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Honors Program |
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Honors Classes: Interim and Spring 2010
One class in the Interim term and eleven classes in the Spring schedule are designated as "honors" classes. These are highly recommended for students of strong academic ability who welcome an intellectual challenge, especially those who may aspire to graduate from Calvin College with honors. These classes are open only to students who have a Calvin GPA of at least 3.3 or the approval of the instructor. Honors classes differ from regular classes in various ways, especially in devoting less time to elementary skills and information while stressing personal initiative and greater depth of learning. Apart from their intellectual value, the benefits of honors courses include smaller than average classes, greater freedom of exploration, opportunity to work with other honors students and some of Calvin's best teachers, and credit toward graduation with honors. Pre-registration option: If you wish to reserve a place in one of these classes, we will accept pre-registrations for any honors course by e-mail through October 26. Send requests with your name, student number, major & requested course to stobja@calvin.edu. We will confirm your pre-registration as soon as possible. After the 26th you will only be able to register for honors courses that are still open. Honors Credit by Contract: Honors students may take any course for honors credit by special arrangement with the instructor. To do this, students should negotiate an "honors contract" with their professors as early as possible in the semester. Such contracts should spell out clearly the special requirements for an honors grade in the course. A sample contract form is available at http://www.calvin.edu/academic/honors/forms/contract.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTERIM 2010 HONORS DCM: “Christian Leadership” (IDIS 150 03H 8:30 a.m. to noon with Prof. Del Nykamp; 3 credit hours). Whenever people are together, leadership appears. How people exert leadership varies considerably. How people respond to leadership varies still more. Students participate in a simulated research organization, applying for and performing specific positions and roles. As they obtain leadership information, they apply it to their simulation activities. Their leadership and response to others’ leadership are evaluated by peers and the instructor almost daily, as is the quality of their research and research reports. Participants are challenged to identify and defend core Christian values that apply to leadership, to assess the quality of current and past leadership theories, and to assess the leadership of selected prominent leaders in the church, government or politics, and in Christian communities. In light of their assessments, they recommend improvements in the leadership they observe. In response to frequent feedback, students’ leadership knowledge and skill increase demonstrably. This section is restricted to members of the honors program. (Prof. Nykamp has had a long career in management and consulting with corporate clients, and now combines teaching in the CAS Department with assistance to Christian Schools International and other organizations. For more information contact Prof. Nykamp at dgn2@calvin.edu)
SPRING 2010 HONORS BIOLOGY: "Honors Colloquium in The Living World" (Biology 224 H-HA, 12:30 - 1:20 on Wednesday with Prof. Anding Shen; 4 credit hours for Biology 141). Students who register for Honors Biology (224 H-HA) take this weekly one-hour discussion session in addition to a regular lecture and lab section of Biology 224. The weekly honors meeting is devoted to a study of various articles from Scientific American or scientific journals which are chosen to stimulate greater discussion and deeper understanding of topics addressed in the lectures of the course. The honors session is conducted in seminar style, which allows ample opportunity for discussion and personal initiative. No special tests or quizzes are required for the honors section. To receive an honors grade in Biology 224, a student must participate in the extra weekly honors session and earn a grade of B (3.0) or better in the lecture and lab portions of the course. Participation in the honors colloquium will provide a valuable base for further work in the natural sciences, especially for those who wish to enter the Biology Department's Honors Program, which leads to graduation with honors from Calvin College. Students must register for a regular section of Biology 224, the honors colloquium (BIOL 224 H-HA), and a lab. Enrollment in the honors colloquium of Biology 224 is limited to 20 students. For more information contact Prof. Shen at as28@calvin.edu HONORS COMMUNICATION: "Communication and Culture" (CAS 140 AH, 1:30 - 2:45 on Tuesday and Thursday with Prof. Helen Sterk; 3 credit hours). The honors section of "Communication and Culture" is similar to the regular course. Together we will examine the fundamental concepts of culture, society, and communication, and relate these to a range of contemporary social issues, cultural texts and communication practices. In the honors section special attention is given to the complex interaction between cultural meaning and societal structuring with specific writing assignments to enhance the student's analysis of culture and communication. The approach of this course is designed to foster the development of the student's analytical ability and reading and writing skills by critically engaging both the written text and certain phenomena from everyday experience. Students will be expected to employ a theoretical understanding of the concepts treated in class in their own critical analysis of issues in communications and culture. Emphasis is given to rhetorical and discussion methods to help students learn about analyzing and constructing oral and written arguments and work cooperatively doing a research project for class presentation. This course meets a core requirement in the “Rhetoric in Culture” category. Enrollment in the honors section of CAS 140 is limited to 20 students. For more information contact Prof. Sterk at hsterk@calvin.edu HONORS CLASSICAL LITERATURE: “Classical Literature” (Classics 211 AH, 9:00 - 9:50 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with Prof. David Noe; 3 credit hours). This is an honors course in the “classics” of Greek and Roman literature from Homer’s Iliad to Augustine’s City of God. Readings are chosen to introduce students to the origins and development of epic, lyric, tragic, and comic poetry, as well as historical and philosophical prose. The course devotes special attention to the stylistic characteristics of each author and period, the social and historical context of this literature, and the complex relationships between Christianity and classical culture. As part of their honors work students will complete an independent research project on a special author/topic of their choice. Personal conferences will focus on improvement in research methods and writing analytical papers. This course satisfies the core requirement in “Literature.” Enrollment in Classics 211 AH is limited to 20 students. For more information contact Prof. Noe at dcn3@calvin.edu HONORS ENGLISH: “Written Rhetoric” (English 101 HH, 10:30 – 11:45 on Tuesday and Thursday with Prof. Brian Ingraffia; 3 credit hours). The honors section of English 101 is similar to regular sections in several ways: both focus on written rhetoric, both use the same department handbook, both include the same standard grammar test and roughly the same number and types of essays. But students in the honors classes spend less time reviewing the elements of grammar and more time learning how to write as Christians for academic audiences. The writing process is carefully supervised, from conception to evaluation, and enriched by extensive editing and revising. This course satisfies the core requirement in “Written Rhetoric.” Enrollment in the honors section of English 101 is limited to 17 students. For more information contact Prof. Ingraffia at bi22@calvin.edu HONORS ENGLISH: “World Literature I” (English 210 AH, 8:00 – 8:50 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with Prof. Chad Engbers; 3 credit hours). This course examines selected works of world literature from the foundational biblical and classical texts through those of the mid-seventeenth century. Within this chronological overview, we look at the development of genres, historical contexts of each text, the intertextual conversation among specific works, and the gains and losses involved in reading literature in translation. Students are expected to participate actively in class discussions, and to write papers in which they take positions on issues central to the readings. This course meets a core requirement in Literature and the World Literature requirement in the English major. Enrollment in honors English 210 is limited to 25 students. For more information contact Prof. Engbers at cengbers@calvin.edu. HONORS HISTORY: "History of the West and the World II" (History 152 BH, 9:00 – 9:50 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with Prof. David Diephouse; 4 credit hours. An intensive study of world history since 1500. The first part of the course will offer an overview of the entire period, focusing on broad patterns of historical development in a global context. In the second half of the semester the focus will shift to a discussion of the role of individuals in history and the relationship of biography to other forms of historical writing. Each student will choose a specific historical figure as a subject for in-depth research and analysis leading to a class presentation and preparation of a chapter for a self-published volume of essays: “Saints, Sinners, Villains, Victims: Individuals in Historical Context.” A book-signing party will take the place of the final exam. This course meets a core requirement in the History of the West and the World. Enrollment is limited to 20 students and is restricted to those who qualify for honors enrollment. For more information contact Prof. Diephouse at ddiephou@calvin.edu HONORS PHILOSOPHY: "Fundamental Questions in Philosophy" (Philosophy 153 CH, 9:00 - 9:50 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with Prof. Matt Halteman; 3 credit hours). Like regular sections of introductory philosophy, the honors philosophy course is designed to facilitate philosophical reflection and develop fundamental reasoning, reading, and writing skills. The course uses contemporary essays and influential texts by some of the most important philosophers. The honors class is designed to encourage student participation in formulating and evaluating arguments and in writing critical essays that will sharpen analytical and hermeneutical abilities. This course meets the core requirement in “Philosophical Foundations.” Enrollment in honors Philosophy 153 is limited to 20 students. For more information, contact Prof. Halteman at mch7@calvin.edu HONORS PHYSICS: Qualified students may earn honors credit by completing any Physics course at the 100 or 200 level while concurrently participating in the "Physics-Astronomy Student Seminar." Simply register for an appropriate Physics course and Physics 195, Tuesday from 3:45 - 4:50. For more information contact Prof. Steve Steenwyk at ssteen@calvin.edu HONORS PSYCHOLOGY: "Introductory Psychology" (Psychology 151 AH, 10:30 - 11:20 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with Prof. Scott Stehouwer; 3 credit hours). The honors section of Introductory Psychology is similar to the regular sections in content and overall course requirements. However, the honors section provides greater opportunities for class discussion of critical issues, independent writing projects, and supplementary readings on topics of special interest. The course focuses on relationships among our general understandings of the meanings of human personhood, especially understandings shaped by Christian faith; methods of investigation and practice in psychology; and major areas of psychological theory and research (e.g. brain processes, learning and memory, motivation, memory, thought and language, development, psychopathology, social psychology, and psychotherapy). This course meets a core requirement in the "Persons in Community" category. Enrollment in honors Psychology 151 is limited to 20 students. For more information contact Prof. Stehouwer at rstehouw@calvin.edu HONORS RELIGION: qualified students may earn honors credit in Religion 121 (Biblical Literature and Theology), Religion 131 (Christian Theology), and intermediate and advanced courses by completing the requirements of an "honors track" in those courses. The honors track for Rel 121 and Rel 131 consists of: 1) a research/thesis paper (in place of the regular major writing assignment in the course); 2) a four-page review of a book relevant to the subject matter of the course; 3) meetings with the professor several times during the semester to plan and discuss the honors work; and 4) an overall grade of B+ or higher in the course. In intermediate and advanced courses the "honors track" includes a special research/thesis paper (in place of the regular course paper), supplementary reading, meeting with the professor, and a B+ overall in the course. The specific requirements will be worked out in consultation with the professor. Interested students should inform a professor early in the semester of their intention to complete an honors track in the course; no special registration is needed. For more information contact Prof. Ken Pomykala at pomk@calvin.edu
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