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
