Honors Program

The Honors Program is designed for students with excellent academic performance, broad extracurricular interests and leadership abilities.Approximately 40 freshmen and first semester sophomores are admitted to the Honors Program each year. Honors students must pass at least 33 academic units, including at least one unit of intensive learning, two one- quarter unit physical education activities (or the equivalent) and a one-quarter unit co-curricular requirement for a total of 33 3/4 units or the equivalent. Honors students must complete the Honors curriculum (described below) in place of the Intellectual Inquiry curriculum, maintain a 3.2 overall grade point average, and participate in the Honors Plenary Enrich- ment Program each semester they study on campus. Students who fail to achieve a grade point average of 3.0 in any term will be evaluated by the Honors Program Director.

The Honors Program substitutes a coordinated sequence of interdisciplinary courses for a portion of the core requirements. This sequence of courses includes:

Honors 101 Plenary Enrichment Program 1/4 unit
Honors 102 Plenary Enrichment Program (After the first year, required each term the student studies on campus. graded; no credit)
Honors 105 The Freshman Experience
Honors 170 Values Practicum
Honors 201 The Human Journey I
Honors 202 The Human Journey II
Honors 301 Topics in Honors (Two units from different divisions)
Honors 411 Contemporary Challenges
Honors 412 Independent Elective/Study Project or Independent study in the student’s major-one unit

In addition, Honors students are required to complete either 1) three one-unit courses from the mathematical and natural sciences and two units from the social sciences, as described in Option I below, OR 2) two one-unit courses from the mathematical sciences, two units from the natural sciences, and one unit from the social sciences, as described in Option II below. For both options, any one-unit introductory lab course in biology, chemistry, or physics as well as INQ 250 and/or 251 (without regard for discipline) may count toward the science requirement; any one-unit introductory course in anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology or sociology, as well as INQ 260 may count toward the social science requirement.

Option I Course Requirements

(a) MATH (111 or higher) or STAT course (INQ 240 or STAT)
(b) Lab Science course
(c) Science course in different discipline from (b); or CPSC; or MATH (111 or higher); or INQ-241; or STAT course (INQ-240 or STAT) (if STAT course not taken in (a) above)
(d) Two Social Science courses (different disciplines)
(e) One of the HNRS 301 courses must be from the science division

Option II Course Requirements

(a) MATH (111 or higher) or STAT course (INQ 240 or STAT)
(b) CPSC course; or MATH (111 or higher); or STAT course (INQ-240 or STAT) (if STAT not taken in (a) above); or INQ 241
(c) Two Science courses (different disciplines)
(d) One Social Science course
(e) One of the HNRS 301 courses must be from the social science division

Honors students must also demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language through the intermediate level (202). In cases where a student presents a language at the introductory level but one which Roanoke College does not offer through the 202 level, completion of only one year of a modern foreign language at Roanoke College will be required. Students must complete two physical education activities. One of these must be HHP 160 (Fitness for Life); the other may be a one-quarter unit course in a different activity or participation in a varsity sport. A Plenary Enrichment Program of supplemental activities, a special scholarship, and a distinct recognition on the diploma and transcript are provided to Honors students.

Honors Elective

An Honors elective at Roanoke College may be chosen by any student, not just Honors students, who have at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average at the time of applying or the approval of the Honors Program Director.The elective consists of a student project that is guided and evaluated by a commit- tee of three qualified persons, two chosen from the department of principal interest and including the project advisor, plus one other evaluator.The committee may request other specialists to join in the final evaluation of the student’s work, which is to be the subject of an oral examination by the full committee. For additional details, consult the Honors Program Director. Honors in the major is not part of this Honors Elective option.