Back See this section in context: Criterion 4 Core Component 4A

4A.4 Student Accomplishment

Recognition of student achievement is of the highest importance at Sauk, which recognizes student achievement in a number of ways:

• Public Relations Department: The Coordinator of Public Relations is responsible for posting student achievements on the Sauk website and releasing them to the local news media. Students are also featured in various marketing efforts, including posters, brochures and website videos. For the past couple of years, a series of commercials featuring students sharing their positive Sauk experiences have been taped and aired on local television cable stations.
• Dean’s and President’s Lists: Each semester, full-time and part-time students who attain high grade point averages are recognized by being placed on the Dean’s List (3.5 to 3.74 GPA) or the President’s List (3.75 or higher). These lists are published on the Sauk webpage and released to the local newspapers.
• Leadership event: Every year at the end of each spring semester, a student leadership event celebrates student accomplishments with a buffet meal, a slide-show highlighting SGA and club activities, inspirational speeches given by graduating Student Support Services students, and an award ceremony. The 2011 reception was attended by 250 students, family, and staff.
• Honors luncheon: The Honors Committee hosts an Honors Banquet each spring, to which it invites all honors project students and their faculty mentors. During the luncheon, scholarship awards are presented to students whose projects were selected as being exemplary by the Honors Committee. About $4,000 in scholarships are presented annually.
• Athletes: Each athletic team acknowledges its athletes at an annual banquet where students are recognized in a variety of sports categories. Sauk also uses Banner night to recognize successful individuals and teams:
  • Individual athletes are recognized for a variety of awards. In FY10, three athletes were recognized as Academic All-Americans (3.6 GPA with at least 45 hours), and 26 were recognized as Academic All-Conference Athletes (3.0 GPA and two full-time semesters completed).
  • Teams are recognized as conference or regional champions and national qualifiers.
• Pinning Ceremony: Graduates of each of the health career programs are honored at a Pinning Ceremony, which attracts approximately 65 students and their families each year. Graduates select a student speaker from each program, to recount their personal triumphs and challenges while in school. Students also select a graduate for recognition based on leadership, service, perseverance, patient advocacy, professionalism, and enthusiasm.
• Commencement: Graduates are honored at the annual spring commencement ceremony. Family, friends and the Sauk community recognize students’ completion of degrees and certificates. In 2006, the college began live streaming and storing video of the ceremony on the Sauk website to make the ceremony more accessible to family and friends. Some students receive special recognition:
  • Graduates who have completed 12 credits of honors projects, and Phi Theta Kappa members receive a special demarcation on the commencement program.
  • Phi Theta Kappa members wear gold stoles and tassels.
  • A student speaker is selected, based on academic achievement, involvement in campus activities, speaking ability, and often for having overcome some form of adversity.
  Participation in the commencement ceremony is generally low with only about 20% of graduates participating each year. In 2007, Sauk implemented suggested changes obtained from a student survey. For example, commencement was rescheduled from the Thursday evening after finals week to the Friday evening of finals week.