Theunity Collegehonorsprogramoffersan

HonorsProgram Handbook

LastModified:August 2013

October 2014

GoalsoftheUnityCollegeHonorsProgram

TheUnity CollegeHonorsProgramoffersan engagingchallengeforacademicallytalentedandmotivatedstudentsfromallacademicdisciplines.TheHonorsProgram takesanintegratedapproach,valuingpermeableboundariesbetweenlearning environmentsanddisciplines.Throughavarietyofcurricularandco-curricularcomponents,Honorsstudentswillbeencouragedtoreachtheir potentialasindependentthinkersandcreativeproblemsolvers.

AsanHonorsstudent,weknowyouareamotivatedandcapablescholar.Therefore,wewanttoprovidechallengesthatsupportyourgrowthinnewdirections.Weexpectall Honorsstudentsto:

• Seekexperiencestoexpandknowledgeandgrowasscholars
• Integrateknowledgeandskillsacrosscurricularandextra-curricular experiences
• Applytheir sustainabilityscienceeducationtotheircareersanddaily lives
• Developskillsintransdisciplinaryproblem solving
• Beeffectiveleadersandcommunicators

SupportforHonorsProgramStudents

Ifyouhavequestionsor need adviceabouttheHonorsProgram, youarewelcometogetintouchwiththeHonorsProgram Co-Directors:

MicheleLeavittAimeePhillippi

Unity HouseTLL 109 948-1799x399 x948-9192

ThefollowingmembersoftheHonorsCommittee canalsoprovideassistance:

MandyBaker:

KevinSpigel:tephanieWade:

EntryRequirementsintotheHonorsProgram

EntryrequirementsforincomingstudentsincludeeitheraminimumcombinedSATscoreof1800(orACTof25),orhighschoolGPA above3.50ona4.0scale.

Demonstratedmotivationtosucceedandexceptionalachievements(e.g.creative abilities,overcomingobstacles,and extensivecommunityservice)arealsoconsidered.TransferstudentswithacumulativeGPAofatleast3.50attheirpreviouscollegemay alsoenrollintheHonorsProgram andmay apply upto9creditsofHonorscreditsthatwereacceptedintransfertoUnity CollegetowardstheHonorsProgram.

StudentswhodidnotenrollintheHonorsProgramtheirfirstsemesteratUnity CollegeandwhomeettheHonorsProgramrequirementsmay apply tothe program atany pointduringtheirtime at theCollege.Toapply, astudentmustcompletetheHonorsProgram ApplicationForm andprovideoneletterofrecommendationfromaUnityCollegefaculty membertothe HonorsProgram Director. Thisapplicationmay besubmittedatanytime

duringtheacademicyearandduringastudent’stimeattheCollege;however,beginningtheHonorsProgramafterastudent’sthirdsemestermay makeitdifficultto completeintimeforgraduation.Withthat in mind,any studentintendingtoapplytotheHonorsProgramisencouragedtomeetwiththeDirectorpriortobeginningtheapplication process.Theapplicationandlettermustbesubmittedelectronically,andthestudentwillbe notified (alsoelectronically)abouttheoutcomeoftheapplicationwithintwoweeksofreceiptofallmaterials.

HonorsProgramCurriculum

Allstudentsmustcomplete21creditsofHonorscoursesto completetheHonorsProgram.These21creditscan beobtainedavariety ofways:

RequiredCourses

HN2061HonorsSeminar

HN4063HonorsTransdisciplinaryCapstone

TwocourseswithdifferentcoursecodesfromtheHonorsMenuCourseswithHonorsProjects

AdditionalHonorsCourses

BI1164HonorsBiology:DiversityofLife

CM1063HonorsCompositionandCommunicationICM1163HonorsCompositionandCommunicationIIHN2061 HonorsSeminar(repeated)

HN3063HonorsMultidisciplinaryIndependentStudy

AdditionalcoursesfromtheHonorsMenuCourseswithHonorsProjects

HonorsMenuCourses

AR2013Painting

AR3043DesigningwithNature

AS 4123 Sustainable Enterprise

BI3654Microbiology

BI 4243 Genetics and Molecular Biology

BI4423EcosystemEcology

CL3224CrimeSceneandInvestigativeTechniquesCM3113DocumentaryFilm

ED2003ExperientialTheoryandPractice

ED3443TeachingScienceintheSecondarySchoolsEH2213IntroductiontoEnvironmentalWriting

EH4213WritingforPublication

ES3213AppliedGeographicInformationSystems(GIS)ES3183Limnology

GL3044SurfaceandGroundwaterHydrologyGL4003GlobalChange

HNForeign Study

MA3443CalculusII

PL 3413Environmental Advocacy

PR4123Interpretive Methods

PS3303GreenBuilding:Assess,Design,RetrofitWF3013PopulationAssessmentandManagement

Process for Enrolling in Honors Menu Courses

The Honors Menu courses may be taken as regular, non-honors courses or as an honors course with an associated project. To take an Honors Menu course for honors credit, you must:

1.Register for one of the courses on the Honors Menu list.

2.Talk with the professor teaching the course to let him/her know of your intention and to discuss possible project ideas. This discussion needs to occur before the end of the semester prior to the semester you will be taking the course to allow for sufficient planning by both you and the professor (i.e. if you are taking the Honors Menu course in the fall semester, you should discuss your plans with the professor before the end of the spring semester prior).

3.In consultation with the professor of the course, complete the Honors Menu Course Project Agreement Form and submit it electronically to the Honors Program Director by the end of the second week of classes.

4.The Honors Program Director will notify you and the professor electronically on the review outcome of the agreement form within one week of receipt. The agreement form will either be accepted or you will be asked for revision. If a revision is requested, you will have one week to resubmit.

In order to receive honors credit for your Honors Menu course, you must pass the course with a grade of B or higher, and you must complete your Honors Project to the satisfaction of the professor of the course. Products from your Honors Project must be submitted to the Honors Committee by the end of the semester. If you meet these requirements, the Honors designation will be added to that course on your transcript.

HonorsProjectRequirements

HonorsprojectsassociatedwithcoursesfromtheHonorsMenuarenotjust“add-ons”or“busy-work”.Projectsaresubstantiveandintegrativewiththecoursecontent.AnHonorsProjectmay beanexpansionofaprojectcomponentalreadypartofthecourseoritmaybeastand-aloneproject. TheHonorsProjectmustincludethefollowing:

• Applicationofcoursecontenttoa “real-world”scenario,issue,orproblem
• Integrationoflearningfromotherdisciplines
• Creativeandindependentthinking
• Professionalpresentation

HonorsProjectsshouldresultinaproductthatyouwouldwanttoshareonyoure-portfolio.InstructorsofHonorsMenucourseshavealreadyconsideredrelevantand effectiveprojectsfortheircourses.Consultwiththeinstructorabouthis/herideasandshareyourown.Expecttospendabout12-20hoursduringthesemester,aboveandbeyondthetypicalcoursework,tocompleteyourHonorsProject.

Honors Foreign Study Experience

Honors students who choose a study abroad semester may earn 3 credits toward Honors Program requirement by documenting their cultural intelligence in a six-part process:

• Self-assessment of expectations and cultural intelligence prior to study abroad;
• Weekly blog entries describing how cultural assumptions have been reinforced or challenged;
• Midterm meeting via video conference or instant messaging with honors program director(s);
• Post-study abroad unpacking session with honors program director(s);
• Written or recorded self-assessment of how expectations were met or challenged and how cultural intelligence changed since the pre-study abroad self-assessment.
• Informal presentation to honors cohort.

Prior to departure, students pursuing honors credit for study abroad will complete a plan detailing how they will document their experiences and reflections. The plan must be approved by the Honors Committee.

Process for Enrolling in Honors Menu Courses

The Honors Menu courses may be taken as regular, non-honors courses or as an honors course with an associated project. To take an Honors Menu course for honors credit, you must:

5.Register for one of the courses on the Honors Menu list.

6.Talk with the professor teaching the course to let him/her know of your intention and to discuss possible project ideas. This discussion needs to occur before the end of the semester prior to the semester you will be taking the course to allow for sufficient planning by both you and the professor (i.e. if you are taking the Honors Menu course in the fall semester, you should discuss your plans with the professor before the end of the spring semester prior).

7.In consultation with the professor of the course, complete the Honors Menu Course Project Agreement Form and submit it electronically to the Honors Program Director by the end of the second week of classes.

8.The Honors Program Director will notify you and the professor electronically on the review outcome of the agreement form within one week of receipt. The agreement form will either be accepted or you will be asked for revision. If a revision is requested, you will have one week to resubmit.

In order to receive honors credit for your Honors Menu course, you must pass the course with a grade of B or higher, and you must complete your Honors Project to the satisfaction of the professor of the course. Products from your Honors Project must be submitted to the Honors Committee by the end of the semester. If you meet these requirements, the Honors designation will be added to that course on your transcript.

HonorsSeminar(HN2061)

Studentsintheseminarwillchooseacurrenttopicofinterestandexploretheissue fromaperspectiveofmultipledisciplines,usingknowledgeandskillsfromthe humanitiesandnatural andsocialsciences.Throughlivelydiscussionandcriticalreadingandwriting,studentswilldeveloptheirskillsinsyntheticreasoningwhile expandingtheirknowledgeofcurrentissuessuchaswaterresources,foodsystems,or wildlifereserves.Thiscoursemaybetakentwiceforcredit.

HonorsMultidisciplinaryIndependentStudy(HN3063)

TheIndependentStudyisadvancedworkthatallowsastudenttoinvestigateatopicin depth andbeyondexistingcoursework.InthisHonorsMultidisciplinary IndependentStudy,astudentwillchooseanissueofinterestandstudyitfromthe perspectivesofmultipledisciplines.Examplesofissuescouldbewaterpollutionstudiedfrombotha chemistryandapolicyperspective,orhuntingethicsexaminedfrom bothabiological andanthropologicalperspective.TheIndependentStudywillincludeaculminating projectwithareflectionaboutdifferentinsightsprovidedbythevariousdisciplines.

StudentspursuinganIndependentStudy willcompleteaplanofstudytobeapproved throughtheHonorsCommitteepriortofollowingtheprocedureforapplyingforan IndependentStudyasoutlinedintheUnityCollegecatalog.

ProcessforEnrollinginHN 3063

1.Identifyatopicofinterestanddevelopaproposaloutliningyourtopic,the differentdisciplinesfromwhichyouplantostudyyourtopic,your plannedmethodsofstudy(e.g.literaturesearching,interviews),andyourplansfora culminatingproject.

2.Identifyafaculty memberwhoyoufeelwillbeabletoprovidesupportforyouin yourstudyandmeetwithhim/hertodiscussyourproposalanddetermineifs/he willbeabletobeyoursponsor.

3.Inconsultationwithyourfacultysponsor,completetheHonorsMultidisciplinaryIndependentStudyProposalFormandsubmitit electronicallytotheHonorsProgramDirectoratleastfourweekspriortothestartofpre-registration forthesemesteryouwishtoenroll.

(Note:IfyouaretakingHN3063inaspringsemester,youwillneedtosubmittheformsometimeinearlyOctober.Ifyouaretakingthecourseinafallsemester,thedeadlinewillbeinearlyMarch.Inotherwords,youshouldbewritingyourproposalveryearlyinthesemesterpriortothesemesterthatyouwanttocompleteHN3063)

4.TheHonorsProgram Directorwillrespondelectronically toyouandyoursponsor withinoneweekofreceiptoftheoutcome ofreviewofyourproposal.Theproposalwilleitherbeaccepted, rejected,or youwillbeaskedforrevision.Ifarevisionisrequested,youwillhaveoneweektoresubmit.

5.OnceacceptedbytheHonorsProgramDirector,youwillthenhavetofollowthe Registrar’srequirementsforenrollinginanIndependentStudybysubmittingyour proposalonlinetotheRegistrar’sOfficeusingtheApplicationforIndependent StudyFormatleasttwoweekspriortothestartofpre-registration.

Yourfaculty sponsorisresponsibleforevaluatingyourworkduringthesemester enrolledinHN3063.HonorsMultidisciplinaryIndependentStudiesmustbecompleted withagradeofBorbettertocountashonorscreditsandtheproductfromthe culminatingprojectmustbesubmittedtotheHonorsCommitteeby theendoffinalsweek.

HonorsTransdisciplinaryCapstone(HN4063)

Transdisciplinary studiesareinquiry-basedandoftenbeginwithacurrentand relevantquestion.Examplescouldbe,“Howcanwereduceleadconcentrationsinourlake?”or“Whatarethelargestobstaclestogreaterlocalfoodproductioninthiscommunityand howcanweovercomethem?”Transdisciplinarystudiesarealso solution-oriented andcollaborative.Agroupoftwotothreestudentswillidentifythequestionofinterest,integratethetoolsandknowledgeofthehumanities,naturalandsocialsciences,and involveperspectivesfrombroadconstituentstodevelopaproposed solution.Eachgroupwillprepareaculminatingprojectonthegroup’sstudyquestion.StudentsenrollingintheHonorsTransdisciplinaryCapstonewillcompleteaplanofstudytobe approvedthroughthe HonorsCommitteepriortothebeginningofthesemesterinwhichtheyareenrolled.

ProcessforEnrollinginHN 4063

1.WithoneortwootherHonorsProgramstudents,identifyaquestionofinterestyouwanttopursueasa group.Youmay wanttochooseagroupthatincludesstudentswithvariedskillsanddisciplinarybackgrounds.

2.Withyourgroup,meetwiththeHonorsProgramDirectoratleastoneweekpriortopre-registrationtodiscussyourideas.

3.Youandyourgroupmemberswillpre-register forHN4063.

4.Withyourgroup,developaplan ofstudyforyourquestion.UsetheHonors TransdisciplinaryCapstonePlanofStudyForm toguide thedevelopmentofyourplan.Duringthisdevelopment,youshouldmeetwiththeprofessorofHN4063andpossiblytheHonorsProgram Directorforguidance.

5.SubmityourcompletedPlanofStudyelectronicallytotheHonorsProgram Directoratleastthreeweekspriortoendofthe semester beforethesemesterofenrollmentinHN4063(e.g.ifyouaretakingHN4063inthespringsemester,yourPlanofStudymustbesubmittedbeforetheendoffallsemester).The HonorsCommitteewillreviewyourPlanofStudy andrespondwith suggestionsbytheendofthesemester.

TheprofessorofHN4063isresponsibleforevaluatingyourworkinthecourse.Productsfromtheculminating projectofthecoursewillbesubmittedtotheHonorsCommitteebytheendofthesemester.

HonorsProgramExtra-CurricularRequirementsandExperiences

StudentConference

TheUnityCollegeStudentConferenceisanopportunitytocelebrateexcellencein academicworkcreatedbyUnityCollegestudents.AsanHonorsstudent, youshouldbeseekingopportunitiestopublicizeyouracademicworkandreceivefeedbackfrom thoseoutsidetheclassroom.Therefore,allHonorsstudentsarerequiredtopresentannually attheUnityCollegeStudentConferenceaftertheirfreshmanyear.

NorthStarLeadershipProgram

BeinganHonorsstudentisnotonly aboutstudyinghardandgettinggoodgrades.Honorsstudentstakeonchallenges,seekoutopportunitiestogrow,andstrivetobeleaders.Therefore,Honorsstudentsarerequiredtocompleteoneofthetracksinthe NorthStarLeadershipProgram.Forinformationonprogramtracksandrequirements,pleaserefertotheNorthStarLeadershipsectionon theUnity CollegewebsiteorcontactNancyZane().

OtherEvents

DuringtheyeartheHonors Program willsponsorseveralevents intendedtobroadenyourhorizons.Thesemayincludevisitstomuseums,attendingaconference,atripto seeanengagingspeaker,or participationinacommunity event.TheHonorsProgramisforthestudents,and weencouragestudentinvolvementinsuggestingeventsandassistanceinorganizingtheevents.Ifyouhaveideas,pleaseletthe HonorsProgramDirectorknow.ParticipationintheseeventsisnotrequiredforcompletionoftheHonors Program,butisdefinitelyencouraged.

RemaininginGoodStandingwiththeHonorsProgram

HonorsstudentsareexpectedtomaintainacumulativeGPAof3.50andmakesatisfactoryprogresstowardscompletionofHonorsProgramrequirements.Satisfactoryprogressincludesplanningforandcompletingthe21honorscredits,averagingatleast5creditsayear,makingprogressoncompletingtheNorthStarLeadershipProgram track,andparticipatingannuallyintheStudentConference.

IfyourcumulativeGPAfallsbelow3.50,orifyouarenotmakingsatisfactoryprogress towardscompletionofHonorsProgramrequirements,theHonorsProgramDirectorwillrequestameetingtoreviewyourstanding.WewanttobesupportiveofyourprogressintheHonors Program.Together,wewilldevelopaplanandgoalsforgettingyoubackontrackwiththeHonorsProgram.Ifafteranothersemesteryouarenotmakingprogress onthegoalsestablished,ifyourGPAistoolow,orifyouaresofarbehindonhonors creditsthatcompletionisnotpossible,youwillreceivealetterfrom theHonorsProgram DirectorindicatingthatyouarenolongerintheHonorsProgram.

RecognitionofHonorsProgramStudents

StudentswhocompletetheHonorsProgramrequirementswillbehonoredatgraduation withspecialhonorcordsandnoted inthegraduationprogram.Completionof theHonorsProgram willalsobenotedonyour transcript.