THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE FACULTY SENATE Senate Document Number 1393S Date of Senate Approval 3/11/93 Signature of Senate Chair ________________________________ Date ________________ Action of Vice Chancellor: Approval _________________________________________ Date ___________________ Denied _________________________________________ Date ____________________ Reasons for denial and suggested modifications: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Statement of Faculty Senate Action: APC Document #9 "Catalog Changes in Honors Program" Effective Date: Fall 1993 1. Under Program in Honors, Part I, page 118 Add a descriptive phrase to define more clearly the special topics Honors course. Add: outside the students's major This phrase should be inserted after "3-credit hour special topics Honors course" and before "at the 300 level or above." With that proposed change, Part I will then read: I. Required courses in the program - five Honors courses for at least 15 hours of credit, to include HON 492 and at least one 3-credit-hour special topics Honors course outside the student's major at the 300 level or above. Impact Statement: This requirement should not increase the number of special topics honors courses offered. Each semester the Honors Program listing includes several courses which fulfill the 3-credit- hour special topics requirement. In the fall of 1992, two departmental courses were offered: Literature 3730H--Modern Jewish Writers and Political Science 3730H2--Hypocrisy in Politics. Two more will be offered in spring 1993: Econ 4150H--Comparative Economic Systems and Literature 4730H--Self Interest Versus the Soul: Literature and the Real World. At least one special topics course each semester carries an Honors prefix and that course, because it is not attached to a single department, fulfills the requirement for all Honors students. Recent Honors special topics courses have included Appalachian Culture, New Discoveries in Science, and Conflict Resolution (to be offered in the spring of 1993). In addition, both the Women's Studies Program and the MLA Program have in past semesters cross-listed courses with the Honors Program. This semester one student was unable to meet this requirement and petitioned the Honors Advisory Committee to allow an Honors special topics course in her major. All students graduating in 1991 and 1992 were able to complete the requirement. One impact of this requirement is that the Director of the Honors Program and department chairs together will need to consider courses carefully so that students may choose from a wide variety of courses over four or five semesters. Courses need to be scheduled several semesters ahead and then publicized to advisors of Honors students. Students and advisors can then organize schedules carefully to make sure the requirement is met. Rationale Statement: Honors students are require to complete 15 hours of Honors credit if the wish to graduate with Distinction as a University Scholar. Many general education courses such as the Humanities sequence and Arts 310 offer Honors sections. The Honors Program should not add an uncomfortably large burden of courses and hours to Honors students' schedules, but the Honors Program should urge some accomplishment beyond completion of departmental and general education requirements. With the requirement of one 3-credit-hour special topics Honors course outside the student's major department plus the 2-hour Senior Honors Colloquium, Honors students will be asked to complete two courses which support and enrich the required courses in general education and in their major. This additional stipulation reflects current policy. The Director of the Honors Program consults with all students preparing to graduate with Distinction as a University Scholar and informally encourages them to use the 300 level course as a means to explore issues and concerns outside their major department. This addition will directly state the requirement and remedy the oversight in previous catalog statements. 2. Under Program in Honors, Part II, page 118 Add a special program requirement and rearrange the letters. Delete: a), b), c) (the letters only) Add: a) UNCA students must complete at least 3 hours of Honors credit as part of their first 60 hours of credit. Transfer students with more than 30 hours of credit must complete at least 3 hours of Honors credit as part of their first 30 hours of credit at UNCA. Add: b), c), d)(before the remaining three points) With that proposed change, Part II will then read: II. Special Program requirements: a) UNCA students must complete at least 3 hours of Honors credit as part of their first 60 hours of credit. Transfer students with more than 30 hours of credit must complete at least 3 hours of Honors credit as part of their first 30 hours of credit at UNCA. b) No more than three credit hours in Honors readings and research may count toward the 15 hours. c) A senior honors project, which may be pursued under the supervision of the major department and/or the Honors Program director. d) Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA to remain in good standing and enroll in Honors courses. Graduation with Distinction as a University Scholar requires an overall GPA of 3.0, a 3.5 GPA for Honors courses, and a 3.5 GPA on the last 60 hours of college credit earned. Impact Statement: One impact involves the numbers of students enrolled in the Honors Program. Some people apply to the program primarily to belong rather than to participate. This additional requirement urges students to participate in the academic portion of the Honors Program. By their junior year, students must have earned three hours of Honors credit. If they do not meet that requirement, they will be dropped from the Honors Program. Presently 63 juniors are enrolled in the Honors Program. Seven of them transferred into UNCA in the fall of 1992. Thirty-nine of the remaining 56 juniors have taken at least 3 hours of Honors credit. Seventeen of the juniors have not taken three hours of Honors credit. If this requirement had been in place when these students enrolled, they would not be encourage to remain in the program without the minimal commitment. Adding this requirement will not increase the number of Honors classes offered in any semester. We currently average 10 Honors courses per semester plus the Readings and Research courses. Most of the students who wish to enroll in Honors courses are able to do so. Once again, the Director of the Honors Program and department chairs will need to work together to ensure both balance and variety in Honors courses. The impact of this change will need to be assessed in the fall of 1995. The freshmen who enter in fall 1993 will be juniors by that time. The number of those students who remain in the program, the courses they take, and the range of honors courses can all be tabulated at that time. The Director of the Honors Program will examine student records and determine if this requirement is met. Rationale: This requirement encourages students to make a minimal academic commitment to the Honors Program. Not all students intend to complete all requirements to graduate with Distinction as a University Scholar. Many students join the program because they want to take some Honors courses; others want to live in one of the designated residence spaces. Some students are interested only in adding the Honors Program to their list of accomplishments. Several years ago when the Honors Program was small, students were encouraged to belong to the program with no other commitment. Now the program is much larger and more competitive. The Honors Advisory Committee believes that students in the Honors Program should be required to take at least 3 hours of Honor credit by the junior year.