As students approach the middle of the fall semester, they may aim for particular academic honors awards that Baruch College offers based on term performance. One notable way that Baruch College recognizes and awards academic success is by publishing an annual dean’s list.

While getting on the dean’s list is a commendable achievement, Baruch does not properly notify students when they have made it on the list.

This leads to confusion among students and evokes sentiments of a lack of recognition. Many students find out that they are on the Dean’s List on their own, or might not even be aware at all, whereas other institutions mail out congratulatory certificates and even hold ceremonies to reward their students for this accomplishment.

To be eligible for the dean’s list, a student must either be enrolled full-time and receive a term GPA of 3.5 or higher or enrolled part-time and receive a term GPA of 3.5 or higher in two consecutive terms, according to Baruch’s official website.

This is not to be confused with the school’s Dean’s Scholars, which is a tuition scholarship program.

Baruch should notify students granted the dean’s list award via email, as well as with a formal certificate or letter. Properly receiving this award can help students feel proud of their effort; being recognized by one’s college and personally notified of  personal accomplishments, especially in a school with a large population, can be rewarding.

Doing so can also allow students to demonstrate strong academic performance and prestige, which can be beneficial when building a resume or applying for internships and jobs.

All of these benefits can incentivize students to perform well academically and strive to achieve higher scores to meet the requirements for the dean’s list.

Going forward, Baruch should formally notify and congratulate students when they have successfully earned their position on the annual dean’s list, and eliminate any uncertainty or unfamiliarity.