Membership Requirements
Membership in the Insignis Program for Honors Students is generally by invitation
or application only.
Admission of Students from High School
Qualified high school students who have applied to ÂÌñÒùÆÞ and who meet the
ACT and GPA requirements (25+ ACT and 3.5+ GPA) are sent a brochure and application form by the Admissions Department and are invited to join in their freshman year. The
Insignis Program Review Board officially admits applicants based on their ACT scores,
GPA from high school, the recommendation of two high school teachers or counselors,
and a personal essay.
Spectrum Winners
The five winners of the annual Spectrum Scholarship Competition automatically become members of Insignis and are expected to fulfill the Insignis
requirements as a condition of their scholarship.
Admission of Current Aquinas Students
Each year the Insignis director asks faculty to nominate outstanding undergraduates
for admission to the Insignis program. Generally, these students will be freshmen
or sophomores. Because of the academic requirements, students are generally not admitted
after the first full semester of their sophomore year. Exceptions may be made by the
Review Board.
In the case of current students, the applicant must have a 3.5 cumulative GPA and
only one letter of nomination or reference from an Aquinas faculty member.
Admission of Transfer Students
Students transferring to Aquinas may be admitted to the program with a 3.5 or higher
cumulative GPA from their current college or university and an interview with one
of the program directors. If you would like to schedule an interview or make an inquiry,
please contact Dr. Michelle DeRose at derosmic@aquinas.edu or Dr. Jennifer Hess at hessjen@aquinas.edu.
Academic Requirements
The academic requirements for Insignis students were designed in compliance with the
guidelines established by the National Collegiate Honors Council. Membership in the
Insignis Program for Honors Students is defined by progress toward completion of the
requirements in each academic year (with honors work in a minimum of 3 credit hours
per academic year) and the maintenance of a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above.
Overview of Academic Requirements:
To graduate with Insignis honors, a student must complete honors work in a minimum
of 20% of the coursework required for graduation, or in 24 credit hours. Most students
will complete Honors Humanities (6 credits) and several honors sections of General
Education requirements. Additionally, each student is required to complete both IN
350, the junior Insignis seminar designed by the Insignis students themselves and
taught by a student-selected instructor, and a senior project or assistantship. In
this independent study project or undergraduate assistantship, students work closely
with a faculty mentor in their major field either to probe more deeply into specialized
areas of their major or to assist a professor in professional research. They may contract
for 3-6 credit hours for this senior-level requirement. Students must earn a B or
higher in each class in order to receive honors credit for it.
For students who transfer to Aquinas after their first year, who test out of the General
Education requirements for which we hold an honors section, or who can’t fit an honors
section into their schedule for a particular semester, an interview with the Director
of the Program is recommended. In this interview, the student and the Director will
determine the most beneficial way for the student to complete honors work. Some options
include taking Insignis 350 more than once, performing honors work in a class for
a minor or double major, working as an honors assistant for one of the student’s professors,
or completing departmental honors requirements, if available.
Throughout their years in the Insignis Program, students must complete fifteen contact
hours of community service work per semester and report these hours to the Insignis
Directors at the end of each term.
CONTACT INFO
Academic Affairs
(616) 632-2151
academicaffairs@aquinas.edu