Phil
July 18th, 2007, 02:20 PM
Approved by the NCHC Executive Committee on June 25, 2005.
An honors educational experience can occur in a wide variety of institutional settings. When institutions establish an honors college or embark upon a transition from an honors program to an honors college, they face a transformational moment. No one model defines this transformation. Although not all of the following characteristics are necessary to be considered a successful or fully developed honors college, the National Collegiate Honors Council recognizes these as representative:
A fully developed honors college should incorporate the relevant characteristics of a fully developed honors program.
A fully developed honors college should exist as an equal collegiate unit within a multi-collegiate university structure.
The head of a fully developed honors college should be a dean reporting directly to the chief academic officer of the institution and serving as a full member of the Council of Deans, if one exists. The dean should be a full-time, 12-month appointment.
The operational and staff budgets of fully developed honors colleges should provide resources at least comparable to other collegiate units of equivalent size.
A fully developed honors college should exercise increased coordination and control of departmental honors where the college has emerged out of such a decentralized system.
A fully developed honors college should exercise considerable control over honors recruitment and admissions, including the appropriate size of the incoming class. Admission to the honors college should be by separate application.
An honors college should exercise considerable control over its policies, curriculum, and selection of faculty.
The curriculum of a fully developed honors college should offer significant course opportunities across all four years of study.
The curriculum of the fully developed honors college should constitute at least 20% of a student?s degree program. An honors thesis or project should be required.
Where the home university has a significant residential component, the fully developed honors college should offer substantial honors residential opportunities.
The distinction awarded by a fully developed honors college should be announced at commencement, noted on the diploma, and featured on the student?s final transcript.
Like other colleges within the university, a fully developed honors college should be involved in alumni affairs and development and should have an external advisory board.
An honors educational experience can occur in a wide variety of institutional settings. When institutions establish an honors college or embark upon a transition from an honors program to an honors college, they face a transformational moment. No one model defines this transformation. Although not all of the following characteristics are necessary to be considered a successful or fully developed honors college, the National Collegiate Honors Council recognizes these as representative:
A fully developed honors college should incorporate the relevant characteristics of a fully developed honors program.
A fully developed honors college should exist as an equal collegiate unit within a multi-collegiate university structure.
The head of a fully developed honors college should be a dean reporting directly to the chief academic officer of the institution and serving as a full member of the Council of Deans, if one exists. The dean should be a full-time, 12-month appointment.
The operational and staff budgets of fully developed honors colleges should provide resources at least comparable to other collegiate units of equivalent size.
A fully developed honors college should exercise increased coordination and control of departmental honors where the college has emerged out of such a decentralized system.
A fully developed honors college should exercise considerable control over honors recruitment and admissions, including the appropriate size of the incoming class. Admission to the honors college should be by separate application.
An honors college should exercise considerable control over its policies, curriculum, and selection of faculty.
The curriculum of a fully developed honors college should offer significant course opportunities across all four years of study.
The curriculum of the fully developed honors college should constitute at least 20% of a student?s degree program. An honors thesis or project should be required.
Where the home university has a significant residential component, the fully developed honors college should offer substantial honors residential opportunities.
The distinction awarded by a fully developed honors college should be announced at commencement, noted on the diploma, and featured on the student?s final transcript.
Like other colleges within the university, a fully developed honors college should be involved in alumni affairs and development and should have an external advisory board.