HONORS (HON)

Dedicated to the spirit of open inquiry and civil disagreement, this one-credit course consists entirely of student-led conversations about important texts centered around a topic. Texts are chosen by the professor, who acts as a moderator. Learning objectives include fostering (1) openness to ideas and love of the intellectual life and (2) oral communication skills as virtues of citizenship. In their discussions, students should seek to demonstrate a spirit of open inquiry, thoughtful reading, careful listening, a high tolerance for divergent positions, attentiveness to reasons behind positions, and habits of civil disagreement. Grades will be based entirely on the quality of student discussion and on a final project or event during the exam period.

The Honors Workshop helps students identify a faculty mentor and propose a project for their Honors Capstone thesis (HON444). Each student will prepare a substantial description of the project, an annotated bibliography of relevant sources, and a plan with a timeline for completion of the project. As a workshop, this course requires substantial peer review in which students help each other develop and refine their proposals. During the final weeks of the semester, students will present and defend their proposals to an audience of their peers and faculty mentors.

In the Honors Capstone, each student will produce an independent research thesis or creative project under the supervision of a faculty mentor. (The project is proposed and approved during HON300 Honors Seminar.) Students will meet on a weekly basis with their faculty mentor for advice and guidance, but primarily will work independently on the project throughout the semester. A summary and defense of the capstone work will be organized by the faculty mentor and completed by the end of the spring semester.