Honors Committee minutes – 01/14/08
- Online Applications
- Professor Hamrick discussed how to access online applications
- Shastri noted the emphasis of writing mechanics; discussed the need for a checklist
- Hamrick said he would put a link to a reviewing rubric on the website
- Student Demographics
- Tarver presented the demographic report
- Outlined the nature of the Honors applications, both external and internal
- Hamrick said he will email talking points when speaking to prospective students
- Projected Courses
- Hamrick discussed running only 2 Honors seminars
- Current Courses
- Imbarrato talked about the Honors English writing course
- Discussed types of papers written in class
- Skills emphasized in class:
- How to organize thoughts
- How to go to reading a text, produce argument
- Colson discussed “Space, Time, and Change”
- Big science discoveries that relate to time and space and that everything is changing
- How scientists explore things based on those revelations
- Gorsline discussed the focus of her speech course
- Focusing on:
- Individual assessments where they video themselves
- Impromptu, limited speaking than others
- Working on presenting research
- Analyze political communication
- Reviewed the proposed change to the Program: Honors Learning Contract
- Shastri asked about the evaluation—proposal will be judged,
- Colson addressed concerns about faculty willingness or ability for professors who can’t or don’t want to
- Czynzki noted about 300 or 400 conflict if freshmen want to take it as well
- Sherryse and Tarver discussed the need for the Honors Learning Contract
- Tarver noted the issue about not allowing students to use HLC for courses in their major
- Colson suggested making a friendly amendment, allowing students to use courses in their major for HLC
- Proposal passed unanimously with friendly amendment.
- Reviewed the requirement of the Honors Lecture Series
- Sherryse and Tarver noted the dissent received from upper-level students about the requirement
- Honors Focus Forum
- Hamrick discussed the need for professors to look into working the Forum into their classes
- Discussed request for more money
- Czynski discussed how other departments may contribute to the Forum
- Meeting adjourned at 5:03 pm
