EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
University Honors Scholars Program
Mission Statement. The mission of the John Brown University Honors Scholars Program is to attract and retain academically advanced students, to stimulate and challenge those students as Christian scholars and effective members of God's Kingdom, and to enrich the academic environment of the broader university community.
Description of the Program. The Honors Scholars Program (HSP) consists of enriched Core Curriculum courses developed especially for highly motivated students. Emphasizing the use of primary texts, instructors challenge students through individual research, critical reflection, incisive discussion, interactive projects, and professional presentations.
Honors Scholars enter the Program at the lower division, which requires a minimum of twelve hours of freshman/sophomore level honors courses. Students wishing to continue in the program must seek admission to the upper division, where nine hours of upper-division honors courses are to be completed. Eligibility for consideration to advance to the upper division is contingent upon prior completion of at least nine lower-division honors hours, three additional hours in progress, and an overall GPA of 3.5. The qualifying student then provides to the Honors Executive Committee a formal proposal of intention to continue. Only after approval to move to the upper division may the scholar begin work on the nine-hour upper-division component. Students choose to graduate at one of two levels: Presidential Honors (complete 21 honors hours along with an Honors Capstone Project) or University Honors (complete 21 honors hours). All courses are designated "Honors" on the transcript.
However, the Honors Scholars Program is much more than honors sections of Core Curriculum courses. It is a community of students and faculty working toward enhancing the quality of scholarship on the campus as a whole. The courses are based on national research indicating that students learn more when the abstract learning process is integrated with experiential learning. Most honors courses are integrative and experiential, making use of field trips, guest speakers, and multi-media experiences.
Honors Scholars are strongly encouraged to model Christian principles and good stewardship of their academic gifts through serving in leadership positions on campus and participating in service activities both on and off campus. The Honors Student Government promotes scholarly presentations and service by the student body as a whole and serves as a peer support group for honors students. Honors Scholars often participate in regional, national, and international honors conferences, workshops, and semesters abroad. The Honors Center, available to Honors Scholars, provides an attractive location for studying, cooking, and tutoring. Several classes meet in the center's classroom.
Eligibility. High school seniors are selected from a large and very well-qualified pool of applicants. Transfer students and currently-enrolled JBU students who have enough courses remaining to be taken for the Honors degree may also apply.
Eligibility for admission is based on SAT/ACT scores and submission of the Honor's application. Inquiries concerning the program should be addressed to Dr. Brad Gambill, Director of the Honors Scholars Program, Box 3074, John Brown University, Siloam Springs, AR 72761 or e-mail bgambill@jbu.edu.
Courses. The following list indicates the courses currently available to Honors Scholars, the Core Curriculum courses for which they may substitute, and the semesters they are offered. The program is subject to periodic review and change by the Honors Committee in order to keep the program relevant, innovative, and challenging.
Honors Courses
in relation to the Core Curriculum
Students who are not admitted to the Honors Scholars Program are not allowed to enroll in honors courses.
____ 4193 4Honors Capstone Project in _______
____ 4593 5Honors Tutorial in _______
____ 4693 Honors Class Contract in _______
____ 4793 5Honors Service Learning in _______
____ 4913 5Honors Co-Teaching: Readings in _______
____ 4923 5Honors Co-Teaching: Classroom Practicum in _______
1 If an incoming Honors Scholar wishes to establish credit for English I by CLEP, the exam must be taken before the first day of Honors: English I. Credit for English II is not available via CLEP.
2 May be repeated for up to 3 hours of credit.
3 Integrated Humanities is a six-hour sequence of two interdisciplinary courses which together substitute for three requirements in the Core Curriculum-Masterpieces of Literature, the Arts Group, and the Philosophy Group. If a student completes only one of the semesters, the course will count for one of the three.
4 Though not required to do so, Honors Scholars are urged to complete an Honors Capstone Project in their major field of study during the junior or senior year. Projects are subject to recommendation by faculty in the appropriate department and approval by the Honors Committee. Guidelines for the Capstone Project may be obtained from the Honors Scholars office. Supervising faculty receive the usual stipend for independent study, paid by the Honors Scholars Program office.
5 A student may earn up to six upper-division honors hours by completing two of these non-traditional options. Options 4593, 4793, 4913, and 4923 are treated as independent studies. Students will be charged the normal independent study fee of $105 per credit hour.
6 Integrated Theology is a six-hour sequence of two interdisciplinary courses which together substitute for two requirements in the Core Curriculum (Evangelical Theology and Capstone Seminar in Christian Life). If a student completes only one of the semesters, the course will count for one of the two.
