2003-2004 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
The Honors College
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The University of Maine offers one of the nation’s oldest continuing programs
for honors-level students. Open to students in all colleges and majors, The Honors
College provides a unique opportunity for motivated students to investigate
diverse academic areas of the University, to be challenged in a supportive intellectual
environment, and to engage fellow students and enthusiastic, distinguished faculty
in thoughtful, provocative discussion. Students in The Honors College complete an
academic major in one of the University’s five academic colleges while completing
most of their general education program and a thesis in The Honors College. The
benefits and rewards are substantial, and the program is flexible enough to
be tailored to each student’s needs and interests.
Students and faculty involved in The Honors College represent all of the five academic
colleges and most of the departments that comprise the University. As a community
of five hundred students within the University of Maine, the Honors College
offers small, interdisciplinary classes, where students and faculty members
interact closely, sharing ideas and insights developed through critical exploration
of primary sources.
The College is based on the belief that genuine excellence in college-level
studies means substantial competence in areas outside a major field of specialization
as well as excellence within it. An emphasis on learning that both broadens
and deepens has been the foundation for the building of courses in The Honors
College. They expand students’ perspectives by exploring areas of thought not
closely related to their major fields and to allow them to work in their majors
with greater intensity than would be possible within a conventional course pattern.
Honors study begins with interdisciplinary broadness and concludes with unparalleled
depth in the major field.
First- and second-year Honors preceptorials are limited to twelve students. Together with a faculty preceptor they study the origins and
development of civilization and culture. Each year the College offers ten diverse
third-year Honors tutorials (HON 310), each of which brings together eight students,
a member of the faculty, and a topic that engages them in a focused academic
inquiry. The curriculum culminates with a yearlong senior thesis (HON 498/499)
in which each Honors student, working closely with a faculty advisor, embarks
on a course of independent scholarship, developing and completing a research
or creative project.
Administrative Structure
The Honors College is university-wide and is administered by a director who
reports to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. The policy-advising
body for the College is the Honors Council that includes faculty, staff, and
students. Honors Secretaries are faculty members designated by their college
to represent the college on the Honors Council and to work with students, faculty,
and the administration of the college on matters concerning The Honors College.
A Student Advisory Board consisting of Honors College students representing
various years and disciplines also advises the director.
Admission
Entering first-year students are invited to join The Honors College on the basis
of their admission records. To be eligible, students should have a strong academic
record, score well on the SAT (ACT), and show curiosity, initiative, and intellectual
flexibility in academic work. Students may also enter the College by applying
to the director. Second-semester first-year students and first-semester second-year
students are invited into the College through faculty recommendations. Transfer
students wishing to join The Honors College should consult with the director.
Degree
The level of honors awarded - no Honors, Honors, High Honors, or Highest
Honors - depends on the quality of the senior thesis or project and the performance
on the senior oral examination. Honors designations are recommended by the student’s
thesis committee to the Honors College director. The designation appears on
both the student’s degree and on the transcript; the thesis title also appears
on the transcript.
College and University Requirements
Successful completion of HON 111, HON 112, HON 211, HON 212, and a Honors tutorial satisfies all of the Undergraduate General Education Human Values and Social Context and Ethics requirements.
In addition,
successful completion of HON 111 and HON 112 with a grade of C or better in
each satisfies the University’s basic composition requirement (ENG 101), and
a number of departments accept the honors thesis as a capstone experience. For
specific information, contact the appropriate college honors secretary or department
chair.
For Further Information
Questions about The Honors College should be addressed to Professor Charlie
Slavin, Director, The University of Maine Honors College, 5716 Colvin Hall, Orono ME
04469-5716. The phone number is (207) 581-3263 and information can also be requested
at honors@maine.edu. The College maintains
a web site at www.honors.umaine.edu.
Requirements
The Honors College requires its students to complete the four core courses HON
111, HON 112, HON 211, and HON 212; one HON 309 or HON 310 tutorial; and the senior thesis
(HON 498 and HON 499). To graduate in Honors, students must attain a minimum
3.3 grade point average in all their course work.
Regularly Offered Courses
Courses offered by the College on a regular basis include:
HON 111 - Civilizations: Past, Present and Future I Credits: 4
HON 112 - Civilizations: Past, Present and Future II Credits: 4
HON 151 - Honors First-year Summer Seminar Credits: 3
HON 211 - Civilizations: Past, Present and Future III Credits: 4
HON 212 - Civilizations: Past, Present and Future IV Credits: 4
HON 309 - The Honors Read Tutorial Credits: 3
HON 310 - Honors Tutorial Credits: 3
HON 391 - Introduction to Thesis Research Credits: 1
Individual Basis
On an individual basis, students also enroll in:
HON 190 - Honors Summer Readings: Basic Credits: 1
HON 290 - Honors Summer Readings: Intermediate Credits: 1
HON 396 - Honors Independent Study Credits: 1-3
HON 397 - Honors Specialized Study Credits: 1-3
HON 398 - Honors Independent Research Credits: 1-3
HON 498 - Honors Directed Study Credits: 3
HON 499 - Honors Thesis Credits: 3
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