PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – On Wednesday, March 24, Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) is set to honor its founders and recognize its students who excelled academically, even amid a historic pandemic. The university’s Founders’ Day and Honors Recognition Convocation will stream virtually at noon on PVAMU’s official YouTube channel.
The program, which happens annually, recognizes students who earned a GPA over 3.0 while carrying a minimum 12-semester-hour course load. Students scoring a 3.0-3.49 are grouped under Dean’s Honors, and those making between a 3.5-4.0 GPA are recognized on the university’s Honor Roll list.
“A grade point average is but one indication, but it is a good indication that students are focused on their futures,” said James M. Palmer, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs at PVAMU. “The education that students receive at Prairie View A&M will have consequences that are far-reaching and indelible. No matter where they go in their lives and what career they choose to pursue, their education will provide a foundation that will set them on the right path.”
In the spring of 2020, 2,492 students, and 2,690 students in the fall earned the highest GPAs possible as Honor Roll recipients.
“Both Dean’s and Honor Roll recognitions require dedication under any circumstances, but particularly so during the ongoing pandemic,” said Palmer.
Last spring, the university switched to an online format to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 among its students and employees. It resumed face-to-face, hybrid, and online classes in the fall. Through it all, students at PVAMU proved they could master their studies during unprecedented times.
“Our students are living testaments to the memory of William Holland and Matthew Gaines. They are included in the legacy and the history and tradition of a great institution,” said Palmer.
In 1871, PVAMU was created via state legislation carried by State Senator Matthew Gaines and State Representative William H. Holland on August 14, 1876. Both Gaines and Holland were former slaves who helped to manifest the dreams of the newly freed African American people with the creation of PVAMU.
In a full-circle moment, eight young African American men, the first of their race to enroll in a state-supported college in Texas, began their studies on March 11, 1878. The rest of the PVAMU story is history.
“Designing Our Tomorrow Today: Building on Our Legacy” is a fitting theme for this year’s event, hosted by the School of Architecture (SOA). SOA students Brooke Meshack, Alexis Adjorlolo, Mark Williams, Lian Haven, Eduardo Ruiz, and Brianda Esparza are leading the Founders’ Day and Honors Convocation Recognition program, with SOA alumna and faculty member Courtney Johnson Rose ’06 delivering the address. Rose is the chief executive officer of George E. Johnson Development, Inc., and its affiliate company George E. Johnson Properties, which has several institutional clients, including the Houston Independent School District.
Visit www.pvamu.edu/honorsconvocation to watch the event.
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