Requirements

The Senior Honors Project is a 6 semester hour (s.h.) project that encourages honors students to develop expertise on a specific topic and to gain research and practical experience. Under the guidance of a faculty mentor, the student is responsible for researching, experimenting, documenting, and presenting various components of the chosen project. Students must have completed General Education Honors hours in order to receive University Honors recognition for a project.

Eligibility
The student must:

Maintain at least a 3.5 GPA

Complete General Education Honors requirements

Have the project approved by the department chair, the faculty adviser, and the Honors Program advisor.

Planning
The student should:

1. Confer with the faculty adviser concerning which University Honors option to pursue and the subject area.
2. Submit a project proposal (approved by the department chair, the faculty adviser, and the Honors Program advisor), due one year in advance of graduation.
3. Enroll in the first 3 s.h. part of the project as early as the sixth semester. This is usually a seminar, research methods course, or readings course.
4. Enroll in the second 3 s.h. part of the project for the following semester. The student will compile appropriate research, maintain required documentation for the project, and write the results.
5. Present a summary of the project at the Honors Recognition Ceremony.

Project Option One:  Senior Thesis

Aim
Writing a thesis provides the student with an opportunity to investigate a topic using research skills that are expected in a chosen field and graduate school.

Examples
The student is urged to be creative in thinking about topics. The department adviser can help to refine the topic.

Process
The student should:

1. Decide on a topic and develop a thesis proposal under the guidance of the chosen professor. Submit the proposal to the department chair and the Honors Program advisor for approval.
2. Enroll in a 3. s.h. course in one of the following areas: (1) a research methods course; (2) a seminar in a particular subject within the chosen field; or (3) an independent study course that gives the student knowledge about the chosen subject. Some departments offer senior seminars that provide a rich source of ideas to research for the thesis. An independent study could allow for research within a chosen topic.
3. Enroll in a 3 s.h. independent study or directed readings course and begin writing the thesis.
4. Submit the written thesis, section by section, to the adviser. The completed thesis must be presented to the satisfaction of the department and must be defended on or before the due date.

Results
The student has accomplished an investigation of an important subject, gained firsthand experience in research, prepared and defended a thesis, and made a public presentation.

Project Option Two:  Co-Teaching

Aim
Co-teaching provides the student with an opportunity to prepare for a course in which he/she has the interest and can gain the expertise and teach it with a seasoned honors faculty member.

Examples
Co-teaching an honors seminar in the art of Vietnam vets with an art faculty member who is also a Vietnam veteran.

Process
The student should:

1. Select a course topic that sparks an interest and discuss the co- teaching option with the professor. An honors seminar works best because of the flexibility in course structure. Approach the co-teacher and work out the teaching duties at least two years before expected graduation date.
2. Obtain project approval from the professor, the faculty adviser, the department chair, and the Honors Program Advisor.
3. Enroll in a 3 s.h. directed readings course researching specific areas of the honors seminar and texts that suggest approaches to the material. Keep a journal on the books and discussions.
4. Meet frequently with the professor/mentor to design the course.
5. Enroll in a 3 s.h. directed readings course. Conduct the course with the professor as all-but-equal partners, with the student leading some of the discussions, co-reading the papers, and helping to evaluate the students' participation.
6. Continue the journal, recording day-to-day experiences, including class responses, tests, and teaching methods.
7. Make a public presentation.

Results
The student will receive full and active exposure to the materials and the process of teaching an actual college course.

Project Option Three:  Portfolio

Aim
Building a portfolio provides the student with an opportunity to chart his/her artistic growth during four years in college. It exposes the student to the lives and careers of other artists the student may want to emulate and allows the student to set personal goals.

Examples
A painting student keeps all works and, using the careers of admired artists, projects his/her own career path; a writing major evaluates personal progress, using a favorite writer as a model.

Process
The student should:

1. Plan the honors portfolio over a long period of time heeding the advice of a faculty mentor. An emphasis should be placed on an autobiographical and developmental analysis. Begin saving all materials and shaping the portfolio during the freshman year.
2. Enroll in 3 s.h. directed study or seminar course that allows the student to become acquainted with and follow a regimen of reading materials on portfolio-building and biographical accounts of artists who have built successful careers.
3. Enroll in a 3 s.h. course in which, under the guidance of the mentor, the student can apply the guidelines derived from the readings to the portfolio. Refine the portfolio, including detailed personal statements and critical evaluations of selected samples. Note how these works fit into career development.
4. Keep a journal and present an elaborate written component to conclude the portfolio.
5. Make a public presentation.

Results
The student will graduate with a fully developed portfolio, an understanding of artistic strengths and weaknesses, and an ability to evaluate and criticize personal work.