FAQ

 

What are the benefits of participation in the Honors Program?

The chief benefits of the program are the extra challenge and opportunities for personal and academic growth offered by the specially designed honors courses and related activities. Honors courses are open only to students in the program and are limited in size. They fulfill normal graduation requirements, but they will be enriched in content, and, whenever possible, they will be conducted as seminars, emphasizing students’ own written and oral contributions. As a presenter or discussion leader in your seminar-style honors classes, you will be able to develop your abilities as a critical thinker and communicator in the company of similarly motivated and engaged peers.

All honors courses will be designated as such on your transcript, which will indicate that you graduated as an Honors Scholar. Those successfully completing the program will receive their degrees as a group at Commencement and be recognized for their achievements.

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What are the requirements of the Honors Program?

Students complete twenty-seven credit hours of Honors course work. These courses, as noted above, fulfill normal graduation requirements, so you are not required to take extra courses or subjects if you participate in the program. In the senior year, working closely with a faculty adviser, each honors student will complete a Capstone Project in their major or in a related field. At the annual spring Honors Conference, students will present the results of their work to an audience of interested fellow students and faculty.

Students are also required to participate in the co-curricular aspects of the program, including film showings, on-campus cultural events, field trips, speakers and other activities.

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Which courses will be offered in the Honors Program?

The particular courses will vary from year to year, and semester
to semester. In the first two years, most courses will satisfy requirements in the General Education curriculum. In the junior year, you may choose honors courses in your major or in a related field.
In the senior year, you will design and complete your Capstone Honors Project.

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What would qualify for the Capstone Honors project?

The senior Capstone Project must be research based, where research can mean discovery, analysis, synthesis, exploring implications, or new applications of existing knowledge. Topics may be in any field, and the project should have relevance to contemporary society. Three credit hours of study in the senior year will be devoted to research and writing, either in a seminar setting or in a directed study with the project advisor. The project will be submitted for review by the adviser and a second reader. Student scholars will present their work at the Honors Conference at the end of senior year. 

 

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Do I have to maintain a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) to participate in the Honors Program?

Yes. Students must maintain a 3.3 (B+) cumulative average to remain in the program. (The GPA averages all your course grades, not just the honors courses.) If your GPA falls below 3.3 after the fall semester, you will receive a letter from the director, but you may continue in the program through the spring. If the GPA remains below 3.3, the student must withdraw from the program. If there are mitigating circumstances, students may appeal to the director for an exception. The director/associate director and the Honors Council will review all appeals. 

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Will my GPA suffer if I enroll in the program?

Although the intellectual level will be high in the honors courses, we are confident that students invited to participate will continue their previous level of academic success. The goals of the program are to challenge students to produce their best work and to engage students more deeply in significant areas of study. Small classes will ensure individual attention and ample faculty guidance. 

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