USU’s oldest academic honor given to students
Ninety-five aggies will receive the university A-pin over the next few weeks for completing the requirements in spring 2008. The A-pin, USU’s oldest academic award, is given to an average of 60-70 students each semester, said Andi McCabe, assistant in the office of the provost. To qualify for the pin, students must achieve straight A scores for two consecutive full-time semesters.
“They have to have 15 graded credits, P grades don’t count,” said John Mortensen, USU registrar.
While many awards and honors exist at USU, the A-pin, which features Old Main Tower and reads “USU Scholarship,” is often considered the most prestigious of academic awards. Spring 2008’s 95 recipients is higher than recent semesters, with 71 pins being awarded for Fall of 2007, Mortensen said. This year’s recipients add to the long list of Aggie academic excellence since the giving of A-pins began in 1910.
“We’ve had it for as long as I can remeber,” Mortensen said. “When we had quarters you needed three consecutive quarters.”
Lorene Nance, senior in the college of HASS and one of this year’s A-pin winners, said she was glad to receive the honor.
“It’s pretty nice, it’s fairly prestigious,” Nance said.
Nance feels she’s always worked to get A’s in her classes, but having straight A’s for two semesters was definitely not easy.
“It was hard but it was one of those things I’ve always done,” Nance said.
Though she was aware of the A-pin, Nance said that she had never considered it a goal to receive one.
“It wasn’t a primary goal but still good, ” Nance said,.You do your best in your classes and when you get an A you feel good.”
Although being the oldest, and arguably most prestigious award, the A-pin is not extremely well known by the general student body, Mortensen said that many students are unaware of the requirements, and hopes to see the A-pin listed in the upcoming USU catalog along with the other academic awards.
Receiving a grade lower than an A in any class breaks the link of consecutive semesters, but students taking less than 15 credits can prolong their availability as long as they have A’s, Mortensen said. This allows summer students with part-time schedules to qualify using their spring and fall semesters. Also, students who leave the campus for military service, LDS missions or any other absence can be awarded for the semesters immediately before and after their leave.
A-pins are awarded by the university, but distributed through the individual colleges, McCabe said. Information on award ceremonies can be found by contacting the colleges’ offices.
–b.c.wood@aggiemail.usu.edu