Transcript Honors Program

Success in Action: Developing a
Successful Community College Honors
Program
Dr. Don Tomas, President
Dr. Thomas Brooks, VP for Instruction & Student Services
Cheryl Contino-Conner, Director - Student Support
The League of Innovation Conference
March 10-13, 2013
 Today we will discuss:
 How to Create an Honors Program
 Establishing an Honors Review Committee
 Mission and Benefits of The Honors Program
 Guidelines for Proposal Review
 Granting Honors Credit/Transcript Notation
 Securing University Honor Program Partnerships
 Program Expansions
 Lessons Learned
 Your BLUEPRINT for start-up
 Member of the North Carolina Community College System
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– 58 institutions strong
Founded in 1964
3,606 curriculum students
5,558 continuing education students
Participate in NC Comprehensive Articulation Agreement
 What you are about to hear happened without forming a new
committee.Yes, you read this screen correctly.
 We created an Honors Program WITHOUT a, “rally the
troops how-to, investigative, design, brain-storming, trouble
shooting, process discussion, process review, re-convene,
implementation” committee.
Spring 2008 SCC Transfer
Students
SCC needs an Honors
Program for transfer
students AND we need the
universities to accept our
honors credit.
Too many hours in
University Honor
Programs/Colleges for
community college transfer
students to graduate from
the University Honors
Program/College.
 How to Create an Honors Program
External Catalyst –WCU
was willing to partner with
us. Transfer opportunities.
Internal vibe: Strong
commitment to recognizing
student
achievement…AFTER the
fact!
QUESTION: Did we
have a culture of
“breeding” academic
excellence and
purposefully engaging
highly motivated
students?
Decision: Create an Interdisciplinary Honors Program to:
 Afford transfer students full University Honor
Program/College opportunities;
 Cultivate high achieving students (at SCC) in all disciplines;
 Extend teaching and learning to advanced levels;
 Re-energize faculty with student
mentorship and research.
Determining Applicant Eligibility requirements:
“Who can participate?”
 High School graduate/first semester attending SCC:
 A high school weighted GPA of 4.00 or higher, or;
 A high school class rank in the top 10%, or;
 An SAT of 1875 or an ACT of 30 or higher
 All other SCC students
 A 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA with at least 12 semester hours of college
level coursework.
In the Fall of 2008, SCC offered students and faculty the
opportunity to engage in the Honors Program. Four contracts
were approved.
In 2009, in addition to Southwestern, five additional
NC Community Colleges responded positively to the
NCCCS survey regarding Honors Programs.
 Establishing an Honors Program Review
Committee
The Review Committee provides program oversight with
regards to:
 Mission, Benefits and Marketing of the Honors Program;
 Review of proposals for approval, recommendation, or denial;
 Assistance in Institutionalizing Honor Program goals;
 Edit, revision or implementation of new policies and
procedures, as necessary.
 SCC’s Honors Program Review Committee (eight members) is composed of:
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Vice President for Instruction and Student Services
Dean of Arts and Sciences
Dean of Career Technologies
Dean of Health Sciences
Dean of Student Services
Dean of the Macon Campus
Director of the Honors Program
President of Faculty Senate
 Mission of The Honors Program at Southwestern
Community College:
 Challenge high achieving and highly motivated students to purposefully
engage in Honors coursework. Honors coursework is designed to enrich and
expand the expectations of the traditional college course.
 Intentionally focus on academic excellence including critical thinking,
communication skills, and academic inquiry. Honors coursework generally
will be more writing, research and/or project intensive.
 Engage students and faculty across all disciplines.
 Encourage and support Honors students in leadership and service to the
college and the community.
Benefits of the Honors Program at Southwestern
Community College:
 Opportunity to participate in the highly motivating and academically
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challenging Honors program;
Honors designation on transcripts and degree/diploma;
Special recognition at graduation and honors medallion;
Enhanced transfer opportunities;
Invitation to honors luncheon/forum with SCC Executive Cabinet;
Increased emphasis on communication and critical thinking skills;
Direct link to University Honor Programs/Colleges;
Leadership and mentoring opportunities.
Honor Program Seal
 Guidelines for Honor Proposal Review
The proposal review process consists of the
Review Committee feeling confident the
applicants (student and faculty mentor)
thoroughly explained all questions on the
application.
SCC Honors Contract
Are you graduating this semester?
 Sample of Honor Project Topics:
 CJC – Initiate contact with an elementary school and secure permission to
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complete a set of inked fingerprint impressions/current student photos.
MAT 271 – Southeastern math competition at Gainesville State College.
PTA 120 – In depth evidence based research of the anatomy and
biomechanics of the shoulder girdle with the activity of weight lifting.
SPA 111 – English to Spanish medical directory for local health departments,
approximately 100 entries.
CHM 131 – Residential radon testing
MAT 151 – Literature review of Freakonomics by Levitt
EDU 216 – Ethnograph examining sociocultural aspects of public
elementary school within our service area.
ACC 121 – Research into how forensic accounting was used to prosecute
and convict German World War II officials and companies of war crimes and
crimes against humanity.
Granting Honors Credit /Transcript Notation
15 class calendar days to submit
Proposal is taken to
Review Committee. If
accepted…
Faculty and student
activate the proposal.
Faculty notifies Honors
Program Director of
status. If successful…
Honors Program Director
verifies final class grade for
honors credit approval –
submits positive outcomes
to the registrar.
By the last day of the
semester, faculty mentor
decides on proposal
outcome status –
acceptable: yes or no.
Students who successfully complete the course in which an honors proposal
was approved with a grade of “A” or “B” by semesters’ end earn honors credit.
Credit is awarded based on the credit hour for the approved class.
Credit is awarded on the STNT mnemonic per positive outcome.
IF:
 Successful completion of program of study with a 3.5 or higher GPA;
 Successful completion of a minimum of 12 hours of HP credit.
 Honors Program designation on the Degree/Diploma
is provided with an Honors Program seal.
What the stats represent:
 Honor Program Stats:
Semester
Fall 08
# Projects
Accepted
Successfully
Completed Projects
172 students and 194 approved
contracts;
Success %
4
3
75%
25
20
80%
3
1
33%
Fall 09
20
11
55%
Spring 10
11
6
55%
Fall 10
14
14
100%
Spring 11
13
13
100%
4
1
25%
Fall 11
26
22
88%
Spring 12
41
31
75%
Fall 12
12
8
66%
Spring 13
21
Spring 09
Summer 09
Summer 11
Honors contracts have been
developed in 82 classes;
35% of approved contracts have
been mentored by adjunct faculty;
63 instructors involved;
13 Honor Program graduates.
 Securing MOU’s with NC Universities
University
# of SCC Honors
credits accepted
WCU
12
ASU
12
UNCC
12
NC State
6
UNCW
9
UNCG
12
Mars Hill
9
UNC Pembroke
9
UNCA
9
Lees-McRae College
9-12
 Lessons Learned:
Location, location, and relationship – helpful with first MOU.
Friendly university competition helps with second MOU
10 days too soon for contract/proposal submission.
Summer contracts - not successful.
Scheduling honor luncheon forums in subsequent semesters
does NOT produce good student attendance.
 Faculty need an opportunity to have dialogue regarding the
contract proposal process/standards.
 If it feels like “extra credit” it is not worthy of honors credit.
 Student notation on graduation program may require an early
deadline for projects.
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 Program Expansions
 Student Appeals Process
 First Honors Class (Math 273) - Spring 2012
 Encouraging interest from faculty to offer Honor Classes in: BIO 111,
BIO 169 and ENG 113.
 Honor Guard
 Honors Program Lounge
 Funding for student projects
Honor Guard Plaque
for start-up:
1) HP
2)
3)
4) First
5) First
: ______________________________
HP champion: _____________________
:_______________________
:_______________________
will be signed with: _________________
http://www.southwesterncc.edu/honors-program
For information about The Honors Program, please contact:
Cheryl Contino-Conner
Southwestern Community College, Sylva NC
(828) 339-4245
[email protected]