A Freshman Student’s Guide
to the
LOCK HAVEN UNIVERSITY
GLOBAL HONORS PROGRAM
2016 – 2017 Edition
The Global Honors Program
Lock Haven University
Honors Center
Lock Haven University
401 North Fairview Street
Lock Haven, PA 17745
Phone: 570-484-2053
Fax: 570-484-2711
Website:
Dr. Jacqueline (Whitling)Dumm, Director
Shawn O’Dell, Secretary
Honors Program Mission:
The mission of Global Honors Program at Lock Haven University is to engage distinctly qualified students in an enhanced learning experience unique to the University and other Educational Institutions. The Global Honors Program fosters close student-professor interaction, provides invaluable peer interaction, instills leadership values, and introduces students to the aspects of a Global World. The Global Honors Program achieves this through small, discussion oriented classes; opportunities for close working relationships with professors; specialized peer groups; enhanced study abroad opportunities; and globally-focused events and opportunities.
Honors Program Motto:
“Expand Knowledge, Establish Leaders, Emphasize Community”
Table of Contents
Greeting ...... 3
Introduction to Honors ...... 3
Honors Program Staff ...... 4
Honors Program Coordinators ...... 4
Honors House ...... 4
Academic Requirements ...... 5
Honors Credits ...... 5
Honors Courses ...... 5
Course Augmentations ...... 6
Capstone Projects ...... 6
Co-Curricular Requirements ...... 6
Freshman Development Groups ...... 7
Honors Olympics ...... 7
Activity Groups ...... 7
Academic Events ...... 8
Honors Hours Exemptions ...... 9
Community Service ...... 9
Honors Probation ...... 10
Graduating with Honors ...... 11
Keeping up with Honors ...... 12
Monday Morning Announcements ...... 12
Global Honors Website ...... 12
Status Emails ...... 12
Honors Facebook and Twitter Pages ...... 12
Paid Positions ...... 13
Student Associate Directors ...... 13
Non-paid Positions ...... 14
Records Keeper ...... 14
Community Service Liaison ...... 14
Occasional Word Newsletter Editor ...... 14
Activity Group Leaders ...... 15
Freshman Development Group Leader ...... 15
Special Teams and Committees ...... 15
Admissions Team ...... 15
Public Issues Forum Team ...... 15
Special Events Committee ...... 16
Newsletter Team ...... 16
Welcome to the Global Honors Program – Class of 2020!
Greetings Class of 2020!
As Director of the Global Honors Program (GHP), I am pleased to welcome you to the Haven and congratulate you again on your acceptance to the program. It will be exciting getting to know all of you and I look forward to assisting you in learning what it means to be part of the Global Honors Program and to helping you transition to college life at LHU.
Let me give you a little history about my background and of course my involvement with the Honors Program. I am a native Pennsylvanian (hometown, Knox, PA), and I studied chemistry at Gannon University and Duquesne University. I teach Biochemistry, Chemistry of Nutrition, and various organic courses.
I served on the Honors committee for nearly a decade before becoming director in 2011. I learned a lot during my first year as director and I am eager to work with you and others in the GHP to take the program to new heights.
I look forward to the start of my seventeenth year at LHU and the excitement that comes with the beginning of a new academic year. I can't wait to meet all of you when you arrive on campus. I'm sure I'll be contacting youregarding opportunities within the program and deadlines for various requirements. If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact me or one of the GHP staff members.
Good luck on a successful and memorable academic year at the Haven!
Regards,
Dr. Dumm (Jackie)
Introduction to the Global Honors Program
As the 21st Century progresses, the world around us is becoming increasingly globalized. More and more each day, other parts of the world affect aspects of our lives in some way or another. The Lock Haven University Global Honors Program strives to provide students with opportunities that a traditional Honors Program does not. Here at Lock Haven, we strive to provide the global aspect to our Global Honors Program. All of our students are encouraged to participate in some form of education abroad program. Our program offers guest speakers, forums, and activity groups dedicated to global issues and topics. Our goal is to show our students that we do not live in a one-dimensional world; much of what we do impacts or is impacted by someone else in a different country.
Global Honors Program Staff
Dr. Jackie Dumm – Program Director & Professor of Chemistry (office hours vary by semester)
Email: hone: 570-484-3045
Office: 2nd Floor Honors House Alternate Office: ECSC304
Shawn O’Dell – Program Secretary(M-F; 8 – 11 am)
Email: hone: 570-484-2053
Office: 1st Floor Honors House, Front Office
Student Staff
Rachael Metzinger – Student Associate Director for Program Development and Leadership
Email: lternate Email:
Office: 1st Floor Honors House, Back OfficeCell Phone: 570-985-4764
Shelby Helwig– Student Associate Director for Admission, Recruitment, and Retention
Email: lternate Email:
Office: 1st Floor Honors House, Front OfficeCell Phone: 717-650-8904
Thomas Bates – Student Associate Director for Communication and Special Events
Email: lternate Email:
Office: 1st Floor Honors House, Back OfficeCell Phone: 814-525-5667
Honors Program Student Coordinators
Community Service Coordinator – TBA
Newsletter Editor – Grace Monroe
Email:ell Phone: 570-529-0560
Records Keeper – Casey Morean
Email:ell Phone: 814-594-9516
Honors House
The Global Honors Program is housed in the Honors House, located on Susquehanna Avenue. Our goal is to make the Honors House your “Home Away from Home” on campus. Feel free to use it to study, use the computer, hang out, cool down, relax, and also as a place to have fun. All Freshman Development Groups (FDGs) meet in the Honors House (except for special meetings), as well as many Activity Groups. The Honors House opens at 8:00 a.m. and closes when the last person leaves for the day, which is usually around 7:00 p.m.
One great benefit of the Honors House is that it hosts a computer lab specifically for Honors Students. Our computer lab is located on the second floor of the house, in the first room at the top of the stairs. We have four computers for student use, as well as a printer. If you would rather use your laptop, feel free to sit anywhere seeing as we have wireless Internet throughout the house. We can even show you how to print something right from your laptop to the Honors House Printer!
The Honors House also has three other meeting/activity rooms. The common room, located downstairs, hosts many FDGs and Activity Groups. The common room has a projector to watch a movie, some couches to nap on, and a white board to work on homework (or show off your art work). Be sure to check out our Honors Program Mascots located above the fireplace! The conference room upstairs has tables for large projects and meetings. We also have a lounge upstairs, which has two couches along with a TV/DVD/VCR.
All of the Honors Staff works out of the Honors House. Our secretary, Shawn O’Dell, can be found in the front office on the first floor of the house. Our Student Associate Directors are dispersed throughout the front and back offices on the first floor, as well. The Director’s office is located on the second floor of the house across from the conference room.
Academic Requirements
Although the Global Honors Program here at Lock Haven is made up of many unique components, we are first and foremost an Honors Program. To graduate with honors credentials, our students must fulfill two main academic requirements:
1) Complete 21 Honors Credits
2) Complete a Capstone Project
Honors Credits
Honors students must complete a total of 21 credits, which is equivalent to seven (7) classes, in order to graduate with honors credentials. These credits can be attained in two ways:
1) Taking Honors-Designated Courses
2) Completing Course Augmentations in non-Honors Designated Courses
Honors Courses
Honors Students have the chance to take honors-designated classes to fulfill their 21 honors credit requirement. These courses have many benefits. They are small and limited to 25 students. This allows for the professors to grow close to the students and provide personal attention. Honors courses tend to be more discussion based and are reading and writing intensive. They are designed to challenge our students in a way that a regular class would not. Finally, all Honors courses fulfill General Education Requirements. Honors courses are taught by regular university professors with expertise in their fields.
During the first year, most honors students will take four Honors courses; 2 each in the fall and spring semester. The fall semester courses are Composition and Philosophy, while the spring semester courses are Literature and History. Beyond the first year, Honors designated courses are offered on a rotating basis. Some of these courses include Math in Contemporary Society, Introduction to Psychology, Nutrition for Wellness, Earth Science, and World Politics. We are constantly working on adding more Honors courses to offer for our students.
Course Augmentations
Course Augmentations are a second way to earn honors credits. Course Augmentations are special projects done in conjunction with a professor in a non-Honors designated course. This project takes the student above-and-beyond the requirements of the course. Projects vary from class to class, and should be discussed with professors and the honors director. To perform a Course Augmentation, students must complete an Augmentation Proposal Form that must be approved submitted to the director by the due date near the beginning of the semester. Once the project is completed, students must complete an Augmentation Completion Form and submit it to the director by the due date near the end of the semester.
Note: Except for extreme circumstances discussed with the director, there is no need for freshmen to be completing Course Augmentations! This information is only in the manual so you can plan out upcoming years. To show progress in the program, you MUST complete at least 3 honors credits every year, so plan ahead!
Capstone Project
The Capstone Project is the second academic requirement for graduation with honors credentials. The primary reward from a capstone experience is the invaluable preparation for graduate and professional work. However, other intrinsic benefits are reported by students. These benefits include the opportunity to follow personal curiosity, creative pleasure from the conceptualization of the project, intellectual stimulation from exploring the topic, ownership of the work, satisfaction from successful completion of the project, and the close professional relationship that develops with the advisor and readers.
The Capstone Project is not something that you will start planning for until the sophomore year, at which time we will provide you with detailed information on creating a plan and proceeding to complete your project. For this reason, we will not provide any more information on the Capstone Project in this manual.
Co-Curricular Requirements
The co-curricular requirements of the Global Honors Program are what make our program truly unique. Very few Honors Programs have the social activities, speakers, forums, and special events that our program has to offer. To stay in good standing with the program (which you will need to do to graduate with honors credentials), Freshmen Students must complete the following requirements:
1) Attend weekly Freshmen Development Group meetings; twice weekly in the fall semester and once weekly in the spring semester.
2) Attend ten (10) Activity Group meetings in both the fall and spring semester.
3) Attend at least four (4) Academic Events per semester, one of whichmust be a Public Issues Forum.
4) Complete ten hours of Community Service in the fall and spring semester combined.
Freshmen Development Groups
Freshmen Development Groups, also known as FDGs, is one of the many aspects that set the Lock Haven University Global Honors Program apart from all the others. FDGs are groups of 8-10 freshmen led by two upper-class honors students, who go through an intensive training program in order to lead an FDG. The FDGs participate in a variety of activities throughout the year to help students make friends, become acclimated to campus, and feel like a part of the Global Honors Program. Some activities that an FDG may partake in include watching movies, tie-dying, going to the park, playing games, doing scavenger hunts, having water balloon fights, and much, much more.
In the fall semester, freshmen students are required to attend two (2) FDG meetings per week with your assigned FDG. In the spring semester, this decreases to one (1) meeting per week. It is very important to inform your leaders if you cannot make a meeting. It is very difficult for leaders to plan an activity if they do not know who will be attending. You are allowed three (3) excused absences from your FDG; if you miss more than three (3) meetings, you will need to make them up by attending another FDG. If this is the case, please make sure to inform the leader of the FDG you will be attending. For a full list of FDGs with their leaders and meeting times, please visit the Honors Program website.
If, for some reason, you feel you need to change your FDG, please first discuss this with your current leaders. If you still feel you need to switch your group, you must meet with the SAD of Program Development and Leadership to discuss the change.
Honors Olympics
Ask any upperclassman, and they will tell you that one of the highlights of their Freshman Year was Honors Olympics. Honors Olympics is a year-long competition to find the greatest and most powerful FDG. Throughout the year, FDGs participate in challenges and events for points, such as Pumpkin Carving, Challenge the SADs Day, T-Shirt Design, Game Show Night, the Egg Hunt, and more. Right before finals in the spring semester, we hold FDG Wars, the ultimate FDG showdown. We spend the day participating in tough challenges, eating good food, and participating in a Dance-Off. You will be hearing a lot about this throughout the year, and if you have any questions, just ask your FDG leaders. They’ll love to tell you all about it!
Activity Groups
Activity Groups are another aspect of the Lock Haven University Global Honors Program that makes it unique. Activity groups are groups that meet once a week and deal with a specific topic of interest. Interests range from fitness and health to things such as music, sign language, debate, arts and crafts, and much more. You can find a full list of activity groups, their leaders, meeting times, and a brief synopsis of each group on the honors website.
Each group is led by at least one honors student that is a second-semester freshman or above. Throughout your four years in the Global Honors Program, you will be required to attend 10 Activity Groups per semester. We suggest you reach this by attending one group per week; however, you may choose to attend no groups some weeks, or more than one. You can go to the same group every week, or switch it up and try them all.
You may also earn Activity Group credit by attending special events. You earn 1 (one) Activity Group credit for every special event that you attend, regardless of the length of that event.
As you go further along in college, there will be situations and programs that you are in that allow you to be exempt from Activity Groups (for example, student teaching or an internship). However, there is onlyone full exemption for first-semester freshman. This is for Varsity Athletes during their playing season. Half exemptions may also be granted to Varsity Athletes not in playing season. If you feel that you are deserving of an exemption, you MUST submit a Request for Exemptions Form online by the announced due-date near the beginning of the semester. You will be notified by email whether your exemption has been approved or disapproved. A link to the form will be sent in the Monday Morning Announcements and will also be available online.
If you find that you are having difficulties fulfilling all of your required hours, set up a meeting with the SAD of Program Development and Leadership. She may be able to help you find a meeting that fits you and your time schedule. If it still is not working out, you can set up a meeting with the Program Director to discuss your situation.
Academic Events
Throughout the semester, the Global Honors Program will sponsor multiple programs/events or work with other organizations on campus to host programs/events about various topics. These events are designed to help broaden student learning and provide a glimpse into an area you may not normally have the chance to explore. Academic Events last only an hour, and students are required to attend the full hour. As a freshman honors student, you must attend four (4) academic events per semester, one of which must be a Public Issues Forum.