H Add-on Guidelines
Introduction
H add-ons or Dually Designated courses taken toward requirements in the Honors program must meet certain criteria. The following is a guideline for H addons, but may also be used as a guide to the creation of honors level work for any classes at UMA.
What is an H add-on?
UMA H add-on courses are intended to allow Honors students to pursue Honors studies in courses that are not designed specifically as Honors-level (HON) courses. Students may take upper level (300-400) courses in their major or as general education requirements and work with the individual instructor to tailor the course to be at the Honors level. This means the student would contract(Honors Course Proposal Form: H add-on) to complete academic work beyond that which is normally required of students in the class. In other words, their work would be above and beyond the regular class requirements.
What Constitutes an H add-on?
The H add-on allows the student an opportunity to study the course content in a critically deeper, broader or more creative manner. Simply increasing the quantity of work required does not constitute an H add on, the work must enhance the content by challenging to the student to develop in-depth understanding of the subject matter. H add-on courses should provide work that is more appropriate for high-ability, motivated students. Students should expect to spend more time on course content for an honors designation than they would spend for a regular course, and the objective of this additional effort should be on increasing the depth and thoroughness of understanding of the course material to enable students to gain a more profound appreciation of the subject.
H-Add on courses should include some if not all of the following components.
Students will:
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- learn the material beyond the introductory level of the usual course content
- be challenged to develop in-depth understanding of the subject matters of the course.
- analyze problems, evaluate possible decisions or actions, and draw reasonable conclusions or generate unique solutions to those problems.
- study and interpret aspects of the course such as historical development, cultural applications, and theoretical or philosophical disputes that should lead to the students' heightened appreciation of the discipline.
- participate in activities that encourage independent thinking, creative problem-solving and critical thinking and writing.
- be given opportunities to develop discipline appropriate research skills, resulting in major documented papers or projects.
How to inquire about H add-ons?
It is the student’s responsibility to develop and propose an idea for the additional Honors level work for the H add-on for the course. The proposed work should be related to the content of the course and meet the guidelines above. H add-ons are at the discretion of the instructor of the course and should be discussed prior to the beginning of the term or within the first few classes.
Steps to requesting the H add-on designation:
- Student enrolls in upper level course(s) (300-400)
- Student and Instructor discuss the possibility of an H add-on.
- Student reviews guidelines and with Instructor input/agreement proposes the work to constitute the Honors designation.
- Honors Course Proposal Form is filled out by student, signed by instructor and submitted to the Honors Office for approval.
- Student and Instructor communicate throughout term to ensure completion of requirements (onus is on the student).
- At the completion of the course, the H-Course Completion Form is filled out by the student, signed by the instructor and submitted to the Honors Office for processing.
- Student follows up by checking MaineStreet to make sure the appropriate changes on the formal record are correct.
Indiana University:http://www.iupuc.edu/academics/honorsprogram/honorscontract/facultyinformation/
Lakeland College:http://www.lakeland.cc.il.us/honors/documents/HonorsCourseCriteriaLimitedStudentSection.pdf
Approved: 12.6.12 UMA Honors Council
