Degree Conferral “With Honors”

The December 1962 UT commencement was the first at which degrees were conferred with honors, high honors, or highest honors. The first students to graduate with high honors were Harry L. Johnson, Knoxville; Ardis Virginia Hunter Rittenberry, Shelbyville; Patricia Joline Crabtree, Winchester; and Prentice Neil Ursery, Troy. Graduating with honors were Joe Gorman, Knoxville; Cissy Goddard and Guy Edward, Maryville; Patricia Carol Brown, Dayton; and Phyllis Ann Hawkins, Madisonville. In 1985 the honors designations were changed to their traditional Latin equivalents—cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude, respectively. As part of the consideration of the designation change, the grade point average requirements were also revised. The new standards were to have become effective June 1, 1989, but implementation was delayed until summer 1991 in response to student requests for the delay because of lack of publicity. Degrees are conferred cum laude for students who have a 3.50–3.64 cumulative average; magna cum laude for students with a 3.65–3.79 GPA; and summa cum laude for students who have a 3.80–4.00 GPA. Students must have earned at least 60 hours at the university in order to be eligible to graduate with honors, high honors, or highest honors. The GPA is based on the cumulative average at the end of the semester preceding the graduation semester.

The first instance of honors designation at the university was on April 19, 1880, when the faculty adopted the designation of all graduates whose grades were 80 or above as Honor Men. The designation of the student having the highest average in any course leading to a degree would be marked as the “first Honor Man” for that course. All first-honor graduates were entitled to parts in commencement.

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  • Title Degree Conferral “With Honors”
  • Author
  • Keywords Degree Conferral “With Honors”
  • Website Name Volopedia
  • Publisher University of Tennessee Libraries
  • URL
  • Access Date July 10, 2025
  • Original Published Date
  • Date of Last Update October 6, 2018