Updates to Reporting Policy, 2014-2015

Dear Honors Student –

 

As we all embark on another exciting academic year, I’d like to take a moment to share some important updates to the procedures for reporting your accomplishments while in the Honors Program.  We have been working over the summer to simplify and clarify the process of reporting activities.

 

To make it simpler, we have moved away from linking requirements and actions to what ‘year’ you are in Honors.  As more and more Honors students are entering with earned credits or pursuing accelerated programs, linking requirements to your ‘year’ in the program makes less and less sense.  Thus, in the new structure, your reporting responsibilities will not depend on the number of years you have completed.

 

Now, reporting requirements are set according to your anticipated completion date: in your final semester, you will complete your senior symposium.  One year, or two semesters before that, you will submit an initial proposal for your symposium through the ‘Preparation for Final Year in Honors’ form.

 

  • Cultural Event Report:

Every student will report cultural event attendance using the same form, and will submit a report for every event. The form will allow students to report mere attendance or submit a reflection paper.

    • All students in his or her first year will be required to reflect on their experience.
    • All other students *may* submit a reflection if he or she chooses to, but are not required to.
    • Students attending events not included on the ‘Cultural events calendar’ are encouraged to submit a reflection, so that we may judge it’s acceptability as a cultural event.

 

 

  • Annual Accomplishments

 

At the end of every academic year (Spring), every student will complete the ‘Annual Accomplishments report.’ This form replaces the RSO membership report, as well as the Junior and Senior assessment papers.

    • The form will ask different questions depending on your anticipated graduation date.

 

 

  • Leadership Report

 

You can complete the Leadership report at any time after your first semester.  As stated in the handbook, you do not need to hold a formal leadership position to complete a leadership report–you only need to have lead a team that accomplishes some project. It must be completed before you complete the Honors program.

 

 

  • Preparation for Final Year in Honors

 

Must be submitted 1 year, or 2 semesters, before your symposium. It will ask you to provide a working topic for your symposium, a brief description of your approach, and a proposed plan or timeline for completion. It will also ask you which faculty member will be consulting / supervising on this project.  While this proposal should be considered preliminary, the faculty member with whom you are working MUST be aware of your plans at this point.

 

 

  • Application for Medallion

 

Must be submitted by the first Friday after midterm for ALL students in their final semester in Honors–including those graduating with a Bachelor’s, Associates’ degree or continuing on in professional school.

 

All in all, reporting structure looks like this:

  • Service: Via OrgSync, no change.
  • Everyone, every semester: Cultural Event report (attendance only need be reported for any student beyond 1st year).
  • Everyone, once a year: Annual Accomplishments
  • Everyone, once before completion: Leadership position report
  • 1 year before symposium: Preparation for final year in Honors
  • Last semester: Application for Medallion

 

We truly hope that this structure will reduce confusion and streamline our reporting process. Please let me know if there are any problems with the forms, or mistakes in the documentation.

 

We’ll be holding meetings in the early part of fall semester for Honors students by year to explain the changes and demonstrate the new forms.  The dates are:

  • New Transfers 8/26 11-11:50, BUS 202
  • 2nd Years – group 1 8/28 11-11:50, SCI 102
  • 2nd Years – group 2 9/2 11-11:50, SCI 126
  • 3rd Years (all those planning on completing the symposium NEXT academic year) 9/4 11-11:50, SCI 102
  • 4th Years (all those completing the symposium THIS academic year) 9/9 11-11:50, SCI 126

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