Honoring the College’s Exceptional Students

During the University’s annual commencement ceremonies, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences hosts an academic ceremony to honor its own graduates who have excelled in their major course of study during their undergraduate four years at Villanova.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Student Medallion is an annual award given to recognize the accomplishments of select graduates, identified by the department chairs within the College, who have excelled in their major coursework. The awards are based ordinarily upon the cumulative average of the student. Each academic department has named its medallion either for a luminary from the past who has deeply affected the discipline or an outstanding person who helped to shape the course of study at Villanova University.

The medallion, designed by Mary V. Sentner, a graduate who majored in the Bachelor of Fine Arts Program, was created for the purpose of honoring those who have excelled in their fields of study or work.

About the Medallion

The Sun encircles and supports the other symbols of this medallion.

The Faces, illuminated by the Sun, represent all those who are receiving this medallion of excellence.

The Cross represents the nature and character of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, indeed of the entire University, one that is Christian and catholic in its view of education. It is the universal representation of victory over trial, pain, and suffering.

The Landscape represents the familial, social, and academic backgrounds of the recipients, powerful factors that influence behavior.

The Stars and the Moon symbolize the providential power of God and the goals and aspirations yet to be achieved by the recipients.