The Honors College offers an exciting opportunity for dedicated students interested in a more advanced level of academic engagement both inside and outside the classroom. Students will be part of a more rigorous learning environment complemented by an augmented academic curriculum, making them more prepared and competitive in their future graduate studies and careers.
Students admitted to the program will receive last-dollar scholarships ((in which official Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and financial aid packages totals are less than the total cost of attendance)) covering remaining costs for books, tuition, and fees. All scholarships will be contingent upon meritorious academic performance during the year of the award (sustaining a 3.25 GPA) and successful completion of augmented curriculum courses.
Students who successfully complete the program will receive honorific designation on their transcript and diploma, as well as acknowledgement at commencement.
Eligibility
Incoming students seeking baccalaureate degrees are eligible for admission if they have earned a minimum GPA of 3.25 (on a 4.00 scale) and 25 on the ACT composite test or 1250 combined score on the SAT Critical Reading and Mathematics tests. (SAT/ACT test scores are waived for Fall 2021 applicants; however, college placement requirements for HONR 101 must still be met to be admitted into the program.) Students who are currently enrolled at Bluefield State College are eligible; however, students seeking an Associate degree or a Regents Bachelor of Arts degree, and those who have earned more than 30 hours of credit toward graduation are not eligible for entrance into the program. For reasons of curricular standards and accreditation, students planning to major in degree programs within the School of Nursing and Allied Health are not eligible.
Acceptance into the program is competitive and requires a completed application form, essay, and interview to be evaluated by the Honors College Committee. An Index Score comprised of High School GPA, SAT/ACT Score, Admission Essay, and Interview will be used to determine ranking, each weighted equally. Transfer students and students currently enrolled at Bluefield State College must have earned and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25 (on a 4.00 scale) and not exceeded 30 hours of earned college credits.
Program Requirements
Six honors-enhanced credits must be completed per year, and a total of at least 24 enhanced credits must be completed for graduation with honors. Students must successfully complete all augmented (enhanced) curriculum courses with a minimum grade of B to receive honors credit.
• Augmented Curriculum (18 Credit Hours): The augmented (enhanced) curriculum modifies standard course content, requirements, or performance expectations for the honors student in order to merit honorific designation. This curriculum will replace some of the General Studies Core requirements. Students will be required to have an augmented curriculum for twelve General Studies credits throughout the first two years of their program, including two writing-intensive Honors Seminars. An additional six augmented credits will be required as part of the student’s major academic program (not including the Honors Capstone Project). With the approval of the Honors College Director, a program-specific course can be converted to an honors-enhanced course through the addition of an Honor Recitation (entailing specific enhancements to student meetings, assignments, activities, or curricular scope). The nature and type of augmentation for each individual course will be determined by the instructor in consultation with the Honors College Director. Faculty and students will be required to complete and sign an Honors Course Enhancement Form to give the Honors College Director prior to the start of the semester for each augmented course if it is not offered already as a General Studies Honors section. Equivalency credits will be awarded at the completion of the program by the director.
• Senior Honors Project (3 Credit Hours): Students will design and implement a senior project, i.e., a clinical, service, or research project, that reflects the highest standards of student achievement and should represent graduate or professional work in the field. The project will be conceived in consultation with the faculty on record for the respective course and submit their proposal to the Honors College Director for approval. Students will take the project in their major discipline of study. Only 400 level courses fulfill the requirement for the Senior Honors Project.
• International Experience, Internships, Service-Learning Projects (3 Credit Hours): Students will be expected to complete at least three curricular credit-hours of the following before completion of the program and conferral of the honors degree designation: 1) an academic study abroad program/Soliya Connect 2) a professional internship in a business or community organization, or 3) a service-learning project. These credits cannot be earned through the Senior Honors Project. The academic study abroad program must be approved by the Office of International Initiatives. The professional internship or service-learning project must be approved by 1) the student’s academic advisor, 2) the internship organization or agency, and 3) the Honors College Director. A clearly written prospectus of skills learned, tasks accomplished, or outcomes desired for the internship or service-learning project must be submitted. Student performance for the project or internship must be commensurate with the expectations of the program.
Honors-Enhanced Course Approval Process
Students interested in earning honors credit (i.e., for adding an honors enhancement to a regular course) should contact the course instructor, discuss the possibility, and make arrangements for honors credit during the fall or spring registration periods–well in advance of the semester when the student will actually take the course. Instructors are under no obligation to agree to make their course an honors-enhanced course. If an instructor does agree to an honors enhancement, the student should complete the Honors Course Enhancement Form in consultation with his or her instructor. Completed Honors Course Enhancement Forms–accompanied by a copy of a current or recent syllabus for the course–must be submitted to the Honors College Director for approval. If approved, the director will create a related Honors Recitation section for the student to enroll in.
Grade Requirements
Students must earn a grade of B or higher in an honors-enhanced course in order to earn honors equivalency credit for the course. Students who fail to successfully complete the honors-enhanced requirements for a course will still receive credit for the course, but that credit will not be counted toward the honors requirements. The course may be retaken for honors equivalency credit; however, the honors student need not retake the same course; he or she may select another course for enhancement in a subsequent semester. If a student falls below a 3.25 GPA, he or she will have a probationary period of two semesters to bring his or her average back above the minimum requirements. Any violation of the college’s academic honesty policy will result in automatic dismissal from the program.