Untitled

2022-2023

- 1 -

Table of Contents

I. Introduction 2

A. Mission and Goals 2

B. Core Values and Learning Outcomes 2

C. Admission 3

II. UHP Requirements of Participation 3

III. UHP Curriculum 4

A. University Honors 5

B. Warhawk Honors 5

IV. Honors Courses 6

A. Honors Seminars 6

B. Honors Colloquia 7

C. Honors Special Topics 7

D. Honors Research & Thesis 7

E. Honors Courses by Departments 7

F. Honors Courses by Contract 7

V. Honors Awards

A. Aya Zaied Award 7

B. Donald G. Nobles Award for Excellence 8

C. Honors Program Travel Grants 8

D. Honors Scholarship for Advanced Studies 8

VI. Honors Assembly 8

VII. Honors Faculty & Committee

A. Honors Committee 9

B. Honors Faculty 10

Lynn Stallings, Ph.D.

Director, University Honors

Program

[email protected]

334.244.3357

Holly Singleton

Honors Academic Associate

[email protected]

334-394-5400

Jackie Hall, M.S.

Coordinator, University

Honors Program

jhall28@aum.edu

334.244.3226

801 Ida Belle Young Library Tower

- 2 -

I. Introduction

Since 1981 the University Honors Program (UHP), which was called the Scholars Program until

1997, has provided highly motivated and academically accomplished students at Auburn University

at Montgomery an opportunity to develop their intellectual interests and skills beyond the typical

experience of college students. For more on the history, see

https://www.aum.edu/academics/university-honors-program/history/

A. Mission and Goals

The Honors Program at AUM is open to qualified undergraduate students in any major.

VISION:

The University Honors Program is the academic unit at Auburn University at Montgomery that

• engages highly motivated and high-achieving undergraduate students from every

undergraduate major.

• innovates in curriculum design and development, particularly in interdisciplinary and

experiential education.

• exemplifies teaching excellence from diverse fields and using a variety of methods.

• prepares students to thrive as contributing global citizens who strive to understand the

perspectives of others.

• creates a community of faculty and students engaged in rigorous intellectual and service-

learning experiences.

• graduate students who become engaged alumni with a life-long interest in and a personal

connection to AUM.

MISSION: Since 1981, the mission of the University Honors Program has been to serve highly

motivated students from all of Auburn Montgomery’s academic colleges by facilitating their

participation in a diverse community that will prepare them intellectually and socially for the

challenges and responsibilities of global citizenship now and in their futures.

B. Core Values and Learning Outcomes

To accomplish our mission, the UHP enhances the college experience of Honors Program students

by engaging them in the development and demonstration of our core values: creative and critical

thinking and teamwork and leadership in a context of global citizenship.

The UHP values learning outcomes based on our core values were adapted from the Association of

American Colleges and Universities VALUE rubrics (https://www.aacu.org/value).

1) Honors students will develop as creative thinkers who

 combine or synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise in original ways and

 think, react, and work in an imaginative way characterized by a high degree of innovation,

divergent thinking, and risk taking.

- 3 -

2) Honors students will develop as critical thinkers who demonstrate habits of mind

characterized by the comprehensive and systematic exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and

events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion.

3) Honors students will develop as global citizens who continually

 become more informed, open-minded, and responsible people who are attentive to diversity

across the spectrum of differences;

 seek to understand how their actions affect both local and global communities; and

 address the world’s most pressing and enduring issues collaboratively and equitably

4) Honors students will develop as highly effective teammates and leaders who excel in

 the effort they put into team tasks,

 their manner of interacting with others on the team, and

 the quantity and quality of contributions they make to the team.

C. Admission

1. First-Year Students

Any student admitted to AUM may apply to participate in the UHP. Generally, Honors

students at AUM meet the following criteria:

 26 or higher on the ACT

 3.5 or higher high school GPA

The application process includes review of

 academic accomplishment (e.g., GPA, ACT)

 two essays in response to prompts, and

 an interview with UHP students and AUM faculty or staff.

2. Transfer or Current AUM Students

Students who have earned a college GPA of at least 3.4 may apply for admission to the

UHP. These students will submit an essay (reviewed and rated by faculty) and

participate in an interview conducted by a group of current UHP students, faculty, or

staff.

Transfer and continuing AUM applicants must have at least four semesters remaining at

AUM at the time of their application to ensure they experience the benefits of the

University Honors Program.

II. UHP Requirements of Participation

Members of the UHP are expected to represent AUM, the University Honors Program, and the

AUM Honors Assembly in an exemplary manner.

Benefits of the University Honors Program include the privilege of access to the Honors Study

Lounge, priority registration, a diverse community of academically motivated and accomplished

students, opportunities for domestic and international travel, and participation in a variety of service

- 4 -

and social events. Honors students are given the responsibility of maintaining the Honors Study

Lounge with a sense of pride and ownership.

To remain in good standing with the UHP, students must make reasonable progress towards

University or Warhawk Honors, maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4, complete twelve hours

of service activities each semester, and participate in the activities of the University Honors

Program. Of the twelve service hours, at least eight should come from UHP and/or AUM projects

unless permission is given by the Director to direct your service towards other specific goals.

Students who do not remain in good standing because of GPA, service, or participation

requirements are given a semester of probation during which they may return to good standing.

During probationary semesters, students will be advised on necessary requirements, which may

include enrollment in at least one Honors course (or complete a course contract) and participation in

UHP and service activities but may not include eligibility for travel or other privileges of the UHP.

Students who fail to return to good standing after a probationary semester will be dismissed from

the UHP. They may apply for readmission to the UHP at a later date. Such applications will be

considered by the Honors Committee, and the student will be notified by the UHP Director of the

committee’s decision.

Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in any HONR or course with an Honors contract to

earn credit towards either Honors designation.

III. UHP Curriculum

Honors students have the privilege of greater flexibility than non-honors students in satisfying their

AUM Core Curriculum requirements, so they are encouraged to meet with Honors advisors

regularly as well as meeting with their advisors in their majors. Honors students and their advisors

are encouraged to direct questions about Honors courses and how they count towards the AUM

Core Curriculum to the Director or staff of the University Honors Program.

Students may substitute Honors colloquia (HONR 1957) and seminars (HONR 1757, 1857, 2757,

3757) for courses that satisfy Area II or Area IV requirements in the AUM Core Curriculum or as

free electives (in many programs).

Seminars

Honors students who enter as freshmen are expected to take HONR 1757 in the fall and HONR

1857 in the spring semester of their first year. These courses substitute for ENGL 1010 and 1020

respectively, satisfying Area I of the AUM Core Curriculum. Freshman Honors students who have

already met the ENGL 1010/1020 requirements when they enroll at AUM may use HONR 1757

and 1857 to satisfy Area II or Area IV requirements instead.

Seminars HONR 2757 and HONR 3757 are repeatable, that is they may be taken more than once

for credit. The course content varies with each offering.

Colloquia

HONR 1957 is a one-hour, repeatable course graded Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory (S or U). Course

topics differ each semester. Colloquia may be scheduled to meet once a week for 50 minutes, every

- 5 -

other week for 100 minutes, or every third week for 150 minutes, depending on the schedule that

works best for the course topic and activities planned. During summer semesters, classes will be

longer.

Departmental Honors Courses

Departmental Honors courses (e.g., BIOL 1017, COMM 1017, PHIL 2007, etc.) may also be used to

satisfy AUM Core Curriculum requirements.

Honors Contracts

Any student may use Honors course contracts to fulfill Honors course requirements with the

approval of the Honors Director. For more information on Honors course contracts, see

https://www.aum.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Honors_By_Contract-Guide.pdf

Typical Honors Schedule

Fall Semester

Spring Semester

Freshmen

(First-Year)

UNIV 1007

HONR 1757 First-Year Seminar

HONR 1857 First-Year Seminar

Sophomore

HONR 2757 Sophomore Seminar

Junior

HONR 3757 Junior Seminar

Senior

HONR 3957 Thesis Proposal

HONR 4957 Thesis

Three sections of HONR 1957 Honors Colloquium (1 hour) may be taken in any semesters that they fit the

student’s schedule.

A. University Honors

The highest honors conferred by the UHP are University Honors, earned by students who

maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher and complete the following curriculum with a

grade of ‘B’ or better in each course:

Semester Hours

HONR 1757 ................................................................................................................................. 3

HONR 1857 ................................................................................................................................. 3

HONR 1957 (taken three times) .................................................................................................... 3

HONR 2757 (taken twice) ............................................................................................................. 6

HONR 3757 (taken twice) ............................................................................................................. 6

HONR 3957 ................................................................................................................................. 3

HONR 4957 ................................................................................................................................. 3

TOTAL 27

Professional majors with substantial junior and senior year internships or clinicals (e.g., nursing,

speech pathology) only may complete 15 semester hours of Honors credit and an Honors

thesis.

The designation “University Honors” is listed in the graduation program, on transcripts and on

the diploma. At graduation, graduating student earning University Honors wear orange and

white honors cords and a UHP medallion. “University Honors” is announced after their names

are called and as they walk across the stage.

- 6 -

B. Warhawk Honors

Alternatively, UHP students may earn Warhawk Honors, in either of the following ways:

(1) by completing 21 semester hours of Honors credit, of which at least 18 hours are

Honors seminar courses (HONR 1757, HONR 2757, or HONR 3757)

(2) For professional majors with substantial junior and senior year internships or clinicals

(e.g., nursing, speech pathology) only:

by completing 15 semester hours of Honors credit. No thesis required.

The designation “Warhawk Honors” is listed on the transcripts and diploma. At graduation,

those Honors student earning Warhawk Honors wear orange and white honors cords.

IV. Honors Courses (HONR)

A. Honors Seminars

HONR 1757, HONR 1857, HONR 2757, and HONR 3757 are interdisciplinary courses that

are the heart of the Honors curriculum. Seminars comprising the University Honors Program

have the learning outcomes mentioned previously. Topics and assignments vary depending

upon the professor(s) who teach them, but some texts and themes are consistently employed:

Year

Fall

HONR 1757

The Hero’s

Journey

Challenges students to consider the idea of the heroic, especially as

it pertains to their own lives, to their education, and to the time

they will spend at AUM. Special emphasis is placed on the nature

and value of education and the question “what does it mean to

be an educated person?” Readings may include How to Think, The

Apology of Socrates, 1984, Farenheit 451, and Brave New World. UNIV

1007 may also include discussions of some of those works.

Spring

HONR 1857

Being Human

Uses a diverse set of readings from the humanities and sciences to

encourage students to think through what it means to be a

human being, in the broadest sense of the phrase.

The

anthology Being Human (edited by Leon Kass) is frequently

used.

Year

Fall

HONR 2757

The Problem

of Other

People

This course often employs Plato’s famous treatise on the well-

ordered society,

The Republic

. Issues to be discussed may include

the nature of law, controversial social issues, or any other aspect of

the challenges posed by our desire to live in society with our fellow

human beings.

Spring

HONR 2757

Seeing the

Unseen

Much of what we believe, from the mundane to the cosmically

significant, is based on considerations not immediately accessible

by our senses: memories, the testimony of others, logical

inferences, etc. This course asks students to consider the details,

merits, and implications of some of these beliefs. Charles

Darwin’s

On the Origin of Species

is a recommended text, as a

whole or by use of selected excerpts.

Year

Fall

HONR 3757

Research

Seminar

The theme of this course, and the readings that are required, is

determined entirely by the professors who teach the course (with

approval from the Honors Committee). It must include a

substantive applied research project, preferably with the

opportunity for students to connect their research to their major

- 7 -

field of study or to a substantial service project to be completed in

the spring HONR 3757.

Spring

HONR 3757

Challenging

the Process

This course focuses on the nature of leadership and the cultivation

of leadership skills, in whatever domain(s) the faculty teaching the

course choose to emphasize. Students work in teams to design a

proposal for a substantive service project, with the intention that

one or more of the proposals will be implemented with the help of

other Honors students.

B. Honors Colloquia: HONR 1957

The Honors colloquium is a one-credit hour course in which students are graded on a

satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Topics and themes vary with each offering. Students are

expected to take the colloquium course three times and are strongly encouraged to choose a

diversity of emphases.

C. Honors Special Topics: HONR 1997, 2997, 3997, 4997

Honors faculty may occasionally design and teach special topics courses. These elective courses

count toward graduation credit hour requirements and/or toward Honors credit hour

requirements. Topics and themes vary with each offering.

D. Honors Research and Thesis: HONR 3957, 4957

In order to graduate with full University Honors, a student must complete and defend a senior

thesis project. Frequently, students follow this sequence: enrolling in HONR 3957 in the spring

of the junior year, HONR 4957 in the fall of the senior year, and HONR 1957 (thesis-writing

colloquium) in the spring of the senior year. Throughout their college careers, students are

encouraged to think about areas of interest within their majors and to get to know faculty in

their majors so that they can identify a research mentor for the Honors thesis.

E. Honors Courses by Departments

Honors courses offered by various departments are designated by a four-digit number ending

with a “7” for lecturer courses or “8” for labs. Currently, academic departments at AUM offer

these Honors courses:

BIOL 1017/1018

BIOL 1027/1028

COMM 1017

ECON 2017

ECON 2027

HIST 1017

HIST 1027

PHIL 2017

SOCI 2007

F. Honors Courses by Contract

An Honors contract allows students in the University Honors Program to earn Honors credit in a non-

honors course. Typically, students completing an Honors contract engage in a substantive project or

presentation complementing the content of the course in which they are enrolled. These projects

typically take about 15 hours or 1 hour per week of the semester. See the “Guide to Honors Contracts”

(

https://www.aum.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Honors_By_Contract-Guide.pdf).

- 8 -

V. Awards

A. Aya Zaied Honors Leadership and Service Award

This award honors the contributions of alumna Aya Zaied (2011) to AUM and the University

Honors Program.

This award is given to students who demonstrate service to the program, the university, and to

the community; who have demonstrated commitment to the ideals of excellence; and who have

a documented record of leadership, particularly in the area of service to others. Aya Zaied

Honors Leadership and Service Award winners are typically seniors.

An annual call for nominations will be sent to all members of the Honors Assembly. Those

nominations will be reviewed by a committee including the Director, Program Coordinator, and

members of the Executive Council of the Honors Assembly, excluding anyone nominated (or

whose spouse or family member is nominated). That committee will consider the resumes of

nominees and narrow the list to no more than five finalists before naming the recipient of the

Aya Zaied Honors Leadership and Service Award.

Aya Zaied Leadership and Service Award Winners

2012 Ying Huo

2013 Alex Trott

2014 Sonni Gunnels

2015 Not awarded

2016 Not awarded

2017 Not awarded

2018 Allison Stewart

2019 Elizabeth Meads

2020 Allison Stewart

2021 Joanna Sumner

2022 Hadassah Gaddis, Hannah Mills

B. Donald G. Nobles Award for Academic Excellence

At the Fall Honors Convocation, all active Honors students are recognized who earned a 3.8 or

higher in both fall and spring semester of the previous academic year.

C. Honors Program Travel Grants

The University Honors Program sometimes has a modest amount of funds available to support

university-sponsored student travel. Awards range from $250 to $2,000, depending upon the

availability of funds and student need.

D. Honors Scholarship for Research or Creative Activity

Students who need assistance paying for travel costs associated with an academic conference,

conference registration fees, materials required for research purposes, or other opportunities

related to their major fields of study may apply for this scholarship. Award amounts vary in

accordance with available funds and student need.

- 9 -

VI. Honors Assembly

The Honors Assembly is a student organization comprising all active participants in the UHP.

(Associate membership is available to faculty, staff, and others as recognized by the student

members.) The Honors Assembly was chartered in July 2011 and first elected officers in August of

that year. At the Fall 2016 convocation, the Assembly Constitution was amended, and election of

officers was moved from August to January.

See the Honors Assembly Constitution and Bylaws (

https://www.aum.edu/academics/university-

honors-program/honors-assembly/) for more information.

Year

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

2011-2012

Graydon Rust

Justin Dayvolt

Aya Zaied

2012-2013 Alex Trott Kelhi DePace

Jordan Price (Jan.-

Aug.)

Caitlyn Williams (Aug.-

Dec.)

2013-2014

Alex Trott

Sonni Gunnels

Kelhi DePace

2014-2015

Alex Trott

Sonni Gunnels

Kelhi DePace

2015-2016

Garrett

Herring

Ameer Bedwan Jake Sustarich

2016

Jake Sustarich

Ameer Bedwan

Rachel Pate

2017

Rachel Pate

Jasmine Boutdy

Safa Kazi

2018

Brennan

Herring

Nick Ayers Meaghan DePace

2019

Elizabeth

Meads

John Forrest Graeme DePace

2020 John Forrest Hannah Mills

Dakota Mills (Secretary

of Interior)*

J.P. Lemire (Secretary

of Exterior)

2021-2022 Claire Culp Brennan DePace

Diondus Williams

(Secretary of Interior)

Mary Kate Lackey

(Secretary of Exterior)

2022-2023

Alex Ennis

Bella Soto

Alexis Stafford

Anna Amissah

*We changed the Constitution to add a second secretary in 2020 but made a change again in 2022 to have a

treasurer instead because we received appropriations from Student Leadership & Involvement.

VII. Honors Committee and Faculty

A. Honors Committee

The University Honors Committee is a sub-committee of the Faculty Senate that consists of

one faculty member from each College and the Library and the Director of the Honors

Program. In addition, the Honors Committee includes the following ex-officio members: the

Provost or designee, the Director of Composition, and the Chair of the Curriculum Committee.

Honors students are represented by the officers (President, Vice President, and Secretaries) of

the Honors Assembly.

- 10 -

By Faculty Senate resolution, the Director serves as Co-chair, and another Co-chair is selected

by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee from among faculty membership on the

Committee.

Name

Representing

Term Ends

Deanne Allegro

College of Education

2023

Rickey Best

Library

2023

Lauren Knierim

College of Nursing & Health Sciences

2024

Keith Krawczynski, Co-chair

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

2024

Dong-Yop Oh

College of Business

2024

Stacy Parenteau

College of the Sciences

2024

Ex-Officio, Non-voting

Joy Clark

Office of the Provost

Elizabeth Burrows

Director of Composition

Chelsea Ward

Curriculum Committee

2021

Jackie Hall

UHP Coordinator, ex officio, non-voting

Holly Singleton

UHP Academic Associate

Lynn Stallings, Co-chair

Honors Program Director

Student Representatives, Non-voting

Alex Ennis

President, Honors Assembly

2023

Bella Soto

Vice President, Honors Assembly

2023

Alexis Stafford

Secretary, Honors Assembly

2023

Anna Amissah

Treasurer, Honors Assembly

2023

B. Honors Faculty

Faculty are designated as Honors faculty for three-year terms beginning in the semester in

which they teach an Honors course. These faculty members are encouraged to include the word

‘Honors’ in their titles for a three-year term, beginning in the semester in which you most

recently taught an Honors course.

Jeff Bates Senior Lecturer of Economics Fall 2022

Tara Beziat Associate Professor of Educational Psych. Fall 2024

Dana Bice Adjunct Professor of Art History Summer 2024

Elizabeth Burrows Distinguished Senior Lecturer of English Fall 2024

Aaron Cobb Professor of Philosophy Summer 2025

Lee Farrow Distinguished Professor of History Fall 2024

Angela Fowler Lecturer of English Fall 2022

Darren Harris-Fain Professor of English Summer 2025

Jessica Hayes Librarian III Summer 2024

Shannon Howard Assistant Professor of English Fall 2023

Nicholas Howard Assistant Professor of Political Science Summer 2024

David Hughes Associate Professor of Political Science Fall 2023

Pia Knigge Assistant Professor of Political Science Spring 2024

Keith Krawczynski Distinguished Professor of History Fall 2024

Amy Locklear Distinguished Senior Lecturer of English Summer 2025

- 11 -

Samantha McNeilly Librarian II Summer 2024

Seth Reno Distinguished Associate Professor Fall 2024

Clayton Simms Lecturer of English

Lynn Stallings Professor of Mathematics Education Summer 2025

Karen Stine Professor of Biology Summer 2023

Lorina Tamayo Adjunct Professor of Communications Spring 2025

Katie Waddell Lecturer of First-Year Student Success Spring 2025

Val Winkelman Professor of Theatre Summer 2023