scheduled for Dec. 11 at Southeast Missouri State University.

Dr. Aubrey Lucas, president emeritus of the University of Southern Mississippi, will present the commencement address during exercises scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Show Me Center. Degrees will be conferred on 446 undergraduates and 45 graduate students.

Leading the class of undergraduates are four students with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages. They are Amy Laut of Fredericktown, Stephanie Slaten of Cape Girardeau, Matthew Wavada of Spokane, Wash., and Charlotte Zimmermann of De Soto.

In addition, 24 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 people from a variety of disciplines. The charter is only extended to colleges and universities meeting that society's rigorous standards. The society is open to men and women in all academic fields who have demonstrated excellence of scholarship and integrity of character. Eighteen students will graduate summa cum laude, 25 will graduate magna cum laude and 40 will graduate cum laude. 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.

An honors convocation is scheduled for 11 a.m. in Academic Auditorium, during which 83 undergraduates and 32 graduates students will be honored. Dr. Keith Russell, Southeast professor of accounting, finance and business law, will present the honors convocation address. Lucas, who served as president of the University of Southern Mississippi for more than 21 years, is a professor of higher education at the University of Southern Mississippi.