Honors Gets the Works

Vol. 2 No. 1

Welcome! Or…welcome back!

Over the summer, Honors Studies implemented some changes.  Here’s the rundown of what you need to know and why changes were made.

One of the most important things we tried to do was simplify the language and detach it from language that was constantly being confused with other areas of the college.  No longer will you hear about the Honors PROGRAM or Honors DEGREES, DIPLOMAS, CERTIFICATES, or CREDITS.  None of these things REALLY applied in the traditional way anyway, so it was time to make a change.  We also wanted to make it easier for students to achieve Honors status upon leaving FLCC.  So many of our programs have gotten tighter and more restrictive, and so many students are transferring to four-year schools (both SUNY and private) that it was time for us to make some changes to help you take Honors with you when you did that. 

So…what do you need to know?  In a nutshell....

• We are now officially called Honors Studies.
• If you earn 15 points of Honors Studies Experience and have a 3.25 GPA when you graduate or transfer from FLCC, you will be designated an Honors Studies Scholar on your transcript, with supporting documentation.
• There are four ways to earn Honors Studies points – three of them have not changed: Honors Studies Seminars (HON classes), Honors Studies in the Disciplines (courses with Honors in the title), and Honors Studies contracts (making a non-Honors course into Honors once you’ve taken at least one Honors course). The fourth way is by attending and reflecting on Honors Studies Events.
•  Honors Studies Events are events hosted or approved by Honors that encompass our learning outcomes and mission through the content of their offering. By attending these events, and then writing a journal and an Honors Reflective Essay about your experience, you will earn at least one point.
•  All Honors Studies Experiences will have the same basic prompt for their reflective essays – where you will be challenged to think about where you have been, where you are, and where you are going in the context of the class or event of which you were a part.

Our goals in Honors remain what they always have been – to celebrate who you are as a learner and to help you hone those qualities that will support you being a lifelong learner.  We’ve crafted a new mission statement to reflect this:

Self-reflective learning meets innovative teaching within and between the disciplines in Honors Studies at FLCC.  Our seminars and activities foster an atmosphere of interconnection, inquiry, and curiosity where students become lifelong learners.  Honors students develop the confidence to contribute to their local and global communities.

There’s lots to talk about this semester, but I don’t want to overwhelm you as you start the Fall 2017 semester, so we will keep this short.  Just remember… all you have to be is curious!  We look forward to working with you this semester and hope that you have a fantastic learning experience.

SAVE THE DATE:  October 18 – the Honors Studies Dinner!  Open to all students!