Honors College

• Cumulative GPA must remain 3.25 or higher once accepted to remain in good standing and earn a designation. 
• Students must take at least 1 honors class or complete 1 contract each fall-spring academic year to remain active in the Honors College. Note that students generally need to take more than this to complete a designation.
• Students must complete 12 credits of honors work with grades of B or better in any combination of honors classes and honors contracts as well as complete a degree or certificate to earn the designation.
• There is no penalty for taking Honors classes and not completing the designation, and the classes and contracts will still be noted as Honors on the transcript.

Honors classes are special sections offered to students who are part of the Honors College. Acceptance grants a student the eligibility needed to register for the special sections. These are not designed to be more difficult than regular sections. The difference is how students in honors classes engage with the material, the instructor, and each other.

Honors sections cap at 15 students and are interactive, with discussion and increased use of primary source material. Honors classes provide students with the opportunity to explore core subjects in interesting ways and foster a shared intellectual experience with other students and faculty. 

Students may earn Honors credit in any combination of classes and contracts. If a student can complete Honors requirements in classes only, a contract is not required. An honors contract gives students the opportunity to create an Honors experience in a class that is not a designated honors section.

• The contract is an agreement between the student and class instructor, and the process is facilitated by the honors coordinator.
• To earn honors contract credit, a student must complete a minimum of 15 hours of work in addition to the required class work. ? Students interested in completing a contract are required to meet with the honors coordinator to discuss options at the beginning of the contract semester.
• Contract paperwork is due back to the honors coordinator at the end of week 5 each semester.
• Contract work should allow student to study a class-related topic in greater depth. Honors contract work should be in addition to (not an extension of) regular course requirements.
• Students working on an Honors Contract are required to meet with the instructor at least three times outside of the regular class time to receive mentoring and academic supervision. Meetings can be face-to-face, online, or by phone. 
• The contracted course must be completed with a grade of B or better to receive honors credit for the course. The contract must be completed during the semester in which the credit is earned.