CSU Honors Program

Recommendations for Preparation of Honors Lower Division Courses

Thank you for agreeing to teach a lower division course for the CSU Honors Program. The course you teach may be the first honors course our students encounter, so it will need to reflect the goals of the honors program while showcasing your discipline. I have prepared the following information to help you prepare your course which includes a general description of lower division courses and overarching learning outcomesfor the honors program.

Lower Division Honors Courses

Honors courses in the lower division should be distinguished from typical courses by the both the depth of topics covered and the higher level of interaction between and among instructors and students. The program strives to offer small classes devoted to learning via academic discourse and engagement with professors andpeers, rather than passive listening in large lectures. While limited numbers honors classes may be cross-listed with regular courses, the interaction may be achieved through group projects, team presentations, and introductory undergraduate research.

Instructors are encouraged to conduct field trips or arrange creative experiences that can enhance the course. The Honors Program has a limited budget to support these activities and will assist you with permissions and logistic arrangements provided that you request in writing (email is acceptable) within two weeks of the beginning of the semester and at least 30 days prior to the activity. You may also choose to work with other instructors the honors program to develop interdisciplinary field or research experiences. The Honors Program office will assist you in coordinating any of these activities.

When preparing to teach honors courses, instructors have the flexibility to design courses within their discipline that fit within this vision of lower division honors courses and help achieve the overall mission and learning outcomes of the Honors Program. The mission statement and program learning outcomes are provided for your information. As you prepare learning outcomes in your course, please consider how they align with the overall program goals. You need not address all learning outcomes since lower division courses are only one component of the Honors Program.

As part of the Honors Program assessment process, you will be asked to submit your syllabus containing learning outcomes and complete a course evaluation form along with your students at the end of the semester. The evaluation formsare attached for your information. Please note this assessment will not be used to evaluate your individual course or instruction, but will be used in conjunction with assessments of other program components to assess the program’s ability to address all of its anticipated learning outcomes. Information related to specific instructors or courses will not be shared outside the Honors Program without your permission.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact me at your convenience.

Dr. Cindy Henning

Director, Honors Program

Mission Statement

The mission of the CSU Honors Program is to attract a diverse community of highly capable and motivated individuals who challenge each other in the life-long pursuit of learning.The program nurtures intellectual growth byinterweaving cultural, professional, and scholarly experiences across all academic disciplines and cultivates future leaders for our global community.

Program Learning Outcomes

Honors program graduates will:

Demonstrate critical and creative thinking through independent inquiry.

  • Honors program should develop students who think independently, engage in self-critique, and aspire to learn about the world around them. While nurturing their intellectual growth, students should develop a propensity for learning for the sake of learning. Students achieve this outcome through research, professional or creative experiences that are mentored by faculty members.

Employ effective oral and written communication to persuade, critique, and inform others in and beyond their discipline.

  • The honors program should develop students who exhibit poise, self-confidence, and skills of rhetoric that enable them to share their passion to those outside their discipline and engage in intellectual discussions within their discipline.

Utilize historical, cultural and global perspectives to analyze connections between academic disciplines.

  • Honors students should realize that scholarly work is not restrained or limited by the boundaries of disciplines or areas of study. They should recognize how their chosen fields are interconnected with other disciplines and be challenged to study and explore a wide variety of academic topics from multiple perspectives.

Exhibit propensity for leadership and civic engagement.

  • As academic leaders of our student body, Honors program participants recognize the importance of civic responsibility and have the opportunity to share their talents with their collegiate and local communities. Honors students should have to confidence to assume leadership roles, participate in service learning, and engage community activities.

Revised Fall 2010Page 1