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Honors Program 2010-2011 Student Handbook Lone Star College-CyFair 9191 Barker Cypress Road Cypress, TX 77433
Honors Program
2010-2011 Student Handbook
Lone Star College-CyFair 9191 Barker Cypress Road Cypress, TX 77433
Honors Program at Lone Star College-CyFair
Contacts
Honors Program Director
Jamili Omar Associate Professor of English 281.290.5928 (ph) [email protected]
Honors Program Coordinator
Sharis Tovmassian 281.290.3446 (ph) 832.482.1003 (fax) [email protected]
Website
http://www.lonestar.edu/honors-cyfair.htm
Table of Contents WHAT IS THE HONORS PROGRAM? ......................................................................................................... 4
MISSION ................................................................................................................................................... 4
VISION ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 Who are HONORS STUDENTS? .................................................................................................................. 4 TYPES OF HONORS CREDIT ...................................................................................................................... 5
HONORS COURSES ................................................................................................................................ 5 HONORS BY CONTRACT ........................................................................................................................ 5
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR HONORS COURSE OR CONTRACT .................................................... 6 ACADEMIC CRITERIA FOR THE HONORS PROGRAM ............................................................................. 7
ADMISSION TO THE HONORS PROGRAM ............................................................................................ 7 RETENTION IN THE HONORS PROGRAM ............................................................................................. 7
BENEFITS OF HONORS PROGRAM MEMBERSHIP .................................................................................. 7 ACADEMIC RECOGNITION ..................................................................................................................... 7 EARLY REGISTRATION FOR LONE STAR COLLEGE CLASSES .......................................................... 8
TRANSFER TO 4-YEAR HONORS PROGRAMS ..................................................................................... 8 TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES ...................................................................................................................... 8 STUDENT AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.............................................................................. 8
LSC-CyFair Honors Student Organization ............................................................................................ 8 Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Honors Council ............................................................................................ 8
Great Plains Honors Council ................................................................................................................. 8 National Collegiate Honors Council ...................................................................................................... 8
HONORS PUBLICATIONS ....................................................................................................................... 9
CHECKLISTS: HOW TO DO IT ALL ............................................................................................................ 10 CHECKLIST: HONORS COURSE .......................................................................................................... 10 CHECKLIST: HONORS BY CONTRACT ........................................................................................... 10-11 CHECKLIST: COMMUNITY SERVICE .............................................................................................. 11-12
Appendix A: Forms ..................................................................................................................................... 13
Application ............................................................................................................................................. 14 Confidential Reference .................................................................................................................... 15-16 Report of Community Service Hours ................................................................................................... 17
Application for Graduation with Honors Distinction .......................................................................... 18
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WHAT IS THE HONORS PROGRAM?
MISSION
The mission of the Lone Star College-CyFair Honors Program is to augment existing programs on campus and to reaffirm the college’s commitment to excellence. Faculty and staff involved with the program will identify, recruit, and challenge academically motivated students and provide them with enriching, flexible options to develop their potential. In doing so, the program will also give faculty and staff the opportunity for renewal and innovation.
VISION
The Lone Star College-CyFair Honors Program will be an example of academic and personal excellence at Lone Star College-CyFair, both in the students it develops and the faculty and staff who mentor them.
WHO ARE HONORS STUDENTS? While Academic Criteria are important, Honors is more than getting good grades. You are a good candidate for the Honors Program if you:
Prefer dialogue (student-student and student-faculty dialogue) to monologue with the goal of education, encouragement, and a sense of scholarly community.
Want to explore your creativity and intellectual curiosity in a safe environment while being encouraged to identify faulty reasoning and bias.
Desire more experiential learning where you can apply knowledge and integrate it into your daily life.
Are open to being challenged intellectually, and are willing to take risks in your academic and personal worldviews.
Enjoy exploring the interdisciplinary nature of a college education and see relationships between the various knowledges of different disciplines.
Thrive in courses which provide you opportunities for academic enrichment, experimentation with creative learning methods, and opportunities to contribute to your community.
“Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live as well as think.” --Ralph Waldo Emerson
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TYPES OF HONORS CREDIT At LSC-CyFair, there are two ways to earn Honors Credit: Honors Courses and Honors by Contract. BOTH require membership in the Honors Program.
HONORS COURSES
If you register for an Honors course, you will be in a section comprised entirely of Honors students led by faculty who are hand-selected because of their passion in their subject area and their desire to act as a mentor to Honors students. You might find that your Honors course has a slightly different focus of study than a traditional course and that in addition to traditional coursework, you will participate in specialized coursework that explores the subject in more depth and breath than is covered in a traditional course. However, what most Honors students find the most rewarding is the close working relationship they develop with the faculty member, the interdisciplinary nature of their study and the increased opportunities to explore their own scholarly interests.
HONORS BY CONTRACT
Often, Honors students need classes to meet graduation requirements that aren’t regularly offered as Honors sections. If a course is eligible, students have the option to take a traditional, non-Honors course and to earn Honors credit for it by individually contracting with the instructor of that section of the course to add an Honors Project to the existing course work. Called “Honors by Contract,” students and faculty partner to create an experience that provides an equivalent experience to that of a student taking an Honors course. At LSC-CyFair, we believe that an essential part of the Honors experience is being in classes with other Honors students because of the increased opportunities to exchange ideas and to create community. Honors by Contract often doesn’t offer students the same level of interaction with others and are thus not available for all classes. Students CAN contract for a class which
Is NOT regularly offered as a Honors section
Is being taught by a professor who is approved by the Honors Council to teach Honors sections For questions about a class, please contact the Honors Program Director or see pages 10-11 of this handbook.
“Live out of your imagination, not your history.” Stephen Covey
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WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR HONORS COURSE OR CONTRACT
There is no easy description of an Honors experience. Every Honors class or Honors by Contract will be different based on the faculty, the material and the discipline. However, there are some standards that you can expect.
1. Honors work is not simply course acceleration or only more of the same kind of work. The key element that distinguishes Honors work from that done in a regular section is enrichment. You should gain a more profound appreciation of the subject than is typical in the regular classroom, greater depth and breadth of knowledge. Below are some examples.
In a math Honors course, you may prove theorems instead of merely accepting them as proven.
In a philosophy course, you may read more primary sources such as reading Aristotle's Poetics in translation and applying it to another work of literature or another philosopher’s primary texts.
In a chemistry course, you may be exposed to current applications of principles demonstrated in the text or independent research.
2. Another key element of Honors is the focus on critical thinking. You will learn to both analyze a
problem and synthesize a conclusion. Below are some examples of how you might synthesize knowledge in an Honors class:
An Honors Geology student may catalogue specimens of rocks and write a manual for other students incorporating the history of each specimen with the likely location of origin.
An Honors Education or Psychology student may create specialized educational tools for children with special needs after an investigation of critical periods of development in the brain.
3. One of the biggest benefits of belonging to the Honors program is the mentor relationship that
develops between the students and the faculty member. For example, you might notice:
Smaller discussion groups within the classroom or students leading discussions with the professor’s assistance.
Built-in course opportunities for seminar or conference presentations.
Individual, guided research projects.
Team and individual projects designed to work within the scope of class, but outside the reading. 4. You will also be expected to do more individual learning with less reliance on the faculty for
information or “answers.” In this way, your education will be more tailored to your individual interests and you might be expected to complete a researched investigation into an area of personal interest.
5. At Cy-Fair as at other institutions, the cornerstone of the Honors Program is a rigorous academic
community which will support and challenge your social and intellectual curiosity and abilities. 6. Finally, you will be expected to produce at least one oral presentation through which you share your
individual learning. This presentation will be assessed for potential inclusion in each semester’s Honors Day and, possibly, for Honors conferences as well.
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ACADEMIC CRITERIA FOR THE HONORS PROGRAM
ADMISSION TO THE HONORS PROGRAM
To be admitted into the Honors Program –and thus to be eligible to register for an Honors Course and/or Honors by Contract –you must meet ONE of the following criteria: In the first semester of college:
Top 10% of your high school graduating class
A high school GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
1100 or higher on the SAT
26 or higher combined score on the ACT
Other test scores on an individual basis After having completed at least six hours of college-level courses:
A college GPA of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale
RETENTION IN THE HONORS PROGRAM
Once admitted, you will maintain active status in the program as long as you maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25. There are no minimum or maximum number of Honors courses you must take, though there are levels of academic recognition for completing various numbers of Honors credit (see below). Additionally, you are encouraged to judge your own course load each semester to determine if enrolling in an Honors course is a good decision. If your cumulative GPA falls below 3.25, you will be notified and placed on probation for a semester. Probationary Status lasts for one (1) semester during which time you are limited to taking no more than three (3) credit hours of Honors course work. If your GPA meets or exceeds the minimum at the end of that term, your full status will be reinstated. If not, you will be asked to leave the Honors Program.
BENEFITS OF HONORS PROGRAM MEMBERSHIP
ACADEMIC RECOGNITION
As you complete requirements in the Honors Program, you will receive academic recognition on your transcript at several levels of recognition. These are:
“H” (for Honors) designation on your transcript for every Honors Course or Honors by Contract successfully completed.
Honors Scholar designation at graduation for students successfully completing at least 9 hours of Honors credit with a 3.5 GPA and 25 hours of community service.
Honors Program Graduate designation at graduation for students successfully completing at least 15 hours of Honors credit with a 3.5 GPA.
Honors Scholar with Distinction designation at graduation for students successfully completing at least 15 hours of Honors contracts with a 3.5 GPA and 25 hours of community service.
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EARLY REGISTRATION FOR LONE STAR COLLEGE CLASSES
Each semester the Honors Program will sponsor an early registration event where you can sign up for all your classes –Honors and traditional classes –without waiting in line at the business office. A representative from the Honors Program and from Advising will be on hand to answer all your questions.
TRANSFER TO 4-YEAR HONORS PROGRAMS
There are many advantages to being a member of the Honors Program when transferring to four-year institutions. For example, you will find that:
You have more choices when transferring to 4-year institutions.
You have opportunities to transfer directly into other college’s Honors Programs without losing Honors credits.
Other colleges are more likely to accept you into their programs if you have completed Honors level work at LSC-CyFair.
TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunities for scholarships are available for a variety of programs including local, regional and national conferences and students are eligible for study abroad opportunities through NCHC. Speak with the Honors Program Director for more information.
STUDENT AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
LSC-CyFair Honors Student Organization The Honors Student Organization (HSO) is the student-led club for CFC Honors Students. Membership is automatic upon acceptance into the Honors Program and activities are determined by members. In the past, HSO has completed community service projects and held social events to enrich the lives of its members.
Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Honors Council The Mission of GCIHC is to promote the development of new Honors programs, to support existing Honors programs, and to encourage student presentations and publication. The annual conference is held in early fall at an area college or university. Students are encouraged to present their work. More information can be found at: http://www.brazosport.cc.tx.us/~bchonors/gcihc.html Great Plains Honors Council GPHC serves collegiate Honors programs in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. It coordinates its activities with NCHC and promotes the flow of information, ideas, fellowship and professional encouragement throughout its member Honors Programs. The annual conference is in late spring. Find more information online at: http://www.acu.edu/sponsored/gphc.html National Collegiate Honors Council NCHC is a national organization which sponsors conferences to highlight Honors student work and provide Honors Faculty and Administrators with professional development. The annual conference is held in the fall and students are encouraged to present their work. More information online at: http://nchcHonors.org/
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HONORS PUBLICATIONS
All independent research papers prepared for the fulfillment of an Honors Course or Honors by Contract should be of sufficient caliber to warrant publication. Students interested in publishing their work may seek to do so on campus, through the Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Honors Council, and through various professional and Honors publications.
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CHECKLISTS: HOW TO DO IT ALL
CHECKLIST: HONORS COURSE
Apply for and be accepted into the Honors Program BEFORE registering for classes. At this time you will receive the Honors Student Handbook. Review it and prepare for classes! Find the class(es) you want to register for. They are all listed in the Credit Course Schedule and
can be found by searching in My Records online. Register for an Honors Course by completing a Course Change Form (found in the Business
Office) and having it signed by EITHER the Honors Program Director or Staff Assistant. OR Attend Skip the Line, the Honors Early Registration event. It will be held the week general
registration opens and will allow you to register for classes without standing in line. Once the semester begins, your instructor will provide you with the syllabus, homework schedule
and assignments for the class. Every Honors class will be different, but, generally, you can expect to complete a project and/or presentation that could be presented within class and/or at the LSC-CyFair Student Symposium in the Spring. These details will be made explicit by your professor.
At the end of the term, the instructor will notify the Honors Program Director of your satisfactory or
non-satisfactory completion of the required work. o Satisfactory work: Honors Program Director grants Honors credit for the course, and the
course number will be identified as carrying Honors credit on your transcript. o Non-Satisfactory work: Honors Program Director WILL NOT grant Honors credit for the course.
The course number will be identified as not having Honors credit on your transcript.
CHECKLIST: HONORS BY CONTRACT
Apply for and be accepted into the Honors Program BEFORE registering for classes. At this time you will receive the Honors Student Handbook. Review it and prepare for classes! Contact the Honors Program Director to determine if the course you are interested in is eligible for
Honors by Contract. Students CAN contract for a class which: o Is NOT regularly offered as a Honors section. o Is being taught by a professor who is approved by the Honors Council to teach Honors.
If the course is eligible, the Director will give you the Honors by Contract form. Be sure that the faculty member teaching the course is willing to supervise the Honors Contract
and meet with him/her to discuss the Honors by Contract form. Take the form with you.
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The faculty will complete the Honors by Contract form identifying the components of the class that will distinguish your work from that of a non-Honors student. After you both sign it, he/she will submit the Honors by Contract form to Honors Director by the deadline.
Once the semester begins, you will meet as scheduled with your instructor and complete the work
outlined on the contract. Generally, you can expect to complete an Honors Project and/or an Honors Presentation as specified on your contract. You might also be expected to present your project to an audience determined by your instructor and/or at the Cy-Fair Research Symposium in the Spring.
At the end of the term, the instructor will notify the Honors Program Director of your satisfactory or
non-satisfactory completion of the required work. o Satisfactory work: Honors Program Director grants Honors credit for the course, and the
course number will be identified as carrying Honors credit on your transcript. o Non-Satisfactory work: Honors Program Director WILL NOT grant Honors credit for the
course. The course number will be identified as not having Honors credit on your transcript.
CHECKLIST: COMMUNITY SERVICE
If you choose to graduate as an Honors Scholar or an Honors Scholar with Distinction, you must initiate and implement twenty-five (25) hours of community service. For all other levels of Honors recognition (see page 4), service hours are not required. However, all Honors students are encouraged to participate in community service in some capacity during their time at LSC-CyFair. To get started, you might want to meet with the Honors Program Director, an Honors Faculty
member, the Service Learning Director, or other faculty member to help you identify an agency to work with. Review the criteria for acceptable agencies below.
Make arrangements with the agency(s) in which you will work. You can choose to work with more
than one agency or participate in more than one opportunity, however, it is suggested that you spend at least five (5) hours with each agency/opportunity.
Maintain a written log of service activities you participate in. We recommend that you use the
Report of Community Service Hours (see appendix A ) as your log. Submit the Report of Community Service Hours (see appendix A ) to the Honors Program Director.
Be sure that it is completed by you and signed by your supervisor at the agency. One form must be submitted for each volunteer opportunity which you want counted towards the 25 hours.
Organizations to Volunteer With:
The agency that you choose to volunteer with must provide service to the community at large. For example, you may volunteer in your place of worship provided that the population served is not limited only to its members. For example, some churches have food and/or clothing banks that serve the needy in the community whether or not they are members of the church.
It is highly recommended that the community service be in an area of the your major area of study.
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There are always opportunities through LSC-CyFair to volunteer and you are encouraged to find meaningful ways to be involved on campus that further your educational pursuits.
Time Limits:
You may not count hours earned BEFORE your acceptance into the Honors Program.
You must complete hours 2 weeks prior to the end of your final semester at LSC-CyFair.
No “double dipping” –hours completed as a requirement for another LSC-CyFair organization and/or for a service learning course CANNOT count towards these 25 hours
Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. --Malcolm Forbes
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APPENDIX A: FORMS 1. Honors Application Form –to be completed by a student applying for membership into the
Honors Program 2. Honors Reference Form –to be completed by a teacher or professor recommending a student to
the Honors Program 3. Community Service Form –to be completed by a student as he/she completes community service
and signed by a representative from the service organization
4. Application for Graduation with Honors Distinction –to be completed by a student as he/she applies for graduation from LSC-CyFair
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LONE STAR COLLEGE-CYFAIR HONORS PROGRAM APPLICATION
Name
Last First M.I.
Address Street City State Zip Code
Phone Alt Phone
Email Address Student ID
Lone Star Email Address @Lonestar.edu
High School Graduation Date / /
Name City State
College Dates Attended To
Name City State
CRITERIA FOR ACCEPTANCE INTO THE HONORS PROGRAM Check at least one of the following if you are a recent high school graduate and this is your first semester of college: Top 10% of your high school graduating class*
*Please submit copies of your High School transcript, ACT or SAT test scores along with this
application
A high school GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale*
1100 or higher on the SAT*
26 or higher combined score on the ACT*
Check the following if you have completed at least six hours of college-level courses: A college GPA of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale
CRITERIA FOR RETENTION IN THE HONORS PROGRAM
You must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 to remain in the Honors Program. Student’s Signature
Date
Please return promptly to: Lone Star College-CyFair Honors Program, MOD 1 110
Address: 9191 Barker Cypress Road Fax: 832-482-1003 Cypress, TX 77433 Email: [email protected]
Lone Star College-CyFair Honors Program Application
Page 1 of 1
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LSC-CYFAIR HONORS PROGRAM CONFIDENTIAL REFERENCE
Full Legal Name of Applicant (Please Print or Type) Name of Reference (Please Print or Type)
Social Security Number of Applicant Title
1. Nature of your relationship with Applicant (Check appropriate box):
School, Firm, or Organization
Teacher………………..
Counselor ……………. Business Address
Administrator ………… Employer ……………..
Other (Specify) ………. City State Zip
2. How many years have you known the applicant? ( )
Phone (Business Office)
3. In selecting recipients for the Cy-Fair Honors Program, consideration will be given to the following attributes and achievements of the applicants. Please rate the applicant in respect to each trait listed below by writing 1 through 6 or X on the designated line to indicate his/her relative standing among other students with whom you have had contact.
Rating Scale
Ranks with the very best students (Top 5%) 1 1 95%
Superior 2 2 90%
Outstanding 3 3 75%
Above average 4 4 60%
Average 5 5 40%
Below average 6 6 0-40%
Inadequate opportunity to observe X
Academic record and achievements Potential contributions to LSC-CyFair and to society upon graduation
Initiative and motivation
Integrity, honesty, and dependability
Ability and interpersonal skills
Special talents and abilities
Organizational and analytical ability
Participation in extracurricular activities
Your overall ranking of applicant among his/her peers (enter appropriate number based upon above qualities and rating scale).
Other (Specify):___________________________
Please continue on reverse side
Lone Star College-CyFair Honors Program Reference
Page 1 of 2
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4. Please use the space below for a general evaluation and comments on specific strengths, special talents, abilities, and weakness of the applicants. Please provide as many specific examples as possible to support your general evaluation and comments.
Signature
Date
Please return promptly to:
Lone Star College-CyFair Honors Program, MOD 1 110 Address: 9191 Barker Cypress Road Fax: 832-482-1003
Cypress, TX 77433 Email: [email protected]
Lone Star College-CyFair Honors Program Reference Page 2 of 2
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LSC-CYFAIR HONORS PROGRAM REPORT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS
Name
Last First M.I.
Phone Email Address
Name of Service Organization
Name of Supervisor
Phone Email Address
Date(s) the Hours were completed Number of hours completed
TO BE COMPLETED BY THE STUDENT:
1. Please describe the event where the Community Service Hours performed (i.e. run/walk, child care, clean-up)? 2. Please describe the duties you performed during this Community Service event. 3. What was the impact of your work on the community, the organization, or the people served? 4. What was the impact of your work on yourself? What did you learn from this experience?
TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CS SUPERVISOR: I attest that the hours reported by the student above are accurate and that the student did perform the duties listed. Supervisor’s Signature
Date
Student’s Signature
Date
Please return promptly to: Lone Star College-CyFair Honors Program, MOD 1 110
Address: 9191 Barker Cypress Road Fax: 832-482-1003 Cypress, TX 77433 Email: [email protected]
Lone Star College-CyFair Honors Program Community Service Form Page 1 of 1
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Graduation Application Page 1 of 1 REV: 5/3/11
LSC-CYFAIR HONORS PROGRAM
APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION WITH HONORS DISTINCTION
Section 1 Deadlines
College Graduation Application –due the semester prior to the semester that coursework is completed. Students are responsible for completing their graduation application with the College and are subject to the degree requirements of the Lone Star College catalog. See advising for assistance. Honors Graduation Application --Fall deadline is October 1st and the Spring is February 1st.
Section 2 Student Information
Last Name First Name Middle Initial
Street Address City, State, ZIP
Phone Number Email Address SS#/ID#
Section 3 Graduation Information
Graduation Semester _____ Fall _____Spring Graduation Year __________ Check only ONE of the following:
_____Honors Program Graduate (15 Honors credits; 3.5 GPA) _____Honors Scholar (9 Honors credits; 3.5 GPA; 25 hours community service) _____Honors Scholar with Distinction (15 Honors credits; 3.5 GPA; 25 hours community service)
Section 4 Student Certification
My signature below indicates that I have filed for graduation with the College. __________________________ ______________________ Student Signature Date
Please return promptly to: Lone Star College-CyFair Honors Program, MOD 1 110 Address: 9191 Barker Cypress Road Fax: 832-482-1003 Cypress, TX 77433 Email: [email protected]
Verification
*to be completed by the Honors Director Honors Credit Hours Completed ____________ Honors GPA_____________ Service Learning Hours Completed ____________ Lone Star College GPA___________
