Faculty Resources
Honors Application
Honors Contract
Grade Report Form

About the Honors Program

The Honors Program offers a demanding and rewarding opportunity for selected students who are searching for a stimulating intellectual challenge. These students are prepared to invest extra effort to meet that challenge. Students from any major may participate. Honors courses may come from the University Core Curriculum and from the student’s major. Students can choose from three kinds of Honors courses (see below).

Who may apply?

Students who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply to the Honors Program.

•         Incoming freshmen

-   SAT score of 1200 or higher on the Math and Critical Reading sections or ACT composite of 27 or higher, and

-   High school GPA of 3.0 or higher

-   Incoming freshmen who have slightly lower SAT scores, ACT scores, or high school GPAs also may apply. These candidates will be evaluated on their overall profile of qualifications, including standardized test scores, high school GPA, class rank, academic background, and extracurricular activities.

•         Transfer students and current USI students

-    Completion of a minimum of 15 credit hours at USI or elsewhere with a cumulative 3.25 GPA

How to apply

•     Fill out and return an Honors Program application.  Pick one up from the Honors Program office or download from the link at the bottom of this page.

 Honors Courses – Three types

•     Stand-alone Honors Course. Only open to Honors students. Class is all Honors students, size is smaller than regular classes, and course work is more challenging and stimulating.

•     Cross-Listed Contract Course. Course is cross listed in the class schedule, meaning that it is listed twice, once as a regular section and once as an Honors section. Therefore, the class will be made up of Honors students and non-Honors students. Honors students are responsible for all the material on the course syllabus and an additional Honors component, for which they must fill out an Honors contract. In most cases, the professor has already designed the project for the Honors component.  

•     Ad Hoc Contract Course. A course that is not offered as a stand-alone or cross-listed Honors course may be taken for Honors credits by adding an Honors component to the course. The student will need to fill out an Honors contract with the professor that includes a description of a project that will satisfy the Honors component. A student taking an ad hoc contract course is responsible for all material on the course syllabus and an additional Honors component.

 Honors Contracts

•       The Honors contract form can be found on the Honors website under faculty resources or in the Honors office (ED 0114).  A brief description of the Honors component (or project) should be attached to the Honors contract.  Students usually write up the description of the project after agreeing on it with the professor.

•     A student contracting a course for Honors credit is responsible for all material on the course syllabus and an additional Honors component.

•     The workload for the Honors component should be about 15 hours a semester and no more than 30.

•     The content of the Honors component will vary by course topic.  Generally, students are encouraged to work with their professors to develop projects that will be interesting and stimulating for both the students and the professors.  Rather than merely requiring an additional or longer research paper (unless warranted by the course, e.g. Eng 101), the Honors Faculty Council encourages directed but student-initiated learning.  Depending on the course content, a project might be of interest to the entire class and the student could present his/her work to the class as part of the project.  One example is an Honors student who was contracting a Wealth & Poverty sociology class for Honors credit.  The student had spent the summer studying abroad in Ukraine.  She and her professor decided she could research inequality in Ukraine and present what she found to the class.  The class thought her presentation was interesting and the professor reported that the student was very enthusiastic about the project. 

•     At the end of the semester we will mail a grade report sheet to the instructor/professor.   The student should receive a separate grade for the Honors component that will NOT be factored into the course grade or University GPA.  As long as the grade is a B or higher in the class and on the Honors component the student will receive Honors credit for the course.  Any course a student takes for Honors credit is worth three (3) Honors credits.   The instructor/professor should mail the grade report sheet back to the Honors office.   After we receive the grade report sheet the student’s Honors credits will be posted to his/her Honors and University records.  Please keep in mind that the Honors credit will not show on a student’s record immediately at the end of the semester, but should be there by the end of the following semester.

•     Faculty who have questions about Honors projects are encouraged to contact the Honors Director.

What should Honors courses be like?

•     Stress the interrelatedness of knowledge; skill in oral and written communication of ideas; and methods and techniques for the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information.

•     Assignments should encourage research (independent, outside research where possible).

•     Readings should prefer primary source readings over textbooks.

•     Active learning rather than lecture.

 To graduate as a University Honors Scholar

•     Complete undergraduate work with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher

•     Complete 21 minimum hours of Honors credit with an A or B grade

  -   Three of the 21 hours must come from completing HONS 101: Issues for the 21st Century with an A or B grade

  -   Three of the 21 hours must come from completing an Honors component to the senior synthesis course or an approved substitute with an A or B grade

 Recognition given to University Honors Scholars

•         University Honors Scholar designation on diploma

•         Notation on official transcript for each course with Honors credit

•         Special Honors cords presentation ceremony

•         Distinctive Honors cords worn at Commencement

The Honors designation is highly regarded by potential employers and graduate or professional schools where students may want to continue their education.

Biology/Spanish
Henry and Hazel Bennighof Presidential Scholarship
President, Honors Student Council
Dana, Indiana

“While my passion for teaching remains in health professions, I thoroughly enjoy the interaction and diversity presented by facilitating Honors 101. I've had the pleasure of working with honors students for four years and these students come equipped with a sense
of curiosity and openness that is refreshing and necessary for tackling the tougher questions. I instituted a discussion blog as part of the course and the students have run with it. Having past students act as in-class mentors has helped the new students adjust and improve their thinking process. Overall, it’s fun.”

Dr. Kevin J. Valadares