February 23, 2007
TO:
Robert Mrtek, Chair
Senate Committee on Educational Policy
FROM:
Margaret Grosch
Director, Programs and Academic Assessment
I am forwarding for the information of the Senate Committee on Educational Policy the attached Revision to
the Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement for Continued Enrollment in and Admission of Continuing
and Transfer Students to the Honors College.
The revision was approved by the Honors College Faculty in Spring, 2005.
Attachment
Cc:
L. Kaufman
S. Williams
J. Madia
Honors College GPA Revision, Revised 2/23/07 1
Title:
Revision to the Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement for Continued
Enrollment in and Admission of Continuing and Transfer Students to the
Honors College
Sponsor:
Honors College
Description:
The Honors College is changing the grade point average (GPA) requirement for
continued enrollment in and admission of continuing and transfer students to the
Honors College, such that all are now 3.40/4.00 from 3.25/4.00, 3.25/4.00 and
3.50/4.00 respectively.
Justification:
The Honors College, in keeping with the UIC mission of Access to Excellence and in
accordance with the goals set in the Honors College Strategic Plan to enhance all
diversity within the college, has moved away from a freshman admissions process
that is based primarily on numerical data (e.g. SAT, ACT, GPA, Class Rank) to a
process now also includes and relies heavily upon face to face interviews with
faculty, staff or alumni and impromptu and take-home writing / rhetoric skills. To
balance this increased access to the college, the faculty also voted to increase the
GPA required to maintain status in the college. The later change then informs the
standard for the admission of continuing and transfer students.
Catalog
Statement:
See attached.
Minority Impact
Statement:
The change will not have an adverse effect on minority students and the
demographics of those persons who would be dropped from the college under the
new requirements are the same as those who are dropped under the current
guidelines.
Budgetary and
Staff Implications:
None.
Library Resource
Implications:
None.
Space
Implications:
None.
Unit (e.g.
department)
approval date:
Not Applicable
College
(educational policy
committee, faculty)
approval dates:
Contact Person:
Voted on by College Faculty at the last Spring Faculty meeting, 2005.
Stacie Williams
Asst. Dean for Academic Affairs, Admissions
email mccloud@uic.edu
Honors College GPA Revision, Revised 2/23/07 2
Proposed Effective
Date:
Fall, 2007
Catalog Description – Current
Introduction
Catalog Description - Proposed
Introduction
The Honors College offers academic challenge and
support to motivated undergraduates through a wide
range of honors programs and activities.
All Honors College students are required to complete
an honors activity each term in addition to
maintaining a minimum grade point average of
3.25/4.00. Freshmen enroll in an interdisciplinary
honors core course each semester to complete the
honors activity requirement and fulfill University
degree requirements.These courses are taught by faculty
from various departments and address significant
themes in the humanities and social sciences. In addition,
freshmen may opt to take additional honors
courses in subjects such as calculus, economics, or
chemistry.
Beyond the freshman year, students choose from a
variety of honors options.These include honors
courses, honors seminars in a broad range of disciplines,
independent research projects, undergraduate
research, tutoring in the college peer tutoring program,
an honors project in a regular course, academic
service learning, and senior theses. All of these activities
are monitored through a faculty advising/mentoring
system that is one of the college’s major strengths.
At the end of the first year, students are assigned
to an Honors College fellow, a mentor in the student’s
major department.The fellows, faculty interested
in working with honors students, include many
of UIC’s outstanding scholars.They act as advisors for
the students’ honors work and as resources for
advice and guidance on major, curriculum, preparation
for graduate school, and careers.The Honors
College fellow mentoring process puts students into
close and continuing contact with faculty at an early
stage in their postsecondary education.
UIC honors students may take advantage of specially
designated honors floors of the Student
Residence and Commons. In addition to sharing living
space with other Honors College students, students
in the program participate in educational and
social activities designed to create a special
living/learning environment and a sense of an honors
residential community.
The Honors College provides merit- and needbased
scholarship opportunities for beginning freshmen
through the Howard Kerr Scholarships, covering
tuition and fees and renewable for up to four years,
as well as other freshman scholarships ranging from
$500 to full tuition.The college offers financial support
to honors students pursuing research or international
study via the Kabbes Scholarships for
Undergraduate Research and the Flaherty
Scholarships for Study Abroad.The college also offers
tuition awards to its continuing student body; these
scholarships are distributed based on a combination
of merit and need.
Honors students appreciate the availability of facilities
reserved exclusively for their use, including a
computer lab, social and study lounges, and photocopying
The Honors College offers academic challenge and
support to motivated undergraduates through a wide
range of honors programs and activities.
All Honors College students are required to complete
an honors activity each term in addition to
maintaining a minimum grade point average of
3.40/4.00. Freshmen enroll in an interdisciplinary
honors core course each semester to complete the
honors activity requirement and fulfill University
degree requirements. These courses are taught by faculty
from various departments and address significant
themes in general education . In addition,
freshmen may opt to take additional honors
courses in subjects such as calculus, economics, or
chemistry.
Beyond the freshman year, students choose from a
variety of honors options. These include honors
courses, honors seminars in a broad range of disciplines,
independent research projects, undergraduate
research, tutoring in the college peer tutoring program,
an honors project in a regular course, academic
service learning, and senior theses. All of these activities
are monitored through a faculty advising/mentoring
system that is one of the college’s major strengths.
At the end of the first year, students are assigned
to an Honors College fellow, a mentor in the student’s
major department. The fellows, faculty interested
in working with honors students, include many
of UIC’s outstanding scholars. They act as advisors for
the students’ honors work and as resources for
advice and guidance on major, curriculum, preparation
for graduate school, and careers. The Honors
College fellow mentoring process puts students into
close and continuing contact with faculty at an early
stage in their postsecondary education.
UIC honors students may take advantage of specially
designated honors floors of the Student
Residence and Commons. In addition to sharing living
space with other Honors College students, students
in the program participate in educational and
social activities designed to create a special
living/learning environment and a sense of an honors
residential community.
The Honors College provides merit- and need- based
scholarship opportunities for beginning freshmen
through the Howard Kerr Scholarships, covering
tuition and fees and renewable for up to four years,
as well as other freshman scholarships ranging from
$500 to full tuition. The college offers financial support
to honors students pursuing research or international
study via the Kabbes Scholarships for
Undergraduate Research and the Flaherty
Scholarships for Study Abroad. The college also offers
tuition awards to its continuing student body; these
scholarships are distributed based on a combination
of merit and need.
Honors students appreciate the availability of facilities
reserved exclusively for their use, including a
computer lab, social and study lounges, and photocopying
Honors College GPA Revision, Revised 2/23/07 3
facilities.They also enjoy activities such as
student-faculty luncheons, monthly socials, the
college newsletter (Ampersand), the student literary
journal (Red Shoes Review), the student pre-health
professions journal, and the annual Honors College
Ball. Honors College students also receive extended
library privileges.
facilities. They also enjoy activities such as
student-faculty luncheons, monthly socials, the
college newsletter (Ampersand), the student literary
journal (Red Shoes Review), the student pre-health
professions journal, and the annual Honors College
Ball. Honors College students also receive extended
library privileges.
Admission to the College
Admission to the College
Student members of the Honors College are undergraduates
representing all UIC colleges and departments.
They are invited to apply on the basis of their
academic achievement.
Entering freshmen who have a minimum ACT
composite score of 28 and who rank in the upper 15
percent of their high school graduating class may
apply for membership in the Honors College. Transfer
students with a GPA of 3.50/4.00 and continuing UIC
students with a minimum cumulative GPA of
3.25/4.00 who have at least three semesters left
before graduation are also encouraged to apply. Other
entering students who do not meet these criteria
may apply directly to the dean of the Honors College
for special admission consideration.
Student members of the Honors College are undergraduates
representing all UIC colleges and departments.
Entering freshmen who have strong high school academic record, as
well as extracurricular or leadership experience, are encouraged to
apply for membership in the Honors College. Transfer
students with a GPA of 3.40/4.00 and continuing UIC
students with a minimum cumulative GPA of
3.40/4.00 who have at least three semesters left
before graduation are also encouraged to apply. More detailed
information about the admission process is available on the Honors
College website:
College Requirements
Same.
All students in the Honors College are expected to fulfill the following
requirements to ensure continued membership:



Students must successfully complete an honors activity each
term (except summer).
Students must enroll in HON 222—Honors Activity each term
(except summer) in order for honors work to be reflected on their

transcripts.
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative UIC GPA of
3.25/4.00.
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative UIC GPA of
3.40/4.00.
College Policies
College Policies
Probation and Dismissal Rules
Probation and Dismissal Rules
Any student in the Honors College whose UIC cumulative GPA falls
below 3.00/4.00 or who does not fulfill the honors activity requirement is
automatically dismissed from membership in the college and denied
attendant privileges. Students with cumulative averages between 3.00
and 3.25 are placed on probationary status. These students have one
semester in which to raise their cumulative average to 3.25. Students on
probation are expected to fulfill all other Honors College requirements.
Any student in the Honors College whose UIC cumulative GPA falls
below 3.15/4.00 or who does not fulfill the honors activity requirement is
automatically dismissed from membership in the college and denied
attendant privileges. Students with cumulative averages between 3.15
and 3.40 are placed on probationary status. These students have one
semester in which to raise their cumulative average to 3.40. Students on
probation are expected to fulfill all other Honors College requirements.
Honors College GPA Revision, Revised 2/23/07 4