Honors Program
Motto: "The Best Get Better."
The Honors Program provides opportunities for students with records of high achievement to enrich their Concord education. Participants are encouraged to take a more active part in shaping their own education, both in the classroom and outside, by enhancing some of their courses for honors designation. Students are encouraged to make extensive use of the opportunities for independent study and research which the University already provides and to discover the richness of the resources offered by our area and our faculty through extracurricular programs and activities designed especially for honors students. Participants in the Honors Program also have the opportunity to live in specially designated "academic emphasis" areas of the residence halls.
Students who have successfully completed the Honors Program will receive the designation "Honors Graduate" on their transcript and diploma and acknowledgement at commencement.
Successful completion of the Honors Program entails the following:
1. Formal Admission and Retention in the Honors Program.
The student must complete an application for admission to the Honors Program, which must be approved by the Honors Coordinator. Ordinarily, incoming students are eligible for admission if they have a minimum score of 26 on the ACT composite or 1170 on the SAT. Transfer students or currently enrolled students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale). Students who have earned more than 78 hours of credit toward graduation from Concord are not eligible for admission to the Honors Program. The Honors Committee may refuse applicants it deems unsuitable or it may admit applicants who do not meet the usual requirements.
2. Academic Requirements.
The Honors Program requires the successful completion of 18(-21) credit hours of Honors Courses, with a minimum grade of a B, a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), in each Honors Course and a minimum GPA of a B, a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), for all coursework at Concord. The Honors Course requirements include: (a) HONR 101 Introduction to the Liberal Arts and Sciences (3 hours); (b) a series of Honors Designated Courses (12 hours); and (c) a Senior Honors Project (3-6 hours).
a. HONR 101, Introduction to the Liberal Arts and Sciences (3 hours)
b. Honors Designated Courses (12 hours)
Consist of three options: (i) Honors Enhanced Courses, (ii) Honors Sections of Regular Course Offerings and (iii) Honors Seminars. Students may take courses from one, two or all three options to fulfill this portion of the requirement. Students may also take an Honors Designated Course at any level, 100, 200, 300 or 400, in any academic discipline for which they qualify. Students must take at least 3 credit hours of Honors Designated Courses at or above the sophomore, 200 level of instruction and, in addition, at least 3 credit hours of Honors Designated Courses at or above the junior, 300 level of instruction. NB. Some Honors Designated Courses may require prerequisites. If so, then students must meet all the prerequisites in order to register for the course.
i. Honors Enhanced Courses
An Honors Enhanced Course is a course in any academic discipline enhanced with an honors project, i.e., an artistic, research or service project, in addition to the regularly assigned coursework. The student's grade in the course is based solely on the regularly assigned coursework. The student must receive a grade of a "B" or better on their project in order to receive honors credit for the course. The instructor will add an "H" to their transcript to indicate the successful completion of the project. Students will design and implement the honors project in consultation with the instructor on record for the course and then, with the support of the instructor on record, submit their proposal to the Director of the Honors Program for approval within one month of the first day of classes for the fall and spring semesters. The Honors Program provides the forms for approval and a set of guidelines to assist the student and faculty in the design of these projects.
ii. Honors Sections of Regular Course Offerings
An Honors Section of a regular course offering incorporates an honors project i.e., an artistic, research or service project, into the course content for all students enrolled in the course. The student's grade in the course is based on all coursework, including the honors project. The instructor will add an "H" to their transcript to indicate the successful completion of the course. The Honors Program provides a set of guidelines to assist the in the design of these sections of regular course offerings.
iii. Honors Seminars
Interdisciplinary seminars open only to students enrolled in good standing in the Honors Program. An Honors Seminar incorporates an honors project i.e., an artistic, research or service project, into the course content for all students enrolled in the course. The student's grade in the course is based on all coursework, including the honors project. The instructor will add an "H" to their transcript to indicate the successful completion of the course. The Honors Program provides a set of guidelines to assist in the design of these projects.
c. The Senior Honors Project (3-6 credit hours)
The Senior Honors Project consists of three options: (i) an Honors Enhanced Course, (ii) an Honors Section of a Regular Course Offering and (iii) an Honors Seminar. (See section b above for a description of these options.) Students will design and implement a senior honors project, i.e., an artistic, research or service project, that reflects the highest standards of artistic endeavor, research or service in consultation with the instructor on record for the course and then, with the support of the instructor on record, submit their proposal to the Director of the Honors Program for approval within one month of the first day of classes for the fall and spring semesters. The Honors Program provides the forms for approval and a set of guidelines to assist the student and faculty in the design of these projects. Only 400 level courses fulfill the requirement for the Senior Honors Research Seminar. Students may take the Senior Honors Research Seminar in any academic discipline for which they qualify. NB. Some courses that meet the requirements for the Senior Honors Research Seminar may require prerequisites. If so, then students must meet all the prerequisites in order to register for the course.
3. Academic Performance.
After completing 30 or more hours of Concord course credit, the student must have achieved and must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher in all courses taken at Concord.
4. Enrichment Requirements.
Each Honors student is expected to participate in a majority of the programs and/ or activities provided for Honors students each semester. Attendance at honors events or honors sponsored events translate into enrichment points. Honors students are required to attain 18 enrichment points per semester to remain in good standing. The approved events/activities along with their point values may be found on the honors web page and are distributed to the honors classes each semester. Additions/changes to the list will be determined by the Honors Program Coordinator.
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