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Honors Program

Course Development Resources

Overview of Honors Courses

Faculty who teach Honors courses are often gratified to see that Honors students are interested in exploring course material in more detail and with less structure. Due to the motivated nature of these students, faculty can explore alternative means of teaching course material. Our Honors Program is specifically designed to allow faculty a chance to “push the envelope” of instruction and experiment with presenting material in an alternate way.

Honors Course Characteristics

Class Size
Honors classes will comprise approximately twenty students. Enrollment in these courses will be limited to Honors students and non-Honors students that meet Honors Program requirements.

Grading
Honors students do not receive any extra dispensation on their GPA for taking an Honors course. The students, therefore, should be awarded the same grade given to a student taking a regular section of the same course, provided they accomplish the same level of work. Honors students should, therefore, be graded on what they learn rather than on a competitive grading system. Honors courses need to be enriching experiences and not punitive ones. Importantly, Honors courses should not be taught like graduate courses.

Participation of Students
Honors students are generally more interested in class participation. Faculty are strongly encouraged to use alternative teaching styles, such as group projects or group assignments, whenever these methods are appropriate. Due to the small size of Honors classes, direct interaction between faculty and students is much easier to coordinate.

Written and Oral Expression
Honors students should be expected to express themselves both orally and in writing. Indeed, it is a major goal of the Honors Program to develop these important skills in our students. This expression can take several forms, such as research papers, position papers, class discussions and journal entries.

Student Involvement
Your involvement in the Honors Program will sometimes result in a more personal relationship with the students. Do not be surprised if an Honors student asks you to be an advisor on a research project or serve as a sponsor of a student organization.

How should I teach an Honors course?

There is no definite right or wrong way to teach an Honors course. The most important thing to remember is that Honors courses are not intended to be punitive or “ just plain hard.” An Honors course should simply explore material either in greater depth or breadth. This may mean teaching parts of the course out of a different textbook or using primary literature. The overall length of reading assignments, however, should not be excessively longer than a regular section of the same course.

How do I create an Honors course?

It is important to emphasize that faculty have the freedom to teach the material they wish to teach in an Honors course. Below are the basic steps that you will need to take in order to teach an Honors course:

  1. Contact your Department Head to discuss whether you may teach an Honors course.
  2. Forward a copy of your syllabus to the Honors Program Director along with a description of how it differs from a regular section of the course.

Guidelines for Writing an Honors Course Syllabus

Below are some general items that should be placed in a syllabus for an Honors course. Please contact Dr. Flynn if you have any questions.

  1. Honor students should be aware that they are held to higher expectations.
  2. Some mechanism for taking attendance should be in place so that absences can be documented. Excessive absences in Honors courses can lead to a student’s removal from the Honors Program.
  3. Any issues concerning student performance, behavior or participation will be documented.
  4. A statement needs to be placed in the syllabus that Honors students will abide by the requirements set forth in the Honors Student Handbook, which includes the following:
    1. Attendance
    2. Drop policy
    3. Retaking Honors courses
    4. Removal from the Honors Program

Current Honors Program Courses

Previous Honors Faculty

The following faculty members have taught a course in the Honors Program. Please contact them to discuss the Honors Program and course development issues.

Course Development Reference Materials

The following documents may be used to help you develop an Honors course:

honors council

The Honors Council is expected to help formulate and review the policies, programs and procedures of the Honors Program.

Learn More

Contact Us

Honors Program Office
Angelo State University
San Angelo, TX 76909
Phone: (325) 942-2722
Fax: (325) 942-2716
E-mail: Honors@angelo.edu