Awards and Honors
West Georgia encourages and rewards excellence among its students. Qualified students are invited to join approximately twenty honor societies, some representing specific academic disciplines and others representing groups of a general nature. These honor organizations, many of which have national affiliations, are listed in the Student Organizations section.
Annually, each of the thirty-five institutions in the University System of Georgia is asked to select one student as its representative for Academic Recognition Day honors awarded by the Board of Regents and the Georgia Legislature. The student chosen must be representative of outstanding scholastic achievement on his or her campus, have a GPA of 4.0 or very close to it, be an undergraduate, and be a resident of Georgia. Nominations are made to the President of the University by the Honors College Dean, who reviews the academic and University service record of the nominees in consultation with the Honors College Committee.
Held annually in the spring, the Academic Honors Convocation is devoted to the recognition of superior academic achievement by students. This occasion is marked by a procession of student honorees accompanied by faculty in academic regalia, the presentation of individual and special awards, and an appropriate program. In addition, during the winter there is a special Academic Awards Ceremony for Minority Students.
One of the most prestigious student awards is named for the late Professor of Education and Dean of Students at West Georgia, Dr. John J. Pershing. It is presented annually by the West Georgia Chapter of the American Association of University Professors to the senior who has earned the highest academic average over a four-year period. The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi also presents annual Awards of Excellence to the outstanding student in the undergraduate colleges at West Georgia. These students are selected on the basis of scholarship, character, citizenship, service to the University, and potential for leadership.
Students who excel in other ways are acknowledged through the Campus Activities and Awards Program, which is held each spring to honor students who have made outstanding leadership contributions in the areas of student life and extra- and co-curricular activities. Similarly, an annual Athletic Awards Banquet commemorates outstanding achievements among student athletes. Various individual departments sponsor occasions to recognize excellence and reward outstanding contributions by students.
