The Honors Program offers opportunities for students to learn more than what’s listed on the syllabus.
“I think a good number of students come into class and they do the work and some of them say ‘is that it? Is this all there is?’ Like they wanted to learn something deeper,” Honors Program Director Derek Petrey Ph.D. said.
On top of regularly-required work in the class, the student will be asked to complete an extra project in order to earn an honors credit.
If the student has at least a 2.8 GPA and the professor agrees to teach the course as honors, the student must fill out a declaration form by the seventh day into the term. By doing so, they are stating that they will complete the work required of them to earn the honors credit.
Once the student has met the requirements, the professor will decide what the student will do in order for the student to earn the honors credit.
Petrey asks that students have some sort of involvement with the field related to the class— whether that’s a research project or service-learning project. He also asks for the student write about it in some way and that the student showcases a presentation about what they learned from the project. The presentation can be in class or at the symposium. Online students may be required to put together a PowerPoint with a voice over or they may have to come into the professor’s classroom to present their project. They also have the option of speaking at the symposium.
At the symposium, honors students are given the opportunity to present their projects to each other as well as college recruiters from various universities.
“It’s like a poster presentation,” Petrey said.
If the student earns a grade lower than a ‘C’ in the class, the honors credit will not be granted. However, that does not mean that the student failed the class.
Petrey said some students are okay with taking more than three honors courses at a time, but some are not.
“What people don’t realize is that it’s an extra assignment for each class,” Petrey said. Although some students can handle extra assignments, he recommends that students take no more than three honors classes at a time.
“I tell people that it’s good to start with one or two,” Petrey said.
In order to be eligible for the Honors Scholar Program, the student has to have taken four or more honors courses, achieved four honors experiences, completed one community service project, maintained a 3.25 GPA, submitted an application with two letters of recommendation as well as completed an interview with the Honors Program Director and a member of the Honors Advisory Board.
Once the student has become a member of the Honors Scholar Program, the student is eligible for numerous scholarships.
Petrey said that Phi Theta Kappa is the two-year college version of the National Honor Society; it is the sister society to Phi Beta Kappa, the four-year college version. Although there is a one-time fee of $55, students become a lifetime member. To become eligible, the student must have completed 15 credit hours and have a 3.5 GPA.