The Honors Experience

The goal of the Honors Program is to provide academically talented and venturesome students with an intellectually stimulating alternate course of study, culminating in the completion of an Honors Thesis reflective of quality undergraduate scholarship. Small classes, interdisciplinary topics and professors dedicated to teaching create an atmosphere conducive to the open discussion of ideas and active learning. Honors courses are frequently team-taught and involve off-campus experiences; most Honors courses satisfy requirements in the University’s Liberal Arts Core (LAC). The Honors Thesis requirement provides an opportunity for students to work independently under the oversight of a faculty mentor.

In addition to their academic pursuits, honors scholars become involved in a variety of leadership roles and rewarding activities. Many of these, like the weekend in April when prospective first-year students are invited to visit the campus and stay over in dorms or apartments, are entirely planned and carried out by Honors students. The Honors Club sponsors trips to cultural events, including the NE-NCHC conference each spring, when more than a dozen students regularly participate as presenters.

The Student Honors Council makes recommendations concerning the honors curriculum and requirements, and organizes social and cultural events on campus, including the activities of Honors Week in the spring. All Honors students are welcomed to the campus at the beginning of each academic year at a semi-formal reception, and everyone connected with the program gets together twice a year for a fall and spring cookout. Honors students are encouraged to take part in exchange programs with universities throughout the United States and abroad.