PCC Honors Program Summit
January 31, 2009
Purpose
The Honors Program at PCC will
provide a clear path for capable and
motivated students to challenge
themselves and to prepare for successful
transfer to university programs--whether
they will transfer immediately or at some
point later in their lives.
“No one rises to low expectations”
--Vincent Trinto, Syracuse University
(UT Austin)
Guiding Principles
• The Honors Program must be student centered.
• The Program must provide avenues for a broad
range of students to participate at multiple
levels.
• The Program must embrace a well-defined
commitment to diversity.
• The Program must extend beyond PCC to
address the local and global community.
The Path
• The mature program will offer:
– An Introductory course exploring interdisciplinary approaches to
knowledge acquisition, information literacy, leadership skills, and
navigation of a student’s own educational experience,
– Designated courses across a range of subjects focused on inquiry and
mastery of complex materials,
– Contract courses designed by students and faculty together in order to
meet the student’s individual interests and needs,
– A Capstone experience designed to demonstrate each student’s
academic, leadership, and community development.
– A standing Honors Council whose members possess the ability and
charge to ensure students understand how to meet their goals within the
structure of the academic community—including building and
maintaining transfer articulation agreements,
Transfer Articulation Agreements
Highline
Community
College’s Transfer
Relationships
Full Program:
Sample Distribution
Intro
2 cr
Designated
Course
4 cr
Designated
Course
4 cr
Designated
Course
4 cr
Designated
Course
4 cr
Contract
Course
4 cr
Capstone
2 cr
24 Credits Total for Honors Distinction
Courses will be marked HON on transcript; diplomas carry a clear designation.
Special recognition will be made at graduation.
Designated courses will fulfill gen ed requirements
CTE programs may design designated courses to enable their
students to complete the program.
Partial Honors Participation
• Designated Honors courses and Contract courses will be open to all
PCC students who meet minimal requirements and their
participation will be encouraged. Joining an Honors course will have
significant impact for any student. For example:
• Honors Courses on any transcript aid in transfer and scholarship
consideration—particularly in a student’s chosen discipline.
• Succeeding in an Honors course will increase a student’s
confidence and self-efficacy.
Honors Programs in Community Colleges
The National Collegiate Honors Council registers approximately 110
Honors Programs in our Region. Fifty-two of those are at
community colleges.
PCC’s 2007 IPEDS Peer Comparison includes 37 community colleges;
29 of these have honors programs.
In 2005 “more than one-third of the nation’s 1,157 community colleges
[had]…honors program[s]” (Padgett 61).
“…over a third [of surveyed Texas CC students] are first-generation
college students and almost 30 percent come from families with
incomes under $20,000 annually” (UT Austin).
Leveling the Playing Field
• Increasing tuition at the university level has forced many students to
reconsider their educational path. More students are selecting
transfer programs rather than attending universities. Many of these
students are highly motivated and well prepared. An Honors
Program is the logical extension to meet these students where they
are.
• An Honors Program at PCC allows nontraditional and firstgeneration students the opportunity to prepare themselves to
compete at the transfer level with students following a more
traditional path.
• Students who are motivated and capable, but find themselves
underprepared due to other life circumstances, will build an
invaluable sense of worth from successes gained in an accessible
Honors Program offering provisional admission such as PCC’s.
Benefits for Students
• Creative, rigorous coursework with enthusiastic faculty.
• Membership in a community of peer/scholars in the classroom and
in the college community.
• Close interaction with dynamic faculty in classroom, for mentoring,
and advising.
• Customized library training and support.
• Better preparation to qualify for scholarship opportunities.
• Increased opportunities for off-campus learning and capstone
experiences.
• Involvement in leadership activities and community service projects.
• Clear articulation agreements with local and regional colleges and
universities.
Benefits for PCC
• Visibility of student success and a clear paradigm for
access to success.
• Attraction and retention of motivated students otherwise
on a four-year track.
• Improved and articulated relationships with four-year
colleges.
• Potential for increased retention among the cohort.
• An increased interest in completing the diploma.
• A space for testing alternative instructional delivery
methods.
Likely Cost
• Initially, a fully-functioning Honors program
would require:
– One half-release for a director
– 10-15 hours per week of administrative
support
– A standing, committed Honors Council
– Office and storage space
Pilot Program
• We are seeking approval for a pilot
program to run 2010-2011
• Eight courses
• Four Campuses
• Intro Course Spring Term
• Temporarily relaxed admission criteria.
After the break:
• Admissions and Recruiting
• Curriculum
• Pedagogy
Works Cited
Padgett, Tim. “An Ivy Stepladder.” Time. 4 April, 2005: 61.
UT Austin. High Expectations and Strong Support Systems Boost Community College
Student Success, Survey Says. 19 November 2008. 30 January 2009.
http://www.utexas.edu/news/2008/11/19/ccsse_support/