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Benefits
- Earn up to $1,000 in Honors scholarships
- Early registration for classes
- Special recognition by NIACC and four-year schools to which Honors
students may transfer
- Participation in cultural events
- Mentoring by College faculty
Qualifications
Students may be invited to participate in the NIACC Honors Program
if they have an ACT score of at least 24, an SAT score of at least 1300, or an equivalent
score on another standardized test taken within the past 3 years. Students are required to
complete an application which identifies their leadership qualities. They must also meet
at least one of the following criteria:
- Be a NIACC Trustees' Scholarship recipient
- Be a NIACC President's Scholarship recipient
- Graduate in upper 10 percent of high school class.
- Earn a 3.5 or better GPA in high school.
Program Requirements
1. Honors Credits
Honors credits are earned by taking regular college courses in which an Honors component
is offered (only selected courses can be taken for Honors credit). In order to complete
the program, students must complete 5 Honors contracts -- 1 contract in each of the
following areas: Communications, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and
Mathematics.
After signing up for their classes, Honors students will then meet
with their instructors individually to work out the details of the contract. Once the
contract has been successfully completed with a B grade or better, the grade will be
entered on the student's transcript with a special Honors designation.
2. Honors Work
Since one of the goals of the NIACC Honors Program is to help students achieve a deeper
and more comprehensive understanding of a subject, Honors activities within a class will
likely include one or more of the following:
- Writing papers on a topic and of a length agreed to by the student
and instructor.
- Preparing and giving presentations for classes.
- Researching topics of special interest to the student which are
pertinent to the subject matter of a particular course or the student's Honors project.
- Studying concepts, principles, or people in somewhat more depth than
is usually achieved in regular courses.
- Honors work will emphasize problem solving through the use of
analysis, synthesis, collaboration, and creative and critical thinking.
3. Cultural and Social Events
As part of their experience at the College, Honors students will attend several events
involving nationally/internationally known performers and speakers who appear each year on
the NIACC campus. The College will provide Honors students with tickets to these events,
as well as selected events elsewhere.
At least one social event will be organized each semester to give
Honors students and faculty an opportunity to get together.
4. Service Learning
NIACC encourages Honors students to participate in projects or work which provide a
service to the larger community. This may be accomplished through coursework or the
student's Honors project.
5. Honors Project
As an option, students may choose to participate in an Honors project during the spring
semester of their sophomore year. This project is selected, designated, and carried out by
the student under the direction of an instructor. The Honors project, which might also
provide a service to the community, is especially appropriate for students who have
identified their field of study and wish to extend their knowledge through hands-on
activities. The Honors project replaces one of the five required Honors contracts. Credit
hours are granted according to the extent of the project.
6. Special Options
There may be other alternatives to meeting some of the Honors requirements. For example, a
student may arrange for an Honors contract to be completed by visiting another country or
another region of the United States. These will be arranged on a case-by-case basis.
Contact Information
For more information, call or e-mail
Dr. Patrick Galliart, Honors Program Advisor, at 1-888-GO NIACC.
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