Honors course descriptions

About a month before fall and spring registration, professors of honors courses are asked to submit a short description of their plans. The Honors Program Director compiles these course descriptions and distributes them to all honors students and faculty advisors. The honors course descriptions state as specifically as possible what the honors section will require and how it will differ from a regular section of that course. Honors classes differ from regular classes in various ways, but particularly in devoting less time to elementary skills and information while stressing personal initiative and greater depth of learning. The benefits of honors classes include smaller than average class size, greater freedom of exploration, exceptional intellectual stimulation, credit toward graduation with honors, and opportunity to build relationships with other honors students and some of Calvin's best teachers.

Honors courses come in many forms. In Biology 141, for example, there is a separate discussion session once a week, exclusively for honors students, and they also register for a regular lecture section and lab. Clustered courses are available each fall for first-year students only. Most departments designate specific sections of a course exclusively for honors students. Some honors courses are very innovative and wholly unlike regular sections of the course, while others are enriched versions of the regular sections.

2010 Interim and Spring Course Descriptions

2009 Fall Course Descriptions

 

Expectations of honors students

Calvin aims in its Honors Program to promote greater initiative and independence, deeper learning, and closer collaboration among honors students and faculty than in regular courses. This does not necessarily mean more work for honors students than for others, but it does mean a different kind of work, and more individual attention from the professor than in a typical class.

Professors have complete authority in determining how much to ask of honors students, what kind of work to require, and how to grade that work. But faculty members know that honors students, especially those in their first year of college, can be overwhelmed as easily as any other students. Faculty members should make every effort to avoid unreasonable demands which can, in effect, penalize bright students for taking on an extra challenge. In general, an honors course may require one or two more hours of a student's time per week than a regular course would, but the aim is a richer quality of learning rather than a mere increase in quantity.

Grading of honors work
Honors students are understandably concerned about maintaining a high GPA, and some fear that they may risk more rigorous grading in an honors course. Faculty members are keenly aware of this anxiety and seek to avoid imposing any unfair standard. Honors students should expect to receive similar grades in their honors and regular courses. Honors grades are indicated on the college transcript with an "H" prefix (e.g. HA, HA-, etc.). Professors should normally avoid granting incompletes in honors courses or changing regular grades to honors grades for work completed after the course has ended.

Obviously, honors students are not assured all A's for taking honors courses. Professors should indicate very clearly in their syllabus what is the minimum grade required for honors credit in the course (current practices range from A- to B in various departments). Faculty members are not required to give an honors grade to everyone in an honors section -- an "honors" C or D makes no sense.

At the end of the semester those who teach ungraded honors discussion sections (e.g. in Biology 141) must report successful completion of honors requirements to the professor of the regular section, who then submits the student's "H" grade for the course.

Funds for honors class activities

The Honors Program budget includes a modest amount to subsidize honors class activities such as off-campus events, field trips, or social activities appropriate to the class. The aim of such expenditures is to foster a sense of community within the class and extend the learning experience beyond the classroom. To request such funds (+/- $150 per class, contingent on demand) please contact the Director: kbratt@calvin.edu.

Contracting for honors credit in a regular course

Honors students are permitted to take any course in the college for honors credit by special arrangement with professors who are willing to undertake such projects. To do this, the student and professor should negotiate an "honors contract" as early as possible in the semester, clearly agreeing on what will be required for an honors grade. Generally, such an arrangement calls for special reading, writing, or conferences; the terms of each contract are entirely negotiable between the professor and student; a copy of the contract should be sent to the Honors Program office, for information only. When a contract is fulfilled, the professor simply awards an HA-, or whatever is appropriate, as the final grade for the course. Please see the Sample Honors Contract.