CSUSM UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM

Policies and Procedures

Revised May 1O, 1995

[Please see Criteria for Approval of In-Course Honors Proposals for more information concerning who may submit honors proposals and how many honors proposals per faculty member the committee considers practicable at this time.]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • GOALS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES
  • SELECTION OF COURSES FOR IN-COURSE Honors
  • SELECTION OF STUDENT PARTICIPANTS
  • HONORS 400: UNIVERSITY HONORS SEMINAR
  • HONORS REQUIREMENTS FOR SERVICE
  • HONORS PROGRAM EVALUATION
  • OVERSIGHT OF THE HONORS PROGRAM
  • RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS


          This document contains the policies and procedures proposed for the University Honors Program at CSUSM. It outlines the honors program as it will be initially created, with the expectation that the program will be modified as it evolves to meet the changing needs and mission of our University.

    I. GOALS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES

         The CSUSM University Honors Program serves academically motivated students who desire to meet and who feel prepared to meet expanded intellectual demands, who are committed to the highest standards of rigorous academic performance, and who desire opportunities for participation in community service. Students involved in the Honors Program will be challenged to demonstrate excellent academic performance extending beyond standard course demands.

         A. In-Course Honors. Students may self-select to participate in honors Courses at any stage of their academic career by contracting for honors-level work in an honors-designated course. This contract enables students to participate in a regular class while doing additional honors work. Any student, regardless of test scores and grade-point average, may apply for honors course participation. The list of courses offering the option of honors will vary from semester to semester.

         B. Members of the Honors Program. The Honors Program also accommodates students who wish to undertake these challenges on a sustained basis, and who also desire opportunities for participation in community service. Students who accumulate a sufficient number of honors credits (12), who complete the University Honors Seminar course (honors 400), and who document meaningful community service may then qualify for university honors at graduation. (These university honors are completely separate from Latin graduation honors, which are based solely on grade point average, and from any program, department, or college honors.)

    II.SELECTION OF COURSES FOR IN-COURSE HONORS

          Individual faculty may propose to the Honors Committee a course for designation of in-course honors. This proposal will include a description of the actual work and expectations that will constitute the honors content of the course. Faculty participation in the University Honors Program will normally be limited to full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty.


          A. Criteria for In-Course Honors Coursework. honors work must extend beyond the normal course work. It must be consistent with the Goals and Guiding Principles of the Honors Program at CSUSM. honors course work must place "expanded intellectual demands" on the student, and be consistent with the "highest standards of rigorous academic performance." To fulfill this standard:

          

  • The honors work should be extra work above the normal level of course work. This might include, but is not limited to additional readings and/or additional assignments such as papers, speeches, presentations, research proposals, artistic or literary works, performances, computer programs, laboratory projects, case studies, etc.
          
  • The honors work should be intellectually and/or artistically challenging, enriching and enhancing the academic experience of the honors student above that which s/he would obtain in normal courses, and that demands a high level of understanding of assigned materials.
          
  • The honors work can either explore other dimensions and applications of the subject matter (e.g. exploring the interdisciplinary nature of the subject), or delve into a narrow and specific area of the subject in expanded detail (e.g. work that is a preview of graduate school experience).
          
  • The honors work should be related in some way to the content of the regular coursework.
          
  • The honors work should be given with a greater expectation of performance on the part of the student.
          
  • The honors work should include additional contact between faculty and student.
         
  • The honors work should include substantial additional time spent by the student (approximately 3 additional hours per week on average over the semester for a 3-unit course).
         
  • The honors work should include additional faculty effort in supervision, guidance, and ongoing assessment.
         
  • The honors work should include work that is different from standard course requirements.
         
  • The honors work should require substantial independence on the part of the student.

         Normally, the faculty member proposing the honors work should be a full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty member.
         The course in which In-course honors work is proposed should be an upper-division course.
          Normally, no more than five (5) honors contracts will be approved for any course designated for in-course honors . Approval of more than five honors contracts for a single course would be considered by the honors committee for courses with multiple instructors or in other unusual circumstances. This limit of five does not apply to honors 400. Individual instructors may limit the number of participants to fewer than five. (See the section on Approval of Student Participants for In-Course honors Coursework.) [See current guidelines for information about recent criteria used by the honors committee.]
          Normally, no more than one course for an individual faculty member will be designated for in-course honors in one semester. Designation of more than one course would be considered by the honors committee for courses with multiple instructors or in other unusual circumstances.


         B. Criteria for Selection of In-Course Honors Proposals. Proposals for in-course honors designation must be submitted by the instructor of the course in which in-course honors is proposed. Volunteers may self-select or may be recruited by the honors director on the basis of suggestions from the campus community, program directors, faculty colleagues, or students. The honors director will arrange a meeting each semester for faculty who might wish to offer an honors Option the following semester.
          The proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:

          

  • The extent to which proposed honors coursework is well specified;
         
  • The extent to which proposed honors coursework is in accordance with the criteria for in-course honors coursework;
         
  • The extent to which previous in-course honors coursework in this course and/or by this proposing faculty member has furthered the goals and objectives of the Honors Program, based on both student feedback and Honors Committee review.

          Selection of successful proposals will be made from the pool of proposals for in-course honors submitted during each semester's proposal review period. The selection will be made with the goal of achieving the targeted number of offerings that are each of high quality and that, as a group, represent diverse disciplines, faculty, and honors activities.


          C. Faculty Compensation for In-Course Honors Participation. It is proposed that each completed contract (i.e., fulfillment of the contracted honors work at the end of the contracted semester) will earn the in-course honors faculty compensation as follows. With prior approval of the office of the provost, any in-course honors faculty, permanent or temporary, can take this compensation so as to cover expenses of teaching and/or research (e.g., student assistance, travel, software, equipment). The University retains ownership of anything purchased. Each completed contract is worth onetenth (1/10th) of the current average replacement cost of one 3-unit course. Permanent faculty have the option of taking their compensation in the form of release time as follows. Each completed contract will earn the in-course honors faculty member O.1 units per unit of course credit (e.g., 0.3 units for each completed contract in a 3-unit course). These units will be "banked" in the office of the provost and will be used to "buy" release time for the faculty member from the college of the faculty member (where workload assignments are determined) on a one-for-one basis. The arrangements for the release course(s) will be negotiated between the faculty member and the faculty member's program. Regardless of the form in which compensation is taken, it becomes available only after the end of the semester in which the contract was completed and only during the faculty member's period of employment.
          In a case in which a contract is not completed (e.g., the student drops the honors portion of the course, or drops both the course and the honors portion of the course), the in-course honors faculty may wish to consult the dean of their college about the possibility of fractional compensation (from Academic Affairs) based on the contract work performed up to the time that the contract was terminated.

          [See the file Policy on Faculty Use of honors Compensation for more recent information about this question]

    III. SELECTION OF STUDENT PARTICIPANTS FOR IN-COURSE
          Students interested in doing in-course honors coursework must consult with the in-course honors faculty member for advisement regarding the honors requirements and expectations for the course. Students are advised to do this during the pre-registration period.


          A. Honors Coursework Contracts. A contract form (available from the InCourse honors faculty member or the honors Director) requesting honors credit for the course must be submitted to the Director of the honors Program prior to the second week of classes. The contract:

         

  • should be in accordance with the criteria for in-course honors coursework;
         
         
  • should be in accordance with the proposal made for in-course honors in the course;
         
  • should specify the specific honors requirements for the in-course honors portion of the course (i.e., the quantity of work proposed);
          
  • should specify the expectations of honors performance, including timelines and methods of assessment (i.e., the quality of the work), and
          
  • should be signed by the student and the in-course honors faculty member.


          B. Criteria for Contract Approval. Approval by the University Honors Committee, evidenced by the signature of the director of the Honors Program, will be based on the following criteria:

          

  • The extent that the contract is well specified;
          
  • The extent that the contracted requirements and expectations meet the criteria for in-Course honors coursework;
          
  • The extent that the proposed honors work contributes some breadth to the entire honors experience of the student;
          
  • The extent that the previous involvement of the student, if any, with in-course honors coursework has furthered the goals and objectives of the All University honors Program, based on both faculty feedback and honors Committee Review.


          C. Limits on Participation. Normally, no more than 6 (six) units of in-course honors coursework will be approved for a student in any one semester. This limit explicitly includes Honors 400, so that in a semester when Honors 400 is taken, only one other in-course honors course may be taken. There is no limit on the number of in-course honors courses that may be taken by a student. In-course honors work must be completed in the semester for which the work was contracted; there are no "Incompletes" for In-course Honors .
          Normally, no more than (5) five honors contracts will be approved for any course designated for in-course honors. Approval of more than five honors contracts for a single course would be considered by the Honors Committee for courses with multiple instructors or in other unusual circumstances. This limit of five does not apply to Honors 400. Individual instructors may limit the number of participants to fewer than five. In some cases, more students may be interested in making honors contracts in an honors-designated course than the instructor is able or willing to accommodate. In such situations, selection among the interested students will be made in conformity with the University Mission Statement and the Goals and Guiding Principles of the University honors Program. Normally, the course instructor will not sign more contracts than the maximum approved in the proposal by the faculty member (up to five are permitted by the Honors Program), selecting from among interested students if more than five are interested. Final responsibility for approval of the participants rests with the honors Committee, which will consult with the course instructor as necessary. On an appeals basis only, students may submit contracts which have not been signed by the faculty member directly to the honors Committee.

    IV. UNIVERSITY HONORS SEMINAR

          Course Description. The University Honors Seminar is a 3-unit seminar for students who are enrolled in the University Honors Program. (These are students who have completed in-course honors in two courses, and who wish to qualify for university honors at graduation.) The course will be conducted as a seminar, often team taught, and interdisciplinary in nature. The themes will vary. There will be a high level of expectation for student preparation and intellectual engagement between students and professor(s). The course is designed to highlight and synthesize the honors experience at CSUSM. Students may repeat this course only once, provided approval is granted. Enrollment will be limited to 15 students per section. Prerequisites: Membership in the University Honors Program.


          B. Criteria for Selection of Honors Seminar 400. Faculty may propose to the Honors Committee a course for designation as Honors Seminar 400. The proposal should be specific, including a syllabus if possible, and must satisfy the following criteria:

          

  • It must be consistent with the Goals and Guiding Principles of the Honors Program at CSUSM;
          
  • It must be in accordance with the Criteria for In-Course Honors Coursework;
          
  • It should be conducted in a way that is consistent with the highest expectations of student preparation and intellectual engagement between students and faculty;
          
  • It should be interdisciplinary, allowing for a synthesis of the honors experience at CSUSM (team teaching is strongly encouraged);
          Although the subject content can vary, it must conform with the "highest standards of rigorous academic performance."


          C. Catalog Issues. For catalog purposes (1994-95), the Honors Program would have its own separate page on the first page of the section "Courses and Curricula," just before the College of Arts and Sciences. The honors seminar would be listed there with a general description. It would be considered apart from the various colleges. For the 1993-94 catalog, the honors Program would be listed as a separate section under the Academic Programs and Academic Support Services.

    V. HONORS REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE


          Honors at CSUSM is more than excellent academic performance. Consistent with CSUSM's Mission Statement, we wish to prepare our students "to live cooperatively" as well as "competitively" in a world of increasing diversity, and "to contribute to public services that enrich the local and international community." CSUSM feels a special commitment to serve the larger community, in particular, the North San Diego County area. In order to promote a sense of civic responsibility and community involvement complementary to academic achievements, the University honors Program requires honors students to attain a documented performance record of community service.

          A. Criteria for Acceptable Activities. Community service includes such volunteer activities as off-campus involvement in coaching, directing, and organizing community activities (e.g. tutoring in local primary and secondary schools, contributing to programs for the elderly, working in shelters for the homeless), and on-campus involvement in tutoring, practicum in administration and the library, and other service activities (e.g. volunteer assistance services for disabled students). Students will be allowed considerable flexibility in the satisfaction of this requirement. The Honors Committee will use the following criteria for determining what constitutes community service:

          

  • the value to the beneficiary of the community service;
          
  • the student's initiative;
          
  • the student's active contribution to the service;
          
  • the sustained nature of the activity;
          
  • the value to and growth of the student from their experience in public service;
          
  • the amenability of the service to appropriate documentation;
          
  • the presence of suitable responsibility safeguards;
          
  • the realistic expectation that the service can be performed within a twelve-month period which must begin no later than two months prior to the approval of the proposed activity and, normally, must end no later than two months prior to the end of the final semester of enrollment;
          
  • the activities involve a minimum of 40 hours of involvement;
          
  • the assurance that the need for student jobs on campus will not be jeopardized by this requirement;
          
  • the appropriateness of the service in light of the CSUSM Mission Statement, and
          
  • the appropriateness of the service in light of the Goals and Guiding Principles of the Honors Program at CSUSM.

          Activities for which the student receives other academic credit or is paid will not meet this requirement.

          B. Record-Keeping. Documentation of the service will include assessment of the student's contribution by the service organization and reflection by the student on the experience. This reflection will consist of a short written report which will be used by the honors Committee for review of the activity and will be part of the service resource collection kept by the honors Committee to guide future students.

    VI. HONORS PROGRAM EVALUATION

          Regular evaluation of the Honors Program by student and faculty participants and by the honors Committee is an important ingredient in helping to meet the educational goals of the program and of the university. External assessments should be done at critical points in the early years of the program (such as the end of the first two years of the program, and the end of the first two years of including lower-division students), and routinely thereafter. Such reviews can identify structural and operational issues that could improve the program and its operation. As the program matures, the input gained from those with direct experience in our program will provide a major source of ideas for the evolution of honors activity at CSUSM.
          Each semester the honors Committee will review a sampling of previously completed In-course honors Contracts in order to ascertain that the goals and objectives of the honors Program were achieved in the work performed. The results of these reviews will be considered in the selection process of in-course honors proposals.


          A. Evaluation by Students. Upon completion of an honors contract, the in-course honors students will be asked to evaluate their experience in fulfilling the contract. Examples of the kinds of questions they will be asked are as follows:
          Did the honors faculty encourage analytical thinking? Did the honors faculty encourage initiative? Did the evaluated work reflect the contract objective and subject matter? Did the contract work stretch your learning to your potential? Was there sufficient contact with the instructor so that the contract could be fulfilled according to contract terms? Was the overall quality of the contract work high? Did the actual work extend you beyond the regular course demands? As a result of your experience would you recommend any change in the contract that you fulfilled? How much time did you spend with your contracted faculty member on the In-course honors portion of the course? Was time spent with your contracted faculty member an essential component of your In-course honors experience? Why or why not? Describe any contact with the Honors Committee that helped or hindered your honors experience.


          B. Evaluation by Faculty. Upon completion of an honors Contract the Incourse honors faculty member will be asked to evaluate their experience with the student and the contract. Examples of the kinds of questions they will be asked are as follows:
          Was the contract completed? If not, why not? Did the actual work extend the student beyond the regular course demands? As a result of your experience, what change (if any) would you recommend in the contracted work? Evaluate the academic quality of the student who was a party to the contract. Do you think that in terms of costs/benefit, in-course honors was a worthwhile undertaking for you? Do you think that the contract encouraged the realization of the student's potential? Do you think that the contract motivated the student to excel? Was the actual workload consistent with the contracted work? What would you propose for the improvement of in-course honors work? What changes (if any) in this faculty assessment form do you recommend? What is your overall assessment of this in-course honors contract?

    VII. OVERSIGHT OF THE HONORS PROGRAM

          The oversight of honors courses and the University Honors Program is the responsibility of a nine-member, all-university Honors Committee, the chair of which is the Honors Director. The Honors Director, who shall serve a three-year renewable term, shall be a tenure-track faculty member nominated by the Academic Senate and appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) for a three-year renewable term.


          A. Committee Membership. The faculty members of the Honors Committee shall be appointed by the VPAA from full-time tenured and tenure-track individuals nominated by the Academic Senate so that three (3) faculty members come from the College of Arts and Sciences, one (1) faculty member comes from the College of Business, and one (1) faculty member comes from the College of Education. Two (2) additional members of the Honors Committee will be students nominated by the Associated Students and appointed by the VPAA. The ninth member of the committee will be nominated by the Dean's and Director's Council and appointed by the VPAA and will come from the administration. All of these members shall serve two-year staggered terms.


          B. Duties of the Committee. The H onors Committee shall:

          

  • promote the Honors Program into the consciousness of the institution;
          
  • serve as a policy advisory group for honors courses and the Honors Program, particularly on criteria for approval of honors contracts, for appropriateness of proposed honors course activity, for suitability of Honors Faculty participants, for content of the University Honors Seminar, and for approval of community service activities;
          
  • produce and maintain an Honors Handbook;
          
  • assess appropriateness of proposed honors course activities;
          
  • approve suitability of honors faculty participants;
          
  • keep records of students enrolled in honors courses and gather input from student, faculty, and administrative evaluations;
          
  • make final decisions concerning honors completion;
          
  • oversee evaluation of the program and submission of an annual report-study to the VPAA;
          
  • provide support for development of honors programs in the disciplines as requested;
          
  • meet as appropriate during the academic year, and
          
  • provide for the evolution of the University Honors Program into a four-year program to begin with Fall 1995.


    B. Duties of the Director. The Honors Director shall
          

  • chair the Honors Committee;
          
  • provide general operational oversight of honors courses and the University Honors Program,
          
  • assume responsibility for the honors budget,
          
  • consult and recruit faculty for honors courses,
          
  • monitor eligibility of student participants and act as liaison between Admissions and Records and the University Honors Program in this regard;
          
  • provide special advising to honors students concerning honors courses and the Honors Program;
          
  • represent the Honors Program at state, regional and national forums;
          
  • facilitate internal and external public relations;
          
  • inform new faculty, students and administrators about the Honors Program;
          
  • serve as liaison to academic administrators;
          
  • schedule honors courses;
          
  • arrange for special honors events;
          
  • prepare an annual self-study or report for the VPAA.

    VIII. Resource Requirements

          The following resources are required to implement and to maintain the proposed CSUSM University Honors Program:


          A. Human Resources. This includes clerical and student assistant salaries and a half-time appointment for the honors director. Compensation for faculty is also part of this category.


          B. Space Requirements. This includes a room assigned to honors students for study, meeting and consultation, and office space for the honors director and support staff.


          C. Travel Expenses. This includes expenses for conference costs for two honors students and the honors Director (or a representative) to the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) and travel expenses for the honors director (or a representative) to the NCHC Westem Regional Meetings.


          D. Supplies and Services. In addition to normal operating supplies and services, this includes the following: honors certificates, Honors Program letterhead, files, forms, and Honors Handbook preparation, publication, and distribution.


          E. Memberships. This includes affiliations with appropriate honors organizations, such as the National Collegiate Honors Council and its Western Regional Honors Council.


          F. Library Resources. This includes honors materials and magazines.


          G. Lecture Fund. This includes funds for lectures, speakers, and external consultants.


          H. Foundation Funds. This includes funds for an annual honors event, refreshments at honors functions, cash awards for University Honors Program graduates, and some form of recognition for faculty participating in the Honors Program.