Frequently
Asked Questions
about the
USI Honors
Program
How will I benefit from the
USI Honors Program?
- Educational opportunities that are broader in scope or greater in
depth than regular courses
- Increased opportunity to develop your full potential for
intellectual achievement
- Increased opportunity for independent study, specialized work, and
tutorial relationships with faculty
- Enhanced opportunity to develop verbal and written communication
skills, critical thinking, and investigative learning
- Increased opportunity to develop leadership potential through
collaborative learning
- Participation in a community of other motivated students and
faculty, including co-curricular and extracurricular activities
- Priority registration (Day One of early
registration)
- Smaller Classes
- Being a part of building the USI Honors Program and having
a say in its future
- Recognition on your diploma and transcript and
at Commencement
- A competitive edge in the areas of: fellowships, grants, graduate and
professional schools applications, and the job market
Who is eligible for the
USI Honors Program?
- Students earning a combined score of 1200+ on
the SAT Math and Critical Reading sections or an ACT composite score
of 27+ are automatically accepted to the
USI Honors Program
upon application (given a HS GPA of at least 3.0)
-
Other interested students are encouraged to apply (evaluation
is based on cumulative grade point average, class rank
and extracurricular activities)
- Students with 15+ semester hours at USI or elsewhere with a cumulative 3.25
GPA may also apply
How do I earn
Honors
credit?
- Enroll in a "stand-alone" Honors section (one where all students are
taking the course for Honors credit, such as HONS 101 or ENG 101H)
- Enroll in an Honors "contract" section (one where the students
taking the course for Honors credit complete an additional component for
Honors credit -- that component is outlined in what is known as the
Honors contract -- such as HUM 211H)
- Develop an Honors component in a course not scheduled for Honors
credit by talking with the professor -- this is known as an "ad hoc"
Honors course -- click
here for
examples
- For Honors Contract Form, click
here
What are
Honors
courses
like?
- Smaller
- Interactive with instructors
- Independent work
- Collaboration with other students
- Active
- Intensive
- However, they are not evaluated tougher on the grading scale
Will all of my courses be
Honors
courses?
- No, students pick and choose what courses they would like to take for honors
credit
What are the
Honors
faculty like?
- Imagine your favorite high school teacher. . . Well, our
USI Honors
Faculty is shockingly close
- Professors are not "out to get" the students
- Professors enjoy and appreciate the stimulation
Honors' minds bring to the classroom
- Professors are friendly, helpful, and willing
to do what they can for you
- Professors want to challenge the Honors student
to reach his/her highest levels of academic excellence
What academic recognition do I earn by participating in
the USI
Honors Program?
- Every course for which
Honors
credit is earned is noted on the transcript
- Students fulfilling the Honors Program requirements will graduate as a
University Honors
Scholar
To graduate as a
University Honors Scholar:
- Students must complete undergraduate work with a cumulative GPA of 3.25+
- Students must complete 21 minimum hours of honors credit with an A or B
grade
- Students must take Hons 101: Issues for the 21st Century
- Students must take an honors component to their senior synthesis course
or an approved substitute
- This title will be indicated on USI diplomas and transcripts
- Honors cords are awarded to be worn at
Commencement
I'm thinking about coming to USI, but I'm also looking at "Big Name
University." Why USI and why
Honors?
- Actually, economists (at Princeton, no less) have looked at the
question of the economic payoff of pursuing a college degree at an
"elite" college or university -- and they found that the selectivity of
the school in terms of admissions criteria doesn't pay off in higher
income over one's career -- "[S]tudents' motivation, ambition, and
desire to learn have a much stronger effect on their subsequent success
than the average academic ability of their classmates" (National Bureau
of Economic Research)
- What appears to be as important or more important than where you go
to college is what you do when you're there -- participating in things such as
Honors is a great way to distinguish yourself...
Are student organizations affiliated with the
USI Honors Program?
- Most
Honors Program members are active across campus and are involved in areas such as student government,
the AMIGOs, Student Ambassadors,
Resident Assistants, fraternities, sororities, and many more
- Honors students may run for office on the USI
Honors Student Council
Is special housing available for
USI Honors Program
participants?
- The Honors Living-Learning Community (LLC) resides in the honors wing
of Ruston
Hall (the Honors LLC also involves a Freshman Interest Group course cluster)
- This living area is available to Freshman honors students only
- Ruston Hall features suite-style living: 2
bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a common area
- It also has 24 hour computer labs and laundry facilities
How do I sign up?
Request an application from:
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The
University of Southern Indiana
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