Honors in the Major or Field
Catalog Title of Honors Program:
Name and contact information for future correspondence:
Academic Unit – School/College:
CAS
KSB
SOC
SIS
SPA
SPExS Other:
Teaching Unit – Department or Program:
Date Effective:
Required Signatures
Teaching Unit Chair or
Director
Name
EPC Chair
Primary Academic
Dean
Second Academic Unit
Dean
Honors Advisory
Committee Chair
Provost
Date sent to the Office of the University Registrar:
Signature
Date
Honors in the Major or Field
Guidelines and Order of Review
Academic or teaching units may propose programs for students to earn Honors in a major or field. The
requirements for an Honors program will be set by the unit or units but must include a minimum of two advanced
courses and the successful completion of a significant scholarly project.
Advanced courses may be developed for the program by offering additional challenges or rigorous supplements to
existing courses, or may be specially created honors courses. Units are encouraged to offer interdisciplinary
courses and colloquia within or across schools, and interdisciplinary scholarly projects as part of the requirements.
However, some units may choose to emphasize a deeper investigation within a specific discipline.
Admission and advising are administered by the appropriate academic or teaching unit(s). If approved,
implementation of an approved program can begin in the fall of 2016.
Proposals for Honors in a major or field must be:
•Recommended by the Academic Unit Dean or, if applicable, Deans
•Approved by the appropriate EPC(s)
•Reviewed by the AU Honors Advisory Committee
•Approved by the Provost
The Dean(s) will determine with the Provost the maximum number of students who can be admitted to a
proposed Honors program each academic year, and the Dean(s) will confirm the unit’s ability to provide the
resources needed to support the program.
The Academic or Teaching Unit proposal for Honors in a major or field shall include (see Proposal Template):
•Admissions criteria pertinent to the major or field with review process and timeline
•Range of the number of students served
•Identification of the courses offered that will satisfy the requirements of the program, class size per
course, and methods for evaluating the scholarly project
•Resources and faculty designated to support the program within the Academic or Teaching Unit’s
existing resources (resources from the Provost’s Office will not be available to support academic and
teaching unit honors programs). The Honors Advisory Committee will prepare a standard for admissions criteria for which the units may add
additional criteria or set higher standards. All students will be required to prepare a written proposal for
admission to the program. The AU Honors Advisory Committee will review all proposals for Honors programs to
ensure commensurate standards of excellence across the university and the committee will assess the programs
on a regular basis. Proposal Template
Copy and paste the questions below into a new Microsoft Word document
and address all questions. Please preserve the formatting (including
numbering) to facilitate the review process
Notes: Before starting this proposal, the dean(s) must receive prior approval from the Provost based on
the plans for the Honors in the Major or Field, projected enrollment numbers, and corresponding
resource implications.
Once students are admitted to the program, they remain in it through the completion of their
degree at AU, unless they elect to withdraw from the program, or unless they fail to meet the
standards created by the unit.
Students must complete all requirements of the program to receive the honors notation on their
record.
Identifying information
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Academic unit(s)
Teaching unit(s)
Name of Honors in the Major or Field program
Proposed effective date
I.
Rationale
a) Provide a general description of the program. What does the program offer that goes
above and beyond current requirements for non-honors students?
b) How will the program advance scholarship (research, creative, and professional activity)
for students?
c) How will the program advance scholarship (research, creative, and professional activity)
for faculty?
d) After the program is implemented, will it affect any other honors programs now offered
by the university? Explain.
e) Please include statements from the deans of the other academic units and a statement
from the University Librarian.
f) Please include statements of support from all affected teaching units (units that need to
provide courses, mentorship, or other support for this program).
II.
Program Curriculum
a) Will courses be created that will be offered only to students in the program? If yes,
please provide the titles of the courses below and attach the New Honors Courses
proposal template for each course.
b) Will students in other Honors in the Major or Field programs be able to take any of
the courses described above? If yes, please provide the title of those courses.
c) Are there existing courses at AU that will be used to satisfy the program
requirements? If yes, please list those courses.
d) Describe plans for independent study courses if that is a requirement expected of all
students in the program.
e) Describe plans for supplements to existing courses if that is a requirement expected of
all students in the program. Identify the existing course title and describe the general
plan for the supplement associated with that course.
f) Describe the requirements for the Capstone project.
g) Describe any other for-credit opportunities to meet the requirements of the program.
III.
Program Assessment
a) What are the learning outcomes including the competencies that students are expected to
demonstrate for this program?
b) How do these learning outcomes differ from those for non-Honors students?
c) What qualitative criteria and evidence should be used to assess learning outcomes for
students who complete this program?
d) What quantitative criteria and evidence should be used to assess learning outcomes for
students who complete this program?
e) Provide some examples of methods you plan to use to assess learning outcomes for the
program.
IV.
Admission Academic Units may propose more stringent criteria. If a unit proposes lesser
criteria, the unit must provide a rationale for them (e.g., the proposed GPA in the major is
above the average GPA for all students in the major).
a) Will all students admitted to the program have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA? If not,
please explain.
b) Will all students admitted to the program have at least a 3.67 cumulative GPA in the
major or field? If not, please explain.
c) All students must complete a written proposal for admission to the program that provides
evidence that they are ready for the program’s challenges. Note that proposals should
provide clear evidence that students’ engagement in the major or field extends well
beyond that of their peers. Please describe the proposal requirements and the criteria for
admitting students into the program.
d) Describe the process for reviewing proposals and notifying candidates for the program.
Will this be completed by committee or by another method?
e) If denied admission, will there be a process for appeal? If so, describe.
f) Provide a list of steps or achievements that students can accomplish during their years
before admission into the program that will make them strong candidates for admission.
g) What is the plan for informing students of how they can best pursue their options for
study if admitted to the program?
V.
Resources to Support the Program
a) Which current faculty members (specify whether full-time or adjunct) will be
available to support this program? Provide a brief statement of the contributions
expected from each faculty member and his or her qualifications for providing this
contribution.
b) Does the academic unit anticipate that there will be a need for special facilities or
equipment beyond what is currently available to the teaching unit that will be used to
support this program? If so, explain when and what resources are anticipated.
c) Are internships part of the program requirements? Explain.
VI.
Implementation plans
a) In general, students should be able to apply in spring of their sophomore year.
b) Transfer students should be able to apply for the program. How will they be evaluated
given they may not have sufficient historical evidence of performance?
a) Provide a timeline of the implementation of the program from when it begins until
implementation is complete.
VII.
Enrollment projections
a) Provide the maximum number of students accepted into the program each year.
b) Estimate the total number of students who will be actively pursuing the program.
c) What is the timing and sequencing for all required and elective courses. What will be
done if enrollments exceed projections?
VIII.
Catalog copy
a) Please attach a description of the proposed program as it is to appear in the University
Catalog, following the format of the current catalog.
IX.
If applicable, attach new Honors course forms.
After approved by the academic unit, send all documentation to honors@american.edu in one pdf
file in this order: Signature sheet, Proposal Template, and if applicable, Honors course forms and
supporting documentation.