Honors

This first-year seminar will teach students how to use alternative thinking skills to affect change in their community. While doing community service with a local non-profit organization, students will identify a viable solution to a problem affecting their organization. Throughout the course, students will also engage in a variety of learning experience modules designed to foster success in College Life in areas such as time management, research, academic integrity, decision-making, professionalism, etc. All incoming honors college students must enroll in the course during their first semester on campus.

Students will participate in the honors colloquium experience each year they are in the honors college. This colloquium is designed to create a space for students in the honors program to discuss and learn together. The experience will be organized around a common read voted on by the honors students and feature book discussions, interdisciplinary lectures, collaborative learning, and independent scholarship. (Taken every fall semester.)

These courses will be individually titled and offered on an ad-hoc basis to Honors students. The courses' purpose is to explore a limited or special area which does not easily lend itself to a normal course format. The objective is to aid the student in developing the ability to investigate issues, to understand the issues’ significance in a broader context, and to effectively present results of research both orally and in writing. Seminars may be offered by any professor with the approval of the academic division involved and the Honors Committee. Honors students may repeat this course with different topics up to three times for credit.

This course provides opportunities for collaboration, accelerates learning, and sparks innovation. It provides the opportunity and environment for honors program students to critically think, engage with the public, strengthen and exhibit leadership skills, demonstrate effective research skills, and write effectively in a way that will achieve common goals, make a difference in the community and move the world! Formal writing, oral presentations, collaborative exchanges, international engagement, and intellectual dialogue are all a part of the learning activities that are experiential in nature and extend the educational processes beyond the classroom. Research practices will be incorporated throughout the semester through group and individual projects, presentations, article searches, literature reviews, and community service. Opportunities to complement and enhance what you learn in the classroom both locally and globally will be embedded in this course.