SOUTHEAST'S COMMENCEMENT SATURDAY

Degrees will be conferred on 921 graduates during spring commencement Saturday at Southeast Missouri State University.

Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon will present the commencement address during exercises scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Show Me Center. Degrees will be conferred on 849 undergraduates and 72 graduate students.

Leading the class of undergraduates are 12 students with perfect 4.0 grade point averages. Among them are Summer Majors of Cape Girardeau, LaShea Bohannon of Benton, Michelle Wiseman-Kilburn of Advance, Carisa Norrid of Campbell and Rhonda Ward of Fredericktown.

Also among the graduating class are 20 honors scholars and seven students earning academic distinction in their major department.

The 20 honors scholars include Angela Carlton of Cape Girardeau, Amanda Allmon of Jackson, Amy Kester of Fredericktown, Angela Lauer of Ste. Genevieve and Susan Hancock of Fisk.

During their years at Southeast, honors scholars must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.25 and complete 24 hours of honors course work, six of which must be at the senior level. They also must complete a senior research project.

Students who will graduate with academic distinction complete a special project in conjunction with a faculty committee, department chairperson and dean after having completed 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, 57 members of Phi Kappa Phi will be recognized. Phi Kappa Phi is an international honor society for academic distinction that brings together individuals from a variety of disciplines. The charter is only extended to colleges and universities meeting the society's standards.

The society is open to men and women in all academic fields who have demonstrated excellence of scholarship and integrity of character. Graduating seniors who rank in the upper 10 percent of their class and have a grade point average of at least 3.75 on a four-point scale; juniors who rank in the upper 5 percent of their class and have at least a 3.85 grade point average; and graduate students who are near graduation, have a grade point average of at least 3.9 and have an outstanding record are eligible for consideration.

Thirty-five undergraduates will graduate summa cum laude, 50 will graduate magna cum laude and 97 will graduate cum laude. The required undergraduate grade point average is 3.5 to 3.74 for cum laude, 3.75 to 3.89 for magna cum laude and 3.9 to 4.0 for summa cum laude. 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 182 undergraduates and 36 graduate students will be honored.

Dr. Robert Hamblin, professor of English and the 1997 Faculty Merit Award recipient, will present the convocation address. Hamblin was awarded the 1997 Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching last December. He is one of a select number of faculty members, representing all Missouri colleges and universities who received the award. The award recognizes faculty commitment to excellent education for Missouri citizens. Southeast nominated Hamblin for his dedication to higher education, his achievements in teaching, and his commitment to public service.

Hamblin has been employed at Southeast since 1965. An internationally recognized Faulkner scholar, he has directed the Center for Faulkner Studies at Southeast since 1989.