Plans and Happy Holidays

Vol. 1 No. 14

Make sure you register for Honors courses this Spring!

COM 115-06 - Interpersonal Communications Honors with Amy Flagler
ENG 101-04 - Composition I Honors with Barbara Murphy
ENG 101-12 - Composition I Honors with Trista Merrill
ENG 102-05 - Introduction to Literature Honors with Curt Nehring Bliss
ENG 102-16 - Introduction to Literature Honors with Curt Nehring Bliss
HON 200-01 - Presidential Greatness Honors Seminar with Brian Bell
HON 200-02 - Analyzing Alice Honors Seminar with Trista Merrill
MUS 117-02 - Master Composers II Honors with David McGuire
PHL 101-90 - Introduction to Philosophy Honors with Mark Worrell
PHL 103-01 - Ethics Honors with Mark Worrell
PHL 105-01 - Philosophy of Religion Honors with Mark Worrell
PSY 100-08 - Introduction to Psychology Honors with Andrew Knapp
SSC 215-01 - Gender and Women's Studies Honors with Vera Whisman
SSC 215-05 - Love and Romance Honors with Linda Ross and Anthony Indorato

Lots of options - sign up today!  And bring your friends because remember...

ALL YOU HAVE TO BE IS CURIOUS... :)

Chaos Matters! (Guest)

Vol 1. No. 13 - Guest blogger:  Dr. Sam Samanta

This week, as the Fall 2016 semester winds down, I thought it would be fun to look ahead to a whole new semester, a whole new year, and a whole new world of Honors courses to explore.  So, I give you a sneak preview of one of the best kept secrets at FLCC - a class in Chaos.  I don't know about you, but I have a lot of Chaos in my life, and it would be amazing to learn how it works in our world!  Consider taking this class which, Dr. Samanta assures me, should not be looked at as "too hard" for any of our students.  If you can Honors, you can do it.  Give it a try!

SCI 137 01 CHAOS: The Self-Organizing Universe  (Writing Intensive)

Dr. Sam Samanta: Fridays 2-4:50 pm Honors House  (Plus 2 hours On-line work) 

Sam.Samanta@flcc.edu    https://twitter.com/InvariantChaos 

Check out #SCI137 and #ChaosDuJour            

CHAOS MATTERS!

Do you ever wonder if the physical world and life driven by random events makes long-term predictions impossible? Scientists have found hidden patterns in solar-flares, weather, forest fires, stock-market crashes, flooding, earthquakes, cities, traffic-jams, internet, social-networks, galaxies, crimes, wars, tornados, hurricanes, and dynamics of human relationships. The temporal patterns of chaos are characterized by equations that can explain the apparent randomness. Through writing, discussion, lab experiences, and computer modeling, this course will explore the relevance of Chaos theory to our lives and demonstrate its impact across scientific disciplines as well as non-science areas such as communications, economics, the arts and humanities.

Now, more than ever before, we need a unified quantitative universal framework for making sense of the world; in order to communicate across disciplinary boundaries and undertake actions through which we affect change in our lives and world at large. We will identify Complexity as intersection of Chaos, Fractals, and Self-organization.

The core values focused at our college are: Inquiry, Interconnectedness, Perseverance, and Vitality. You will exemplify best practices of Inquiry through exploring Interconnectedness of issues that relate your major and/or life-long interests to the concepts and techniques of the Chaos course. We will exhibit Perseverance through the steps we undertake to overcome barriers to quantitative understanding of models and improving articulation of our synthesis through cycles of feedback on both written papers and verbal presentations (using PowerPoint/Prezi.). Through final public presentations to the community at large; we will exhibit Vitality of our intellectual journey and present actionable prescriptions for addressing the concurrent challenges we face at multiple scales: form personal lives, to lives of institutions, nation and world at large.

Your individual project work on this course could become basis for individualized major for baccalaureate and graduate studies or unique specialization in your professional career. This course is not about any singular destination. Your individual journey begins here for discovering new patterns of orderly disorder in the mind and the world; and finding effective strategies for harnessing creative forces from the chaos of life!

    

           

Found Honors

Vol. 1 No. 12

Recently, the Honors Advisory Board developed and conducted a survey of all students enrolled in an Honors course in the Fall 2016 semester.  I don’t know a lot about data and the like, but they tell me that the 26 responses we got back was an excellent return.  I hope to get even more next time we conduct one.  Those that did respond said some amazing things about Honors, though, and I would like to let you see what they said.  To that end, I’ve created a ‘found poem’ – where I built a poem using only the words that were provided on the survey.  The only changes I made were some spelling and tenses here and there.  Other than that, I simply rearranged phrases, shortened sentences, and removed some punctuation to come up with what you see below.  I hope you enjoy.

Honors Survey, 2016

I. The dedicated faculty...

My teachers have been wonderful

truly engaged with both the students and material

They set a great example for their students

and do much to encourage and sustain inquisitiveness

Relatable…

I like how they care about how we do and don't want us to do badly

they are genuinely invested in our education

Knowledgeable but humble and approachable

Teacher's teaching ability…hard work and preparation.

Caring…

The willingness of honors teachers

to go on a 25 minute tangent from the original discussion

to answer a legitimate question you had

about how the subject relates to something else

Eagerness…

Each faculty member is unique and has an interesting perspective

I find these individuals incredibly intelligent

and I want to learn as much as I possibly can from them.

                their dedication to ensure an actual learning experience occurs.

                                                                                    Realness…

Always…seem to care very deeply about what they’re teaching

this makes it much easier as a student to feel engaged

how dedicated they are to their work.

professionalism mixed with fun discussions

Understanding…

The teacher is mostly hands off…

II. The classroom scenery

The relaxed atmosphere is so comforting especially during stressful times

It allows us to learn the way I think we should;

Allowing for students to guide class discussion

Everyone in the class has the same or more interest in the topic as I do

The connection you build with your classmates

because of the small groups you're taught in

                When students teach each other they learn more

and are more interested and motivated to study as well

The small classes, comforting atmosphere,

class discussion rather than lecture, interesting topics

Honors classes attract individuals interested in learning

and having fun while doing so…the atmosphere

III. The honors experience…

It has been one of the best experiences of my life

It's unlike any class I’ve ever had

Honors have been an amazing experience

It helped me to see things differently

Honors just needs to be experienced to be fully understood

Giving Thanks...

Vol. 1, No. 11

There is a practice, in the world of bloggers and writers, to try and say everything you want to say in 300 words.  That is not always easy for me, but in this busy week of snowstorms and holidays, I thought it might be good to keep this blog short.  So, the following is an Honors version of being thankful, in exactly 300 words.

Every day the news seems to show a stricken nation, divided along lines that are too dug too deeply.  We face battles that we don’t know how to fight and we debate things that feel like we should not be debated.  So many of us are frightened, frustrated, and fatigued.  Even those who are winning are feeling the sting of this divisiveness.  The silver lining, however, is that we are afforded an amazing power to ask hard questions, engage in rigorous debate, and fight those battles.  We have voices that we can and are using.  We have individual and collective strength that very may well change the landscape of everything around us.  We can be greater and more powerful than the systems we are standing up against.  One of the ways we can do this in our local community is through the FLCC Values:  vitality, inquiry, perseverance, and interconnectedness.  These values are so much larger than simply what drives us as students and faculty and staff at the college.  They are the kinds of things that make humans better humans to themselves, each other, and the world around them.  Grown from these values are the learning outcomes for Honors that we are piloting this semester.  We want students to reflect on and evaluate their internal learning processes, analyze connections among learning experiences, and be able to articulate the value of intellectual pursuit in a scholarly tradition.  In short, Honors students should find within themselves the power to ask questions, be curious, learn and change and see the world as interconnected where they belong and have a place.  These qualities can carry us through the times that come and will give voice to the silenced, give power to the powerless, and embolden those who need courage.  For this, I am thankful.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them." – John F. Kennedy

Go Ask Alice...

Vol 1. No 10.

The following is a slightly edited version of the remarks I made at the Honors graduation ceremony last May.  Since Alice is being offered in the Spring and we are all of us gearing up to end another semester, it seemed fitting to revisit these words of celebration.  The edits made were to tidy up some of the language that didn't quite convey what I should have conveyed...

***

Curiouser and curiouser!’ cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); `now I’m opening out like the largest telescope that ever was! Good-bye, feet!’ (for when she looked down at her feet, they seemed to be almost out of sight, they were getting so far off).

….

Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the hall was very hot, she kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking: `Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I’m not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, THAT’S the great puzzle!

Since I began in the position of director, I’ve spent a good deal of time thinking on this very question in regards to Honors.  I’ve led and attended workshops and conferences, written descriptions of the Honors experience, collaborated with fellow devotees on a mission and goals and I’ve had conversations – so many conversations – with family, friends, students, alumni, faculty, and staff about this very thing.  I had been teaching Honors on and off for years and so I felt that I knew it well, but when charged with the task of leading it and growing it, I came to realize that articulating and codifying the Honors identity was no small feat.

No need to despair, however, for two things quickly came to the forefront of numerous conversations in numerous arenas as being hallmarks of what we do here:  curiosity and transformation.  All of us involved with Honors know that these things apply to the students who were drawn into and become engaged in the Honors experience.  You are those students; you’ve felt the eagerness of learning, the power of being curious, the joy and confidence that can come from a shared intellectual endeavor with like-minded classmates.  You have grown and been changed by your experiences here, and they will stay with you in some measure as you continue here or move onward.  You embody what it means to be Honors and Honors could not exist without you.

For others of you, you serve a different role:  you know those students, you’ve supported them as they struggled and triumphed, smiling at their enthusiasm and doing your best to help them channel their energy.  You have watched with pride and sometimes confusion as your personal Alice changed before your eyes – sometimes more rapidly than you could have expected.  You are an important part of what enables us to be here tonight, encouraging and recognizing the students we are honoring because they got here with your support.  Honors could not exist without its vast network of friends and family standing on the sidelines cheering on our scholars.

But there is still someone else for whom these words ring true.  The Honors faculty.

We are proud of our shiny new slogan that informs and invites students into Honors by telling them that all they need to be is curious, and at first I was somewhat surprised to find myself using this slogan among the faculty.  The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized that what happens in Honors courses is not just transformative for the students, but it is often equally so for the faculty who elect to teach them.  Honors courses also serve as an invitation for us to explore topics of interest, to satiate our quest for knowledge and learning that may be off the beaten path but still within our fields.  It is an invitation to look at our core courses in different ways and explore the boundaries with which we are so familiar.  Just like Alice experiences with her change in size, Honors courses can surprise us into looking at ourselves and our disciplines in whole new ways.  I am not the same professor that I was years ago – and while I’m sure that is true for most instructors who stay in the teaching profession, I can make a direct correlation between my transition and my experiences in Honors.  I have gone from being simply Dr. Merrill to being Teach and I am proud of that shift.  My students remind me what it’s like to be excited about learning and they expand my horizons every time I work with them.  I am curious, and they are curious right along with me.  I am passionate and enthusiastic and they have that same passion and enthusiasm.  We feed off each other and the classroom environment – no, the whole learning experience -- is better for all of us.  I know that I would not be the teacher I am without Honors and I know that my fellow faculty feel the same.  So, thank you – thank you for being a constant reminder of why we are here and for making us better than we were.

We are all of us Alice and I am proud to be among you.  

The Heart of Honors

Vol 1., No. 9

We live in a world that seems more and more contentious and intolerant if all the negative stories that cross our paths are to be believed.  I’m not sure about the world as a whole, but I know that there are points of light no matter where you go and FLCC is no different.  November is upon us, and it often brings with it a nod towards things about which we are thankful.  I’m thankful for the moments I observe as a professor; moments that are perhaps far more telling than perhaps the people involved even realize.  So, sit back and meander through an eighty minute class of mine wherein I witnessed four vignettes of student interaction that have stuck with me.  There are more, but I really like these four and I think they say a lot about the students involved and the kind of environment classes can create.  I doubt I need to say that it was an Honors course, but it was. This is not to say that I don’t think these kinds of stories exist all across our campus and beyond, because I believe they do.  In my experience, however, it is in the Honors classrooms where I see these heartwarming stories more often.

“Pardon”

In a moment of waiting for some as others finished up in-class work, one student stood up to draw on the board.  She went to caption her illustration and asked her classmates how to spell a word.  One said, “really?!” in a sort of disbelieving way and she immediately turned around and said, “Hey, I have dyslexia, shut up.”  These last two words were said in a congenial sort of way and without any malice.  The first student asked if she really was and when she told him she was, he said sincerely, “I didn’t know, pardon” and then proceeded to goofily (and obviously) misspell the word for her.  This moment struck me for several reasons. First – a student with documented learning disabilities was enrolled in a 200-level English Honors class.  Second – she was comfortable enough with her classmates to admit this without embarrassment or apology.  Third – her classmate immediately apologized and then carried on as if she were just another classmate.  Because she was.

“I tried”

Another student in the class has near-crippling anxiety when it comes to speaking in class and especially when presenting.  She never refuses to do it, but it is occasionally very painful to watch her suffer, near tears, with whatever is asked of her.  On this day, she had to describe a classmate’s project to the rest of the class, who could clearly tell she was struggling.  Several students offered suggestions – including to put on sunglasses.  She did this, but then had to take them off because they were too dark for her to see what she was reading.  The student who made the suggestion said he tried, and he sounded sincerely disappointed that it didn’t work.  With a few more words of encouragement, they all then listened as she spoke in her shaky voice which kept giving out.  When she was done, there were several nods and smiles of support, and then the class just carried on, leaving her to settle and regain her calm as if that were the most normal thing in the world.  Because it is.

“Third person”

A third student in that same class is transgendered and just this semester, he came out as such.  It has been an adjustment for those who know him, of course, and a terrifying journey for him as well.  I don’t think everyone in the class knows yet, because it generally isn’t the kind of thing that you announce in a classroom setting.  There are some who know, however, and so a casual comment took on a much more meaningful depth when I put him in a group with another male of the same name.  There were comments about them being ‘Name Squared’ and whatnot, but when the other student was commenting on his classmate’s project, someone in the class piped up and said ‘You sound like you’re talking in the third person’ and that was just such a casual and flippant sort of comment until you realized what it actually entailed.  Students accepted their classmate who was transitioning and treating the flipped pronoun as if it were no big deal.  Because it shouldn’t be.

“Make it brighter”

The last vignette involves me.  I had a rough couple of hours before I headed into class that day and, had I not cancelled the class the week before for a personal reason, I probably would have cancelled it that day.  So, I walked in, settled into the room and someone asked me how I was.  For whatever reason, I decided to tell them I’d have a rough day.  Without missing a beat, one of the students said, “Well, let’s see if we can make it a little brighter for you, doctor.”  As if it were no big deal.

But it was.  Time and time again, students in Honors classes form a bond with one another and with their instructor.  Not that they pry or force intimacy where there is none, but I’m sure my fellow Honors faculty will agree with me when I say there is an Honors community that is unlike any other kind of class I’m used to teaching.  Except when I model them on my Honors courses.  There’s something about the Honors approach – the curiosity, the enthusiasm, the passion – that encourages students to let down some of their guard, to acknowledge and work with and around difference, to support and encourage each other, to raise each other up and to create a real learning environment.   They celebrate one another and value one another and, in turn, are valued themselves.  Not as just another face in just another classroom, but as fellow traveler on an intellectual journey. 

It is one of the most satisfying and amazing observations to make as an instructor, because I am only one small part of a much larger being born of synergy and shared experience, and a genuine love of learning.

That…is Honors.

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls” – Anais Nin

Honors Happenings

Vol 1. No. 8

It’s been a crazy week with advising and the spring semester on everyone’s mind along with the ending of the semester looming and Hallowe’en getting everyone excited.  I’ve been working hard on getting ready for next semester – soon you will see posters appearing around campus for ALL the Honors courses in the Spring as well as ones for my own Alice in Wonderland course.  I’ve been talking to various faculty about coming to guest lecture in that class and so far Tim Biehler, Linda Ross, Robert Brown, April Steenburgh, Mary Murphy, Derrick Gentry, and Liz Brownell have all shown interest in doing a repeat performance of their work last time I taught this class.  I have a couple of other folks to come chat as well.

I know that Dr. Brown in the Social Science department is creating a pamphlet to advertise courses in his area, and you should see Brian Bell’s presidential class there.  We should see other posters and things popping up as well.  If you haven’t already guessed, Honors faculty are extremely excited about their own classes as well.  It’s a strange time to get excited about next semester when we are in the throes of this one, but that curiosity and enthusiasm we always talk about is infectious. 

Remember – to find ALL Honors courses for the spring, just select HON from the WebAdvisor pull down menu and that will give you everything from the seminars to Honors in the Disciplines.

Speaking of energy, it was amazingly high and contagious at the Honors dinner as well.  For a first time event, I think it was wonderfully successful and I can’t wait to begin planning for a repeat performance in the spring.  We had 40 or so students there, plus a number of Honors faculty and supporters.  We heard from President Nye, Provost Fragnoli, and the interim AVP of Instruction, Cassy Kent.  We also heard from the faculty teaching some of the more specialized classes and Vera Whisman even got us to think about gender influences things as ‘innocent’ as how we sit.  One of the best parts of the evening was when current Honors students stood up and shared their thoughts with those in attendance.  I had no idea what they would say, and I must say that I was thrilled to hear them talking about all the same things I think of when I think about Honors myself.  Special thanks to Nick Lathrop, Erin Oakley, Megan Scicchitano, and Luke Martin for talking about their experiences from a student perspective.  Speaking of student perspectives, within a blog or two, we will hear from Noel Scouten, who is going to guest blog about her experience with working on an Honors contract this semester in ENG 102 – Introduction to Literature.

We have some big announcements coming soon, but I have to get a couple of meetings taken care of first.  But, keep in mind that big things are coming for Honors and I hope you will be excited as we are about what is to come.

We might even be able to sell T-shirts!  Those were a huge hit!  :D

Stay curious!

“In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision” – Dalai Lama

Honors Spring 2017

Vol. 1, No. 7

SPRING INTO HONORS!!

Look at all the amazing offerings we have in Honors for the Spring!  See WebAdvisor for more details and remember....STAY CURIOUS.

TOPICS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE: GENDER AND WOMEN'S STUDIES

(SSC 215-01)

This course will lead students in an examination of the social forces that shape our lives by gender, with a particular emphasis on women in the contemporary United States. The course emphasizes awareness of the many forms of diversity among women, and explores issues of race, class, and sexuality, as well as gender. The course will cover areas such as "gender and the body" (including beauty, sexuality, and interpersonal violence), "gender and social institutions" (including family, economy, politics, education, and religion), and "gender and social change" (including feminist, anti-feminist, LGBTQ, and other gender-related movements).

***

TOPICS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE - LOVE AND ROMANCE: SCIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGY

(SSC 215-02)

This course is an exploration of the psychology of love and romance. We will focus on romantic or love relationships with particular attention to adolescent and emerging adult romantic relationships. Students will have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of romance/love and likely will find that the literature contains unexpected findings that can change the way they look at relationships, both from academic and applied or real-life perspectives.

***

SEMINAR – ANALYZING ALICE: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY LOOK AT THE WORK OF LEWIS CARROLL

(HON 200-01)

The lasting influence and power of Carroll's Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There is undeniable - from Disney and Tim Burton to Jefferson Airplane and American McGee, Alice seems to have a firm hold on popular imaginations from all corners of the arts and beyond. The purpose of this course is to engage in traditional literary analysis and also explore a variety of disciplines such as art, psychology, math, theater, and history. Guest speakers and student presentations will foster an interdisciplinary and multi-faceted look at the power Alice has held over us ever since she first followed the White Rabbit in 1865.

***

SEMINAR – PRESIDENTIAL GREATNESS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

(HON 200-02)

In what presently would seem to be one of the most contentious Presidential elections in American History, it is very important that our students understand and participate in the political process. With that in mind, this course is based upon a study and analysis of the evolution of the office of the Presidency from George Washington to George Herbert Walker Bush. No one individual is perfect or without ever experiencing failure, frustration, tragedy, loss, and embarrassment. All whether Presidents, Senators, or everyday normal people have experienced or will experience in their lifetimes moments of victory, mediocracy, and failure. Together, we will examine the office of the Presidency of the United States and the lives and careers of those who led our country. By doing so, we will reinforce that we are all mortal and capable of experiencing in our lifetimes “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”

***

PLUS, MORE HONORS IN THE DISCIPLINES!

· ENG 101 – COMPOSITION I

· ENG 102 – INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

· COM 115 – INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

· PSY 100 – INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

· PHL 101 – INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

· PHL 103 - ETHICS

· MUS 117 – MASTER COMPOSERS II

· SCI 137 – CHAOS THEORY

Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why” – Bernard Baruch

Honors Voices

Vol.1 No. 6

This week, while I’m in Seattle and not quite ready to tell you all about what I’m learning here, I thought it might be fun to hear some other voices. So, this blog is going to introduce you to some of the faces behind Honors. The following burbs are from the five FLCC faculty and staff members who sit on the Honors Advisory Board. I rely on these folks to give advice, share ideas, explore possibilities, and work out issues of all types within Honors. I cannot express how valuable this group is to the future of Honors and to all the things that I’ve been working on since I took over the directorship. So, I thought you should get the chance to meet them. I asked each of them to share with me a little statement about why they agreed to serve on the Board. I think you will hear each of their voices coming through, and I think you will also feel their dedication and their passion for all things Honors. And I hope that in this introduction, you can hear my appreciation and gratitude for all they do. These are not the only ones who support Honors by any means, but they are the ones who’ve agreed to let me call on their expertise regularly and repeatedly. So here they are, in no particular order...

Dr. Linda Ross

Faculty Member

My name is Dr. Linda Ross and I am an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Social Sciences Department. My specialty in psychology is clinical psychology and I have many years of treatment and teaching experience. I have always been extremely curious about how and why people become who they are as an adult. I have wondered again and again why does a given individual do the things that they do and how did they become a person who thinks and feels and behaves that way? Honors Studies courses provide me with a venue for sharing with interested students some of the research that has resulted from this burning curiosity, exploring such topics as: How does a person become gay, straight, asexual or bisexual; what kind of person kills their own children; what is the impact on a person of killing another human being?

I am serving on the Honors Advisory Board because, quite simply, Honors Studies provides students with learning experiences that are not typically available to them through standard curriculum. Between the small class size, the emphasis on student-driven discussion and self-reflection and, the wide range of highly focused subject matter from many disciplines, students have the opportunity to indulge their curiosities. Honors Studies provide students and the faculty who teach them with intellectually rich learning opportunities to explore specific topics of interest in greater depth and detail than might otherwise be available. It is this combination of focus on a specific topic in greater depth and the opportunity for students to stretch both their thinking, their academic skill set and to have the opportunity to indulge their curiosity that makes Honors Studies experiences so important to support and develop.

Johnathan Murray

One Stop

Hi, curious ones. I am Johnathan Murray, the Assistant Director of the One Stop Center. I am an FLCC alum, RIT alum, and current Keuka College student (2017). I am an educator, student, bird watcher, gamer, amateur photographer, baker, and Tolkien fan. Why am I interested in Honors? I am proud of the Honors Program at FLCC, of its uniqueness, its mission, and the opportunities it provides to our students. I think the course offerings are cool! I am appreciative of our engaged and enthusiastic faculty involved in the program.

I was asked to be part of the Honors Group for my expertise in enrollment services, I stay involved because of my excitement for the program.

Vera Whisman

Faculty Member and Assessment Coach

Who am I? My name is Vera Whisman. I’m a sociologist, with a Ph.D. from New York University. I have taught, researched, and published in gender studies and social movements. I grew up in Oklahoma, but I’ve also lived in St. Louis, New York City, Provincetown, and until recently, Ithaca. My partner Shari and I have been together for 29 years, and married for two. Our son is a college junior.

What have I done in Honors Studies? I’ve been teaching in HS since I arrived at FLCC as an adjunct instructor. My first course was Green Grrrls and Earth Mothers, an interdisciplinary course in feminist and environmentalist movements. Since then, I’ve taught the interdisciplinary social science course, “Women in Society” as an Honors course. (That course will continue under the broader name, “Gender and Women’s Studies.”) I also offer an Honors section of Introduction to Sociology.

I sit on the Honors Studies Advisory Board, and I helped in the review of the curriculum for the Honors Studies Certificate.

What draws me to teaching in Honors Studies at FLCC? First, the students: HS courses draw students who are curious and interested, who want to learn--and to think, talk, and write about what they’re learning. Second, the structure: HS courses work for my students and work for me because they offer small classes in a seminar setting, encourage exploration of unusual topics and methods, and are supported by a pedagogy of reflective learning.

What are my hopes for the future of Honors Studies at FLCC? I’d like to see HS continue to lead the way in nurturing an intellectual campus culture. For example: at my son’s high school, students were encouraged to understand that “Everyone is an Athlete.” The idea was that athleticism is not for just a small number of gifted people, but rather something that everyone can and should participate in. I’d like to see HS communicating that “Everyone is an Intellectual,” that the life of the mind is something we all can participate in, that it’s not something to be left to only a small number of gifted people.

Jennie M. Erdle

Student Life

Some may think that a Student Life and Honors Studies pairing might not make much sense, but I hope the following may shed light on how this truly has been a relationship built long ago, and how this collaboration only enhances the holistic student experience for our students.

As a Higher Education practitioner, it is important to be mindful of the principles of good practice for Student Life. It is also important to be consistent with core values which have been documented throughout the literature of the profession to enrich each of our institutions mission. Since 1937 when the American Council on Education published the first Student Personnel Point of View, the field has produced many documents about student life work. These works span seven decades, examining student life from different perspectives and for different purposes. They demonstrate the long-standing belief that higher education has a responsibility to develop citizens capable of contributing to the betterment of society. These documents affirm the conviction that higher education professionals have a duty to help students reach their full potential.

Our beliefs about higher education serve as the foundation for our commitment to the development of "the whole person"; our collective professional values are derived from that commitment. Values evident across the history of student life work include an acceptance and appreciation of individual differences; lifelong learning; education for effective citizenship; student responsibility; ongoing assessment of learning and performance (students' and our own); pluralism and multiculturalism; ethical and reflective student affairs practice; supporting and meeting the needs of students as individuals and in groups; and freedom of expression with civility. Any statement of principles of good practice for student affairs must be consistent with our profession's values and must help us meet our founding commitments.

Do this beliefs and principles sound familiar? They should, because much of what is at the heart Honors Studies program fall within these same learning outcomes. With these thoughts in mind, to take part in the Honors Studies transition has been a blessing and an honor. I have enjoyed working with the academic side of Finger Lakes Community College from the inception of a new mission and vision, to the development of learning outcomes. It has been truly a joy to celebrate all that honors studies has to offer the “whole student”.

FLCC Marketing Office

The main function of the Marketing Office is to share FLCC’s unique features and benefits with future students and their families because we know that this information is critical during college selection. We also know that FLCC offers various opportunities that people expect to only find at a large college or university. One of these unique and interesting options is the Honors Studies Program, which marries creativity with intellect, features active group discussion, and is centered on personal reflection and reflective writing. As experts on the market and our audience, we know that a substantial segment of the population is seeking this type of college experience because it is challenging, dynamic, insightful, and unlike any other learning method they’ve ever experienced. Plus, the faculty and students in the Honors Studies Program are passionate about their in-class and out-of-class learning experiences, and their enthusiasm is contagious. For these reasons, the Marketing Office is thrilled to serve on the Honors Program Board and participate as an active supporter of this successful and expanding effort.

 “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” - Helen Keller

Honors Event!

Vol. 1. No. 5

TO:  FLCC STUDENTS

RE:  HONORS DINNER, Sponsored by the FLCC Student Corps.

DAY:  October 18th, 2016

TIME:  5:00 - 7:00

WHERE:  Stage 14

WHAT:

I have wanted, since mid-summer, to have an event that was open to both Honors students and students CURIOUS about Honors.  In my mind, I was thinking a room, some pizza, and a lot of mingling.  I didn't have a lot of ideas as to how to go about planning such an event, however, so I set up a meeting with Jennie Erdle, Director of Student Life and Dreamer of Big Dreams.  That was when everything exploded into this event to which I am now inviting FLCC students.

By the time our meeting ended, my pizza mixer was wholly and truly transformed and I couldn't be happier.  The precision and grace with which Jennie took my idea from me and rewrote gives me the feeling that this is how Jennie always looks at the world.  So, if you are imagining sitting in a classroom eating pizza, think again.  Replace the classroom with Stage 14 and replace the desks in a circle with round tables with real linens and tableware.  No more pizza -- instead, think pasta (gluten free) and sauce (meatless red and alfredo) with breadsticks, salad, and cake.  Instead of awkward conversations and small pockets of people that you know from class, think instead of speakers who will share with you their stories about Honors. Instead of posters leaned up against the white boards, we will have real people talking about the courses they plan to teach in Honors in the spring.  And instead of badly drawn pictures with dry erase markers, we will have Honors T-shirts for the first 50 students who come.

I am lining up some folks to talk to us -- not about numbers and requirements or credits and schedules, but instead about passion and curiosity, about intellectual adventures and the value of real learning.  You'll see faculty who are excited about teaching, enthusiastic about subject areas, and excited to learn from their students just as their students learn from them.  You'll hear about the fascinating courses we have up and coming in Honors in the Spring.  You'll read the words of Honors students who came before you and listen to college administrators as they talk about what makes Honors special and important to them beyond just enrollment and educational mandates.  You'll hear from people who very much care about students in general and about Honors in particular.  And, of course, you'll have time to talk with the people at your table about your own experiences in Honors.

All in all, I'm grateful that Jennie took my small idea and exploded it into something about which we can really get excited.  I've already invited all the students in Honors courses to come and I hope that this will act to reinforce that.  I hope also that this blog will find its way to those who might be curious about Honors and they will find their way to us that evening as well.  Whether already enrolled or just curious about it, this is a great way to learn about Honors and to celebrate the amazing things that faculty and students alike are coming together to do.

Come join us for food, fellowship, and fun.  Honors - where all you have to be is curious...and hungry!

"I would like to help others rediscover....wonder -- to want to engage with it, to want to learn, to want to share what they've learned, what they've figured out to be true and what they're still figuring out." - Sarah Kay

Dinosaur Thoughts....

Vol. 1, No. 4

I hand wrote this last evening while having dinner in Syracuse following a pre-retreat gathering with six other Honors Directors from various SUNY schools...

So, I am sitting at Dinosaur BBQ with a brain very full after just two hours of meeting with a (hopefully) comparatively small group of Honors directors.  Rockland, Canton, Ulster, Delhi, Brockport, New Paltz and, later, Potsdam were all represented.  There were as many different models as there were folks in the room;  everything from 'we have 400 students' to 'we just graduated our first'.  We were both two-year schools and four-year schools (and even one that is both) and we talked about all manner of Honors.

Here are some things that I learned...

1) Four years schools expect community service as part of their Honors programs.  They do not, however, expect their community college transfers (and they DO accept transfer students!) to have done any.  They don't lower the overall requirement, but since it is only 40 hours, that doesn't seem onerous.  They really seemed to understand that acclimation to the college experience is important and often even more so for community college students who so often have much more on their plates. It was clear that while they felt that service was important, it was not and should not be more important than students doing well in their two-year college and becoming adept in the academic setting.  This aligned nicely with what I feel - which is that service is important, but it needs to find its place and trying to universally apply it to a community college setting might be difficult.  So much of our population consists of first generation students, returning students, students with full-time jobs, students with children, students with other immense challenges.  I'm not saying we can't do it or it shouldn't be part of community college at ALL, I'm just relieved that it is not an expectation.

2)  Our "program" is unique.  For one thing, it is not a program, though we are in the process of gathering data about it so we can assess it like a program.  Many of my colleagues (in fact, I think all of them) have an admissions process.  This intake involves things like high school GPA, SAT and ACT scores, applications, and interviews.  Students have to APPLY to be Honors, even at the other community colleges.  And that works for them.  But for us, you really only have to be curious and I think that works for US.  If there is even a spark of honors in you, we will find it.  Every time I go to events, I worry a bit that our Honors will be dismissed or not taken seriously because it is unique in this way.  But I'm new - and what I'm learning is that Honors people seem to embrace and supper Honors as a concept, not as a model.

3) There are as many ways to realize Honors as there are imaginations to dream them up.  I told my colleagues about a student at FLCC who discovered Honors simply because she was interested in the topic of the course.  As a result, she changed her major, declared herself an Honors Student, and began to take other Honors courses.  Prior to this, she often lacked confidence because of a learning disability and bad experiences in the past.  When I told my colleagues this story, they nodded.  They said things like 'that is cool' and expressed excitement on our behalf that our Honors model allows this sort of self-discovery to happen.  The song of the day was 'what works for your campus' and it was a refrain that I'm learning more and more as I attend events like this and talk to other Honors Directors both local to our state and across the country.

4)  Capstone is an end word.   Someday, I hope that we will have what I would have called a capstone class or project to round out the Honors experience at FLCC.  But today, I learned that some don't like that word because it implies that the top has been reached.  This is problematic when we think about how Honors is meant to encourage lifelong learning.  Why not call it a signature project?  Or a milestone course?  Whether a student is going from a two year to a four year, two year to the work force, four year to post graduate, or four year to work force, the attributes learned in Honors will go with them.  The story is not ending just because the student is leaving our institution, and it seems like even our language should reinforce that idea.  It's all about the stories.

We all have stories.  And despite the work that seems insurmountable and never-ending, it's the stories that keep the heart of Honors beating, for four hundred students or four.  I am proud to be facilitating those stories and helping to write them and I am energized by the work my colleagues are doing across SUNY, across our own campus, and, perhaps most of all, across our classrooms.

What's your Honors story?

-T

"I wonder what sort of tale we've fallen into?"

Sam to Frodo, The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien

SUNY Gathering

Vol 1. No. 3

Hello!

I'm a little bit late with episode three of Honors Matters, but I am here!

I have an Honors event this week about which I'm quite excited and I wanted to share it with you and invite you to pass along any thoughts you might have.

On Friday, I will be travelling to Syracuse to join a group of SUNY Honors Directors and Deans to network and share ideas.  We will get together for a social dinner on Friday evening and will continue our conversations at an all day meeting on Saturday.  Agenda items so far include:

Best practices - I'm really looking forward to this part.  This where I will get to share some of what we've been doing at FLCC as well as hear what other campuses are doing.  I hope to bring home lots of ideas that we can implement.

Honors contracts - I'm curious about what other campuses do.  We don't have a lot of contracts here, but I imagine that this number might increase as more and more students hear about Honors as a whole.  This is especially important for students in tight programs or for students who arrived late to Honors and are hoping to complete a certificate or diploma in an abridged amount of time.

Enhance connections - this is an important one.  I get asked a lot of questions about what Honors can do for a student in terms of transfer and I think these are really important conversations to have.  I am curious as to what four-year institutions are looking for and how we can work together to make Honors part of a transfer student's experiences in a positive way.

Honors visibility - Honors Deans and Directors across SUNY are interested in great links to the chancellor's office - especially in light of the change in leadership at that level.  These are important conversations to have as a whole and may even result in some kind of liaison between Honors at the campus level and SUNY central.

Assessment rubrics - this might not sound very interesting for students, but it should!  We are working very hard behind the scenes to align Honors with the learning framework of the whole college and shaping our learning outcomes to match work being done at the college on a larger level.  With that, comes the need to assess and create evidence that shows we are doing all the things we want to do.  The timing of this agenda item is perfect for us - as several classes are piloting the new learning outcomes and other documents this very semester!

The fun of all of this is that it really shows that we are trying to practice some of the core tenants of Honors in our very own practice.  It's all about making connections, reflecting on what we are doing, and expanding learning outside the classroom.  I look forward to sharing what I learn with you in a future blog.

STAY CURIOUS!
-T

"Honors administrators and faculty consider students to be the leaders of the future in their disciplines of choice and strive to give them the tools to be responsible, ethical citizens”

AnnMarie Guzy in “Honors Composition:  Humanity Beyond the Humanities”

Flying the Honors Flag

Vol 1. No 2.

Hello again from the Director of Honors!

This week I'm going to talk about how you can have yourself flagged as an Honors Student and why you might want to do that.  You'll also find some important information about where to find me and when you are most likely to find me in my office if you have questions.

It is true that our classes are open to all students and that a single Honors course on your transcript can be enough to set you apart from another applicant to a job or a seat in a four-year classroom.  But what if you have the time and the room to dedicate yourself to going all the way, so to speak?  What if you have set your sights on a certificate or diploma and what to make it official?  Well, you can and it's very easy to do.

All you have to do is fill out a change of major form (which you can find here) with your name, ID and signature.  Then you get it to me and I sign it for you.  From there, it goes down to the OneStop where they will raise a little flag in your student record that tags you as an Honors student.  It's that easy!

What this does for you is put my name down as your secondary adviser to help you make decisions about how to best proceed along an Honors path.   I will never replace the adviser in your degree program because they have invaluable knowledge and expertise when it comes to your educational and career goals in your field.  I will simply be a resource for you to talk about all things Honors.  I can help you compare your required classes with the next semester's offerings and help pave the way for you to complete one or two contracts depending on which route you go.  In short, if it's possible for you to earn an Honors certificate or diploma as part of your degree, the two of us will figure it out and then make sure that we've made good choices with your main adviser as well.

If you are flagged as Honors or not, if you've taken an Honors class or haven't, and no matter where you are on your educational journey, you are always welcome to come find me to chat about Honors related issues.  You can find my office on the fourth floor just down the hall to the right of the drinking fountain.  I'm the last door on the left before you go around the corner into the business and art wing.  My office number is 4285.  This semester, Fall 2016, my office hours are as follows:

Monday / Wednesday:  10:00-10:45 and 1:00-2:00
Tuesday / Thursday:  9:00 - 9:30 and 11:00-12:00
Friday:  10:00-11:00

I'm often around at other times, as well, so you can always email me to set up an appointment at trista.merrill@flcc.edu or honorsstudies@flcc.edu

You may wonder why my office is not in the Honors House, since that seems to make the most sense given that is HONORS Studies and HONORS House.  They are actually two separate things, though the two of them often cross paths in both philosophy and practical matters such as where we schedule Honors classes.  I had the chance to move my office over there, but I decided that it would be much easier to reach out to a wider range of students, faculty, and other important folks at FLCC if I was in the main building.  So, like you who are taking Honors classes, I walk over there every day and so far - the walk has been lovely!  We shall see how we feel when the snow starts falling, eh?

Well, that's all I have for this week.  Next week is a big week - I'm hoping to bring you news of our upcoming Honors gathering.  Stay tuned!

-T

Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit - e.e.cummings

Honors Matters!

Vol 1. No. 1
6 September 2016


Hello and welcome to the first FLCC Honors Studies blog!

Finger Lakes Community College is now in its second week of classes for the Fall 2016 semester and there are so many exciting things happening in Honors.  We have eleven Honors in the Disciplines courses running, with a total of 160 students enrolled in these classes. There's another handful of students engaged in Honors contracts and we are already making plans for the spring.

We are working on a number of things this semester sort of 'behind the scenes' as well, to help ensure that the Honors experience is as fulfilling as possible for all students who partake of Honors classes. It will also help us to show those outside Honors just what kind of work we are doing and the impact that work is having.  In a future blog, I'll tell you more about this.

As Director, I'm also making sure I stay up to date on what Honors means both regionally and nationally.  This October, I'll be heading to the National Collegiate Honors Council conference in Seattle to meet with Honors Administrators, Directors, Deans, Faculty, and even students to see what other colleges do in terms of Honors.  I expect to learn a lot again this time; in fact, this blog is actually one idea that was born out of the same conference last year.  Dr. Linda Ross, psychology faculty and a member of the Honors Advisory Board will be going with me so we have two sets of eyes and ears to take in everything we can.  A couple of weeks before that conference, I will be attending a SUNY Honors Directors and Deans meeting at SUNY Oswego to find out what our brother and sister campuses are doing and to talk with them about what we can be doing on our own campus to make the most of Honors for those who transfer to a SUNY Four Year.  Keep an eye out for blogs about both of these events!

In the next few weeks, we will be planning a party for Honors students and faculty to get together, share stories and experiences, have a meal, and generally get to know each other and Honors even more than we already do.  And who knows, perhaps there will be some sneak peaks at our Spring 2017 offerings, as well!

That, in a nutshell, is what Honors has been up to of late.  There are some other things I will be telling you about as soon as we have some more information, but in the meantime, please remember that my door is open and my inbox has lots of room in it.  I welcome any ideas you have for Honors, blog topics, guest blogs or bloggers, requests for information, questions about Honors, and any sort of general comment about anything related to Honors.

I will leave you with some helpful links and contact information for important things related to Honors Studies.

FLCC Honors Studies Facebook:  Head over and give us a Like!
FLCC Honors House Facebook:  The House and Honors Studies are not the same thing!

Honors email:  trista.merrill@flcc.edu or honorsstudies@flcc.edu

Thank you for reading and remember........stay curious.

-T

"I have no special talents.  I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein