The Western Honors Program provides enhanced and challenging academic programming to a carefully selected group of highly motivated and accomplished students from all disciplines. The Honors Program at Western provides the best of a liberal arts education by providing students with the opportunity to become autonomous learners within a highly supportive and collaborative academic community. Honors students are encouraged and challenged to free themselves from not only external constraints on the acquisition of knowledge and understanding but also from internal limitations that can prevent critical thinking, reflective analysis, and responsible choice. The Honors program welcomes a diversity of perspectives and fosters the intentional practice of civil discourse, enabling students to develop the capacity for informed analysis and responsible evaluation and a willingness to submit discoveries and conclusions to an academic community of their peers and mentors to be mutually investigated and critiqued. Small class size, extensive interaction among peers and professors, experiences outside the traditional classroom, and interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to education are all features of the program. Such opportunities allow students to explore avenues of intellectual inquiry within and beyond their selected majors and minors.
Program Benefits
Honors students have the opportunity to become a part of a scholarly community composed of faculty and students committed to the pursuit of intellectual inquiry, creativity, and academic excellence. Benefits of membership in the Western Honors Program also include automatic eligibility for Honors housing and Honors classes, use of the Honors Center, computer lab and classroom in Taylor Hall, participation in Honors Orientation and the opportunity to get involved with the Honors Student Advisory Board to plan social and intellectual activities beyond the classroom, Honors study abroad, priority registration, exclusive opportunity to apply yearly for Honors-exclusive scholarships, and special recognition at graduation upon completion of the program. Students may also register for Honors Special Topics classes or develop independent and special Honors projects which offer challenging and accelerated learning experiences inside and outside the regular course offerings.
Admission Requirements
Invitations to apply for the program are extended to high school students who have achieved a 3.50 cumulative grade point average or who have successfully completed International Baccalaureate programs. Students who do not meet either of these criteria but are interested in joining the program should contact the program director. Applicants to the program will be asked to submit a 250 word essay response to a question that will be included in the letter of invitation to apply. First or second-year Western students who have a minimum overall 3.3 grade point average may also apply. Upper-division students are considered on an individual basis. Transfer students with 29 or fewer credits are invited to apply to join Honors if they have achieved a minimum overall 3.3 college grade point average as well as fulfilled the high school GPA and test score requirements. Transfer students with 29 or more credits and a minimum overall 3.3 college grade point average are considered on an individual basis.
Program Requirements
Graduation from the program requires a grade point average of 3.0 and completion of program requirements.
A minimum of 19 credits is required:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HNRS 100 | The Gateway | 1 |
| HNRS 200 | Honors Service Learning Seminar | 2 |
| HNRS 304 | Honors Junior Seminar | 1 |
| HNRS 400 | Honors Senior Seminar | 1 |
| Honors General Education courses 1 | 6 | |
| Select eight credits of the following (at least six credits must be upper division): | 8 | |
| Honors Colloquium | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Honors Colloquium | ||
| Service Learning in Honors | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Honors Colloquium | ||
| Service Learning in Honors | ||
| Honors Field Experience | ||
| Place as Text | ||
| Geiman Fellows | ||
| Multidisciplinary Enhancement | ||
| Interdisciplinary Topics | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Service Learning in Honors | ||
| Honors Colloquium | ||
| Honors Field Experience | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Thesis Preparation | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Total Credits | 19 | |
- 1
The six Honors General Education credits will be redistributed to Honors Electives for students who enter the Honors program with completed General Education programs either through Western or gtPathways.
Honors Courses
Through the Gateway students further their exploration of inquiry and the development of their liberal arts education that was initiated in their Headwaters courses. Students enhance their capacity for informed analysis, responsible evaluation and effective argument construction. Through student-directed group presentations synthesizing ideas encountered in their Headwaters courses, students are encouraged to recognize value in varying epistemologies and engage in an exchange of ideas as part of an academic community. Prerequisites: Admission to the Honors Program and WWGE 101, 102, 103 or 104; or instructor permission.
A complement to courses offered outside of the Honors program. Through formal arrangement between a course instructor and the Honors Program, the instructor and student develop an additional course project(s) to allow the Honors student enrolled in the class deeper engagement with the course material. Honors students who successfully complete both the Colloquium and the course to which it is linked receive Honors credit for both. May be taken more than once. Prerequisite: Completion of the Honors Colloquium project form in consultation with supervising faculty and the Honors Director. Or instructor permission.
An application of the core values of the Honors Program including citizenship and community, experiential learning, interdisciplinary, risk taking and autonomy. Students together develop a research question and engage in active community service-based investigations to complement the exchange of ideas and research to address their question. Students determine an appropriate vehicle for a public presentation of their work and must demonstrate coherent understanding of the selected research question rather than presenting a collection of separate insights. Prerequisites: HNRS 100, and sophomore standing; or instructor permission.
A complement to courses offered outside of the Honors program. Through formalarrangement between a course instructor and the Honors Program, the instructor and student develop an additional course project(s) to allow the Honors student enrolled in the class deeper engagement with the course material. Honors students who successfully complete both the Colloquium and the course to which it is linked receive Honors credit for both. May be taken more than once. Prerequisite: Completion of the Honors Colloquium project form in consultation with supervising faculty and the Honors Director.
Service Learning in Honors complements college course offerings by adding a hands-on service learning component with a community organization or community project. Through formal arrangement between an instructor and the Honors Program, the instructor meets with Honors students enrolled in the class to help provide specific disciplinary insights on issues affecting local communities, providing students with an opportunity to apply concepts, theories, and methods to practical real-world issues. Students gain familiarity with social problems and social responses, learn about communities as informed citizens, and gain expertise about the relationship between their roles as students and citizens. Honors students who complete both the Service Learning and the course to which it is linked receive Honors credit for both. Service Learning may be taken more than once. Prerequisite: Completion of the Honors Service Learning project form in consultation with supervising faculty and the Honors Director.
A complement to courses offered outside of the Honors program. Through formalarrangement between a course instructor and the Honors Program, the instructor and student develop an additional course project(s) to allow the Honors student enrolled in the class deeper engagement with the course material. Honors students who successfully complete both the Colloquium and the course to which it is linked receive Honors credit for both. May be taken more than once. Prerequisite: Completion of the Honors Colloquium project form in consultation with supervising faculty and the Honors Director.
Service Learning in Honors complements college course offerings by adding a hands-on service learning component with a community organization or community project. Through formal arrangement between an instructor and the Honors Program, the instructor meets with Honors students enrolled in the class to help provide specific disciplinary insights on issues affecting local communities, providing students with an opportunity to apply concepts, theories, and methods to practical real-world issues. Students gain familiarity with social problems and social responses, learn about communities as informed citizens, and gain expertise about the relationship between their roles as students and citizens. Honors students who complete both the Service Learning and the course to which it is linked receive Honors credit for both. Service Learning may be taken more than once. Prerequisite: Completion of the Honors Service Learning project form in consultation with supervising faculty and the Honors Director.
Honors students develop field experiences outside the classroom to complement courses without specified field experiences or to develop a more in-depth project for disciplinarybased field experiences. Through formal arrangement between the instructor and the Honors Program, the instructor meets with Honors students enrolled in the class to develop a specific field experience related to the course material. Honors students who successfully complete both the Field Experience and the course to which it is linked receive Honors credit for both. May be taken more than once. Prerequisite: Completion of the Honors Field Experience project form in consultation with supervising faculty and the Honors Director.
An introduction to the ongoing discussion of the timeless and universal ideas that are the foundation civilization. Students pursue the study of these ideas through guided reading of selections taken from the range of intellectual history. Prerequisites: HNRS 100, and junior standing, or instructor permission.
Provides Honors students with opportunities to integrate experiences of theory and observation with place, time and self through a site-specific active learning experience. Students participate in a series of orientation sessions and complete associated assignments in preparation for a site visit. The class travels to a selected site and explores the concept of 'extending text' and mapping the site from a variety of multi and inter-disciplinary perspectives. Modeled on the National Collegiate Honors Council City as Text program. Students may take this course twice for credit. Prerequisite: junior standing or instructor permission.
This course engages students in discussions about the complicated, contradictory, and often confusing world we live in, and asks them to consider what their role is in improving it. Students are invited to think about the value of a university education as a space reserved for open inquiry into the nature of democracy, authoritarianism, and civic engagement. Students discuss the issues above from the combined lenses of history, statistics, political science, anthropology, and economics. Critical engagement with primary texts is complemented by in-class discussion, guest appearances, and experiential travel. Students practice public speaking, small group discussion, research, and editing. Prerequisites: official selection instructor permission required, Honors Program standing not required.
In this course, students will bring a variety of viewpoints, skills and expertise to bear to explore a topic or develop a skill selected by the instructor. HNRS 343 must be paired with an associated course. Instructors may restrict this association to a multidisciplinary list of potential associated courses. For students in the Honors Program, credits from the associated course will apply towards students' required honors GE or elective credits. May be taken multiple times for credit, so long as each instance has a unique associated course. Prerequisite: HNRS 100. Students not enrolled in the Honors Program are encouraged to request instructor permission to join this course.
Interdisciplinary Topics courses are interdisciplinary special topics courses that do not fit within an existing academic discipline at Western. Faculty create these courses in consultation with the Honors Program Director and students in the program. Co-teaching and collaborative course development are encouraged. May be taken multiple times for credit so long as each instance explores a unique topic. Prerequisite: HNRS 100. Students not enrolled in the Honors Program are encouraged to request instructor permission to join this course.
Honors students come together as autonomous learners in a supportive academic community to investigate a mutually decided upon theme or topic relating to a liberal arts education and constructive citizenship. Students are expected to illustrate a mastery of the goals promoted by the Honors Program and a liberal arts education including the rigorous application of analysis resulting in a coherent and integrated understanding of the selected theme or topic. Provides an opportunity to engage in larger philosophical inquiry and debate. Prerequisite: HNRS 200, HNRS 304 and senior standing or instructor permission.
A complement to courses offered outside of the Honors program. Through formalarrangement between a course instructor and the Honors Program, the instructor and student develop an additional course project(s) to allow the Honors student enrolled in the class deeper engagement with the course material. Honors students who successfully complete both the Colloquium and the course to which it is linked receive Honors credit for both. May be taken more than once. Prerequisite: Completion of the Honors Colloquium project form in consultation with supervising faculty and the Honors Director.
Service Learning in Honors complements college course offerings by adding a hands-on service learning component with a community organization or community project. Through formal arrangement between an instructor and the Honors Program, the instructor meets with Honors students enrolled in the class to help provide specific disciplinary insights on issues affecting local communities, providing students with an opportunity to apply concepts, theories, and methods to practical real-world issues. Students gain familiarity with social problems and social responses, learn about communities as informed citizens, and gain expertise about the relationship between their roles as students and citizens. Honors students who complete both the Service Learning and the course to which it is linked receive Honors credit for both. Service Learning may be taken more than once. Prerequisite: Completion of the Honors Service Learning project form in consultation with supervising faculty and the Honors Director.
Honors students develop field experiences outside the classroom to complement courses without specified field experiences or to develop a more in-depth project for disciplinary based field experiences. Through formal arrangement between the instructor and the Honors Program, the instructor meets with Honors students enrolled in the class to develop a specific field experience related to the course material. Honors students who successfully complete both the Field Experience and the course to which it is linked receive Honors credit for both. May be taken more than once. Prerequisite: Completion of the Honors Field Experience project form in consultation with supervising faculty and the Honors Director.
An opportunity for Honors students to undertake detailed study and/or research into a unique topic or issue stemming from the Honors Core curriculum under supervision of the Honors Director and appropriate regular faculty. May be taken for a maximum of three credits in one semester. Maximum credit toward Honors Program is three credits. Prerequisites: minimum junior standing and/or Honors Director approval.
An introduction to the proces of developing a thesis project. Students undertake initial research on a potential thesis topic, develop a research plan and write a thesis proposal in preparation of writing an Honors thesis.
The student is required to complete a written thesis based on advanced study ina self-designed research project and present his/her findings to the Honors Council in a public forum. The project must be supervised by a faculty member from a field of study relevant to the student's thesis. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing; good standing in the Honors Program; and successful completion of at least nine hours in Honors, including HNRS 100. Or instructor permission.
Suggested 4-Year Degree Plan with the Honors Program
As each student’s overall degree plan will vary, depending upon transfer credit and/or major, this is a suggested plan. Students transferring significant numbers of GE credits should meet with the Honors Program Director to make an individualized degree plan.
Students interested in the Western-CU Partnership Honors Program Certificate should consult individually with the Honors Program Director for degree plans.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| HNRS 100 | The Gateway | 1 |
| WWGE 101/102/103/104 | Headwaters (select one) | |
| Credits | 1 | |
| Spring | ||
| Western Watershed | Honors section of GE requrement | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| HNRS 200 | Honors Service Learning Seminar | 2 |
| Credits | 2 | |
| Spring | ||
| Western Watershed | Honors section of GE requirement (or elective course) | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| HNRS 304 | Honors Junior Seminar | 1 |
| Credits | 1 | |
| Spring | ||
| HNRS | Honors Elective - consider an Enhancement or Colloquium | 3-5 |
| Credits | 3-5 | |
| Summer | ||
| HNRS 305 | Place as Text (if feasible) | 2-4 |
| Credits | 2-4 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| HNRS 400 | Honors Senior Seminar | 1 |
| Credits | 1 | |
| Spring | ||
| HNRS | Honors Elective - consider an Enhancement or Colloquium | 3-5 |
| Credits | 3-5 | |
| Total Credits | 19-25 | |
This plan is intended primarily for students either in K-12/Secondary Licensure or 3+2 programs. As each student’s overall degree plan will vary, depending upon transfer credit and/or major, this is a suggested plan. Students transferring significant numbers of GE credits should meet with the Honors Program Director to make an individualized degree plan.
Suggested 3-Year Degree Plan with the Honors Program
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| HNRS 100 | The Gateway | 1 |
| WWGE 101/102/103/104 | Headwaters (select one) | |
| Credits | 1 | |
| Spring | ||
| Western Watershed | Honors section of a GE requirement | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| HNRS 200 | Honors Service Learning Seminar | 2 |
| Western Watershed | Honors section of GE requirement (or elective course) | 3 |
| Credits | 5 | |
| Spring | ||
| HNRS | Honors Elective - consider an Enhancement or Colloquium | 3-4 |
| Credits | 3-4 | |
| Summer | ||
| HNRS 305 | Place as Text (if feasible) | 2-3 |
| Credits | 2-3 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| HNRS 304 | Honors Junior Seminar | 1 |
| HNRS | Honors Elective - consider an Enhancement or Colloquium | 3-4 |
| Credits | 4-5 | |
| Spring | ||
| HNRS 400 | Honors Senior Seminar | 1 |
| Credits | 1 | |
| Total Credits | 19-22 | |