According to the current Grinnell College catalog, Each department
recommends for graduation with honors those senior majors who have clearly
distinguished themselves within their major field of study,
subject to
the approval of the Dean of the Faculty. The catalog imposes the following
condition: In order to qualify for recommendation, a student must,
after seven semesters of college work, have achieved at least a 3.5
grade-point average in the major field and a cumulative grade-point average
of 3.4. The required seven semesters need not all be completed at Grinnell
...; however, only credits completed at Grinnell and Grinnell-in-London
will be used in determining grade-point eligibility.
The catalog also specifies that these are minimum standards and should not be regarded as the only criteria. For majors in computer science, the Department of Computer Science considers the following guidelines in addition to the college's grade-point requirements:
To be considered for honors in computer science, graduating seniors must not only meet the College’s general requirements for honors but also demonstrate exceptional commitment to the discipline and its values, as evidenced by significant engagement in the department and excellence in computing-related work, both in the classroom and beyond.
In the past, we used a much more detailed list of criteria. We have decided that such a detailed list is not appropriate. We keep it here for historical purposes. It should not be interpreted as a guideline for what needs to be done. Talk to a faculty member in the department for more details.
A. Core courses of study
B. Additional course work that is not used to fulfill another requirement
C. Participation in local activities related to computer science, judged to be excellent by department faculty; such activities might include
D. Participation in the study or use of computer science outside of the department, judged to be excellent by department faculty; such activities might include