New student honors organization offered to undergraduates

CommonWEALTH of Scholars is a selective, honors organization designed to enrich the academic and leadership experience of qualified Virginia Tech undergraduate students. The organization helps students to build an academic success community for high achieving undergraduates who are from groups currently under-represented in higher education.

Any undergraduate student that holds a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher is eligible for membership.

The CommonWEALTH of Scholars organization was founded by a group of Virginia Tech undergraduate students and is strongly supported by the Center for Academic Enrichment and Excellence (CAEE) and the University Honors program. It is envisioned that the CommonWEALTH of Scholars organization will:

• Increase the presence of under-represented students in the Virginia Tech Honors Program;
• Establish a network of undergraduate scholars to facilitate the members’ successful academic and social integration at Virginia Tech;
• Facilitate interactions and networking opportunities between faculty, administrators, and undergraduate students;
• Provide financial support to active scholars;
• Pursue academic opportunities such as prestigious scholarships, research, internships, and education abroad; and
• Provide opportunities for graduate school preparation.

It is anticipated that approximately 25 students will initially join the CommonWEALTH of Scholars organization.

Founded in 1872 as a land-grant college, Virginia Tech is the most comprehensive university in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is among the top research universities in the nation. Today, Virginia Tech’s eight colleges are dedicated to quality, innovation, and results through teaching, research, and outreach activities. At its 2,600-acre main campus located in Blacksburg and other campus centers in Northern Virginia, Southwest Virginia, Hampton Roads, Richmond, and Roanoke, Virginia Tech enrolls more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries in 180 academic degree programs.