In November 2015, our staff attended the annual meeting of the National Collegiate Honors Council in Chicago. While attending the conference, we put particular emphasis on improving our program to create meaningful experiences for our students. We learned a lot from students and staff representing other Honors programs and colleges across the country, and our experience has energized our dedication to providing opportunities that will enhance your student experience.
In late Fall, we announced a revision to our policy on the fulfillment of Experience Projects, effective immediately. Experience Projects now are grouped into two categories, Academic Enhancements and Academic Commitments. Students must complete either two Enhancements, which tend to be short-term experiences (often a single course), or one Commitment, which generally involves an extended effort over time. This change in policy applies to all Honors students, including transfer students. For further details, please visit the Experience Projects page on this site.
Effective for the Spring 2016 Semester, we have revised our Engagement program such that all students are responsible for eight (8) total Engagement hours (formerly 10), with a minimum of two (2) in both Service and Activities, each semester. Further, we are emphasizing that only those Engagement Items that are explicitly promoted as “Honors Approved” will be accepted toward semester submissions. Students should choose their approved activities from our calendar, while choosing their approved service from either our calendar or our list of authorized service sites. Students seeking approval for any activity or service that is not explicitly promoted as “Honors Approved” *must* secure authorization from a professional staff member of the Honors College before submitting for Engagement. Students will be required to provide evidence for how their proposed service or activity meets the criteria for engagement, as established by our staff. Submissions that have not be pre-authorized by our staff will not be accepted toward that semesters’ engagement submission. Items of Engagement should still be submitted through our website, utilizing our Service & Activities Completion Form, within 3 days of attending the activity/service, and items will continue to be accepted only within the parameters of the regular semester, with all final forms submitted on the last day of regular classes each term. For further details, please visit the Engagement Requirement page on this site.