For Honors Faculty

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I turn in two separate grades?
Yes, you give the student 2 separate grades, one for the course, and one for the Honors project.

What happened to the independent study option?
The honors coordinators felt that they should not be responsible for approving full credit independent study courses and instead this approval should be through the academic deans. Therefore, we are no longer offering the ability to apply for an independent study course directly through the Honors Program.

Is it possible to still do an independent study with Honors?
Yes.  Instead of completing one application through the Honors program, the student now needs to complete an independent study application (through the academic deans, found on the Independent Study Webpage) and a separate Honors application.

What can I do if I have a student in my class who I think will do a great Honors Project but the student doesn't meet the eligibility requirements?
To make the Honors Program flexible and better meet the needs of our students, students who do not meet the eligibility requirements (3.25 GPA and 12 semester hours completed) can do Honors Projects if a faculty member recommends them. So go ahead and talk to the student, figure out a project, and submit the application form to the Honors Coordinators.

How do I grade the student on Pipeline?
The student should appear in a separate course in your Pipeline account in the last few weeks of the semester.  All you need to do is enter in the grade. You will give the student 2 grades, one for their regular coursework and one for their Honors project.

Do I have to give the student an A?
No!  Give the student what they earn in the class.

What are my responsibilities?
Together with the student you decide the scope of the Honors Project and the final product.  You will then work with the student throughout the semester (you can be as involved as you want to be) as they work on the Honors Project.  Part of the benefits for students doing Honors Projects is working more closely with faculty than they typically would in class.  At the end of the semester, you will grade the student on the Honors Project and the work they did in the rest of the class.

Who decides on the project?
Typically it is a joint effort between you and the student. However, sometimes a student will approach you knowing what they want to do, while other times you might have a project in mind.

What projects have been done in the past?
You can look at approved projects from previous semesters to see some example projects.  Other projects are listed in example projects. Examples of project formats are research papers, PowerPoint presentations, poster presentations, displays of artwork, and assorted short assignments. We strongly recommend the students participate in the Honors Forum at the end of the Spring semester.

How will I know if and when the student's project is accepted?
We have been working at speeding up communications once projects are approved.  The student's course name on Pipeline will change to "Honors in...", but that will take a while.  Starting in Fall 2004, we will list approved projects on the Approved Projects page.  We think that this will solve the problems of delayed communications.  If you have questions, you can also feel free to contact one of the Honors Coordinators.

What if I can't/don't want to advise a student?  Can I say no?
You many feel that you do not have the time to properly devote to advising and Honors student.  You can say no.  If you do say no, you may want to recommend another faculty member to the student who might be willing to advise them on the Honors project.  They will stay in your course, but they will have a different faculty advisor than you.  If you do this, you will need to coordinate how you want to grade the course and project with the other faculty member.

What if the student does not complete the project?
You can give the student an incomplete so they have time to finish the project.  If the student does wish to drop the Honors portion of the class, the student must tell the Honors Coordinators.  They can drop it easily before the "last day to withdraw and receive a W" as determined by the registrar.  If it is after that date, then they will need to petition the College to drop the Honors portion of the class.  Some faculty find that it is useful to use the "last day to withdraw and receive a W" date as a guideline for checking student progress. If the student has not made significant progress on their project at this point, it may be advisable to recommend the student to drop the honors portion of the class.  If you have any questions, please contact the Honors Coordinators, and the situation will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Can a student do a project in an introductory class?
Yes, and many projects are done in introductory classes.

How in-depth should the project be?
This is up to you and the student.  There are no set guidelines, but it does need to be a significant academic undertaking.  As a guideline, the student should put at least 20 hours into the project (and most students put in many more hours).

Am I compensated for my time?
Unfortunately at this time, you are not compensated monetarily. You will, however, have the satisfaction of making a difference in the student's experience at CCRI.

What is the Honors Forum?
The Honors Forum is a showcase of Honors Projects completed during the academic year, usually presented as posters. The Honors Forum includes a speaker, and the Honors projects are presented during a reception. It is held at the end of the Spring Semester. We strongly encourage all Honors students to participate in the Forum. In fact, we encourage including the making of a poster as part of the final product requirements of all Honors Projects.

Do the students get recognized for the extra work they are doing?
If students complete four Honors Projects, they do become Honors Program Graduates and are recognized at awards night and graduation.  Their work is also recognized when they present it at the Honors Forum, and the best posters receive a cash award.

Who do I contact with questions?
Please contact the Honors Coordinators.  We want to hear any questions or suggestions!


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