FAQs Or Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Honors, But Were Afraid To Ask!

The following text contains a lot of information regarding various aspects of the FMU Honors Program. Some of this may be of immediate relevance to you; some of this may not concern you individually right now, but may be of use at a later date. I've tried to cover the bases, but feel free to come to me with any further questions.

QUESTION: HOW DOES THE FMU HONORS PROGRAM COMMUNICATE WITH ME?

ANSWER: -- New applicants to FMU who are Honors-eligible [see the next Q&A for the definitions of eligibility] should receive a letter from Dr. Rooks about the Honors Program. During the Summer Orientation Programs, incoming Honors-eligible students are advised and pre-registered as a group (regardless of major) by Dr. Rooks and other Honors faculty. -- Honors-eligible students should receive a fall snail-mail early in September, giving a list of important dates. You will get two more snail-mails prior to Fall and Spring Advising and Pre-registration, dealing with how to take advantage of the option to pre-register early in the Advising period, provided that you include at least one Honors course in your schedule. -- All other communication (announcements, reminders, invitations, special opportunities, etc.) is handled via a group e-mail list. IF YOU WANT TO STAY CURRENT WITH HONORS INFORMATION, YOU MUST GIVE YOUR NAME AND CURRENT E-MAIL ADDRESS TO THE HONORS SECRETARY [BEVERLY OWENS, CEMC 112, 661-1605, BOWENS@FMARION.EDU]!!! -- If you can't or won't access e-mail, give your name, local address, and local phone number to Ms. Owens and let her know that's how you want to be contacted. -- In addition to this Web Page, honors information is posted on two bulletin boards - one in the Honors classroom (CEMC 241) and one just outside FH 103. -- Quite a lot of the information I'm about to throw at you is also contained in the good old FMU Undergraduate Catalog (pages 176-177 in the 2002-03 edition). -- You can always come to me with any Honors-related questions or concerns: FH 106, 661-1526, prooks@fmarion.edu.

QUESTION: WHAT CONSTITUTES BEING AND REMAINING "HONORS-ELIGIBLE"?

ANSWERS: -- An entering freshman is honors-eligible with an SAT score of 1100 plus, or a composite ACT score of 24 plus. However, once you have completed your first semester at FMU, your eligibility is determined by overall GPA; that means that you can lose or earn eligibility according to your performance in FMU classes. -- To become or remain honors-eligible, students classified as "freshmen" (under 22 earned credit hours) must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.00. -- To become or remain honors-eligible, students with more than 22 earned credit hours must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.25. -- If you have any questions about your honors eligibility, please see Dr. Rooks ASAP.

QUESTION: WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO GRADUATE "WITH UNIVERSITY HONORS"?

ANSWERS: You must meet the following requirements: -- Complete all regular University and departmental or school requirements. -- Have an overall GPA of 3.25 or above, including transfer courses. -- Complete a minimum of 21 hours in Honors Courses, with a GPA of 3.25 or higher in all Honors Courses taken. -- Of the 21 hours, 9 must be above 299, including 3 hours of the Honors Colloquium (Honors 397) and 3 hours of the Honors Independent Study (Honors 491). Grades below 3.00 in the Honors Colloquium and the Honors Independent Study do not count toward credit for the Honors degree, although they do count toward regular degree requirements. -- Each Spring, the Honors Committee selects an outstanding student who has graduated "With University Honors" in December, or who will be graduating "With University Honors" in May, to receive the Duane P. Myers Honors Award. The names of these students are on a plaque in the Honors Room. -- Students who graduate "With University Honors" are recognized at the Commencement Ceremonies with a gold Honors Cord.

QUESTIONS: WHAT IS 397, THE HONORS COLLOQUIUM? DOES IT CARRY DEPARTMENTAL CREDIT? CAN I TAKE 397 MORE THAN ONCE?

ANSWERS: -- The Colloquium deals with special topics from an interdisciplinary perspective; usually professors from more than one discipline are involved in at least some of the class sessions. The 397 topic for Spring 2003 is "The Divine Arts." It will be team-taught by Dr. David Cowles (English) and Dr. Sam Howell (Art History). Other faculty from various disciplines will participate in the Colloquium. -- The Colloquium carries elective but not departmental or school credit. -- Since the Colloquium topic is different each time it is offered, you can take it twice for elective credit. You might want to do this for love, for additional hours towards the 21 hour requirement, or because you earned below 3.00 the first time you took the Colloquium.

QUESTION: WHAT IS THE HONORS INDEPENDENT STUDY?

ANSWERS: -- This allows you to pursue independent academic work, normally in the area of your major, under the guidance of a faculty member. It usually takes the form of major research project / paper. -- You must have completed 12 hours of Honors courses before enrolling in the Independent Study. -- Working with your supervisor, you must complete a proposal (forms available from Dr. Rooks) detailing the project you are planning to undertake. In addition to your faculty supervisor (who must provide a letter of support) you need signatures from two other faculty readers, one of whom must be from a different discipline. -- Students who successfully complete the Independent Study usually begin planning and working on the project, in consultation with the faculty supervisor, at least one semester before the semester when the student formally enrolls for the Independent Study. -- Come and talk with Dr. Rooks about your Independent Study well ahead of time (that is, well before the semester when you plan to complete the work); there are some important steps involved in planning and pre-registering for an Independent Study. Examples of successful past projects are available for you to look at. -- Some limited funding is available to defray expenses incurred in completing your Independent Study. See Dr. Rooks for guidelines and forms. -- Successfully planning and completing the Honors Independent Study is probably the single most challenging hurdle to jump in your quest to graduate "With University Honors." Perhaps for that very reason, students who have been successful in the past testify that the Independent Study was one of their most rewarding experiences. The self-discipline required is particularly valuable if you plan to go on to graduate or professional school.

QUESTION: CAN I TRANSFER HONORS CREDITS FROM ANOTHER INSTITUTION?

ANSWER: -- Yes, if the courses are designated as "Honors" and accepted by FMU for full credit or elective credit. -- To graduate "With University Honors" from FMU, a transfer student must take a minimum of 12 hours of Honors Courses at FMU, including the Honors Colloquium, the Honors Independent Study, and one other upper-division Honors course.

QUESTION: WHAT IS THE "HONORS CONTRACT" OPTION AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

ANSWERS: -- This option can help students who want to graduate "With University Honors," but who find a shortage of 300 and 400-level classes in their major or minor disciplines offered as Honors sections. The contract stipulates what extra work you will undertake. -- Normally, the Honors Contract option should only be applied to upper-level courses which are not offered as Honors sections. -- Normally, a student will only take 3 of the required 21 hours as an Honors Contract. -- With your professor, fill out an Honors Contract form (available from Dr. Rooks) which specifies what you will be doing in addition to the regular assigned class work. You and your professor sign it; I approve and file it before the final day to withdraw from a course without academic penalty. At the end of the semester, if your professor indicates that you have fulfilled the contract, the course is recorded on your transcript as Honors. -- Please note that the Honors Contract is a fall-back option; it is not the same experience as being in an Honors course. Should a student request the Honors Contract for more than one 3 hour course, that request needs to be approved by the full Honors Committee.

QUESTION: WHAT IS THE WASHINGTON SEMESTER PROGRAM?

ANSWER: -- A special arrangement with the University of South Carolina's Institute of Public Affairs and the South Carolina Honors College makes FMU Honors students eligible to apply for a fellowship in the Washington Semester Program. Students accepted as Fellows have the opportunity to live in the heart of Washington DC and gain valuable work experience in federal government or private sector offices while earning 15 hours of Honors academic credit. -- Honors students at any South Carolina institution of higher education are eligible to apply for the Washington Semester Program. Fellows must be degree-seeking students and are usually juniors. The program operates in both the spring and fall semesters. -- FMU Honors students accepted into the Washington Semester Program will pay FMU tuition, be registered as FMU students, and earn academic credit for the following courses: POL 497H (Special Studies: Washington Semester, 6 hours); ENG 498H (English Internship: Washington Semester, 3 hours); PSY 310H (The Psychological Focus: Leadership, Washington Semester, 3 hours); and THEA 101H (Introduction to Theatre: Washington Semester, 3 hours). -- Acceptance for the Washington Semester is competitive, but several FMU students from a variety of majors have completed the program with flying colors. All of them say that it was a life-changing experience. -- Dr. Bill Mould, the Director of the program, pays a campus visit each fall and spring to talk with interested FMU students. -- If you're interested, check out their web site at www.sc.edu/washington and talk to Dr. Rooks.

QUESTION: IF I DON'T PLAN TO GRADUATE "WITH UNIVERSITY HONORS," WHY IS IT WORTH MY WHILE SIGNING UP FOR SOME HONORS COURSES ANYWAY?

ANSWERS: -- All Honors courses count as credit toward graduation; most Honors courses fulfill FMU requirements for general education, majors, minors, collaterals. -- The vast majority of honors-eligible students report that their Honors courses are amongst their best academic experiences. They enjoy the extra individual attention from gifted and experienced teachers, and the opportunity to interact with other motivated students in a small class. Although Honors courses present a different kind of challenge and stimulation than other courses, most students do not find them "harder," and report that their grades in Honors courses are as good as (sometimes better than!) in other courses. -- Any course taken as Honors is designated as such on your academic transcript. (The exceptions to this rule are the Chemistry labs offered as Honors; students who want to discuss how to get those labs registered as Honors need to talk with Dr. Rooks about the logistics.) Graduate and professional schools, as well as prospective employers, will be impressed. -- If you are honors-eligible and choose to pre-register for at least one Honors course, you can pre-register on the first day of the Advising Period even if you're a freshman or a sophomore. This gives you a much better chance of getting all of your first-pick classes, teachers, times.

QUESTIONS: HOW CAN I GET ENOUGH HONORS HOURS TO GRADUATE "WITH UNIVERSITY HONORS" WHILE STILL TAKING ONLY THE COURSES I NEED TO GRADUATE? WHY AREN'T THERE MORE 300 & 400 LEVEL CLASSES OFFERED AS HONORS SECTIONS?

ANSWERS: -- There is no doubt that the student who begins taking Honors courses in his/her freshman year has an advantage over the student who begins taking Honors courses later in his/her studies, because the majority of courses offered are at the 100/200 level and fit better with general education than with major requirements. -- It is also the case that (in addition to the Honors Contract option, see above) there are always at least a few 300 level courses - chosen to be of interest to students in various disciplines - offered every semester. In Fall 2002, there are four 300-level Honors courses; in Spring 2003, there will be four 300-level Honors courses and one 400-level Honors course. -- Some disciplines (Computer Science, Chemistry, and Physics, for example) are less able than others regularly to offer Honors sections because of scarce faculty resources. I hope that will change, but cannot control it. -- If a group of honors-eligible students comes to me with a solid request that a particular course be offered as Honors in an upcoming semester, I will do my best to get it in place. The most effective engine to drive increased Honors offerings is clear student demand. -- The real key is planning. Work with your assigned advisor, but supplement his/her advice by talking with me about how best to coordinate Honors courses with your other graduation requirements. -- When a 300-level course in your major or minor is offered as Honors, do whatever you can to juggle your schedule in order to take that class!

QUESTION: WHAT IS THE HONORS STUDENT ASSOCIATION?

ANSWERS: -- HSA is a chartered FMU student organization. You must be honors-eligible to join (although not all honors-eligible students choose to become members). Annual dues for the academic year are $10. We traditionally hold the organizational meeting at the Fall Honors Reception given by President and Mrs. Carter at Wallace House. You elect the four student officers at that time. If you are unable to make the Reception, you can come by my office (FH 106) to sign up and pay your dues at any time during the school year. -- You must be a member of HSA in order to participate in the Fall Honors Trip. In Fall 2002, we will be going to Williamsburg and Monticello. Past (and, I hope, future!) destinations include New York City, Washington DC, Boston/Cambridge, and Orlando. The Trip usually takes place in mid-November. The cost to the student is relatively minimal ($100 for transportation, lodging, and some meals) because FMU contributes generously to the full cost of the trips. -- HSA, at the initiative of the student officers and members, coordinates other social and academic activities throughout the year, including Play Nights, receptions, parties, travel experiences, and community service projects. -- Like all worthwhile extra-curricular activities, HSA gives students and faculty a chance to interact productively and enjoyably outside of the classroom. Like all worthwhile extra-curricular activities, active participation in HSA looks good on your resume. -- Two of the four student officers also serve as members of the Honors Committee. This could be your chance really to make a difference in shaping the future of the FMU Honors Program. The names of the student officers for each academic year are on a plaque in the Honors Room. -- Each year, an outstanding student member is chosen to receive the HSA Award. The names of these students are on a plaque in the Honors Room.