Missouri State University - West Plains

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The William and Virginia Darr Honors Program/Specialization in Honors

Mission:

The William and Virginia Darr Honors Program at Missouri State University-West Plains seeks to create a collegial environment that nurtures and empowers students of high academic and/or artistic potential to become educated persons.

Goals:

  1. Recruit students of high academic and/or creative ability.
  2. Motivate students to
    1. Academically challenge themselves and their classmates;
    2. Formulate a greater, wider and deeper understanding of their existence and of their abilities to influence the world during and through that existence; and
    3. Explore new subjects; and experience the world and its ideas in search of truth.
  3. Assist students in developing their various academic and vocational interests.
  4. Provide for student-to-student, student-to-faculty, and student-to-community interaction for the expressed purpose of building a community where learning can be enhanced and transmitted.
  5. Honor students of high academic ability and purpose as evidenced by their completion of the program and their degree at Missouri State University-West Plains.

Objectives:

  1. Identify students who possess
    1. A seriousness of academic purpose;
    2. A desire to be active, rather than passive, learners;
    3. An intellectual curiosity that supersedes an obsession with grades; and
    4. A demonstrated potential for critical thinking and excellence in oral and written expression.
  2. Communicate the mission, goals, and objectives of the Honors Program to potential and current students, the Missouri State University-West Plains campus community, and the service area.
  3. Offer a unique and innovative curriculum of small courses, offering stimulation, challenge, multidisciplinary perspectives, and constant interaction with peers of comparable abilities and outstanding instructors who are willing to learn with their students.
  4. Provide special options, opportunities, and financial incentives that enhance the undergraduate experience at a two-year higher education institution.
  5. Aid students in the development of, the understanding of, and the appreciation for higher education.
  6. Encourage and/or enhance a positive learning attitude across the campus.
  7. Help clarify students’ capabilities and limitations as well as personal values, goals and needs.
  8. Develop an atmosphere open to diversity in learning, thought, culture and race.
  9. Provide personal attention to each student, including offering information and counseling as each student develops a personal academic and career plan.
  10. Coordinate efforts among faculty, staff, and community members so students can develop a network of colleagues (classmates, instructors, and community members) for personal support, intellectual interaction, and continuing growth.
  11. Encourage the creation and presentation of special projects for a public arena that enhances the student’s academic program and intellectual and/or artistic development.
  12. Establish articulation agreements with area colleges and universities to which Honors Program students are likely to transfer.
  13. Submit all program changes and additions through the faculty governance system established by the Missouri State University-West Plains Faculty Senate.
  14. Assess annually the effectiveness of the total program in meeting its mission and goals.

Enrolling in the Honors Program:

Admission into the Honors Program is based upon successful completion (a grade of B or higher) of HNR 150, Honors I Seminar, or upon the recommendation of Missouri State University-West Plains faculty members (see below). To be eligible to enroll in the HNR 150 course, the student must meet one of the following criteria:

For First-Time Freshmen:

Any first-time freshman student who has an ACT composite of 25 or above may enroll in HNR 150 during the first semester at Missouri State University-West Plains. Registration for HNR 150 can be completed at any regularly scheduled STAR orientation.

 

First-time freshmen who do not have an ACT composite of 25 or above may apply to enroll in HNR 150 by

  1. The completion of an essay,
  2. The completion of a personal interview with the Honors Program chair, and
  3. Approval for admission by the Honors Program chair.
For Currently Enrolled:

Any currently enrolled student at Missouri State University-West Plains who has a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA after completing at least 12 credit hours at Missouri State University-West Plains may enroll in HNR 150 upon

  1. The recommendation of a full-time faculty member at Missouri State University-West Plains,
  2. The completion of an essay,
  3. The completion of a personal interview with the Honors Program chair, and
  4. Approval for admission by the Honors Program Committee.

Continuing in the Program:

After successfully completing the HNR 150 course with a grade of B or higher, the student is automatically eligible to enroll in any HNR course or a course that has an honors section if he/she has a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher on all other coursework. Note: A student cannot enroll in any other HNR course or in a course with an honors component before he/she has completed HNR 150 nor while enrolled in HNR 150. A student who has a cumulative GPA lower than 3.5 but has completed HNR 150 with a grade of B or higher may continue in the Honors Program on a provisional basis after consideration by the Honors Program chair. Continuance in the program is contingent upon the student’s success in all honors courses and upon raising his/her cumulative GPA to or above 3.5. In order to remain in the Honors Program, a student must maintain a 3.5 or higher cumulative grade point average. Should a student’s cumulative GPA fall below 3.5, that student shall have one semester to raise his/her GPA above the 3.5 threshold or face being dropped from the Honors Program. He/She may reapply to the program in subsequent semesters, but only after his/her cumulative GPA has risen above 3.5.

Completing the Specialization in Honors

A student may earn the Specialization in Honors while completing any of the degree programs at Missouri State University-West Plains. In the case of the Associate of Arts Degree in General Studies or the Associate of Arts Degree in Teaching, the student may use his or her elective hours to complete the requirements of the Specialization in Honors. For those pursuing the Associate of Science Degree in Nursing or any of the Associate of Applied Science degrees, it will be necessary to complete the required number of credit hours in Honors in addition to the total number of credit hours required by the ASN degree or the desired AAS degree. Students are encouraged to consult with their advisor to carefully coordinate the scheduling of courses in order to seek both their desired degree and the Specialization in Honors.

To complete the Specialization in Honors, the student must complete the following requirements in addition to the requirements of the desired degree:

  1. Earn a grade of A or B in the following:
    • Eight (8) hours of these required Honors Core Courses:
      • HNR 150, Honors I Seminar: 3 hours,
      • HNR 250, Honors II Seminar: 3 hours, and
      • HNR 298, Honors Capstone: 2 hours; and
    • Six (6) hours in courses with an approved Honors Component (See Honors Component Courses)
  2. Successfully complete one of the following options to satisfy the Honors Program’s International Experience requirement:
    • A semester of study at the Missouri State University Branch Campus in Dalian, People’s Republic of China.
    • An international educational travel course sponsored by Missouri State University-West Plains or another institution of higher education.
    • A course in a foreign language, or
    • A course designated in the Missouri State University-West Plains Course Catalog as containing an “International/Intercultural Component.”
  3. Have at the end of his or her degree program, an overall grade point average of 3.5 or higher in all coursework.

All other University policies apply.

Graduation:

The student who completes the requirements for an associate degree and who completes the requirements of the Specialization in Honors will receive his or her diploma and a certificate of completion from the William and Virginia Darr Honors Program. In addition, Honors Program graduates participating in commencement ceremonies will wear the black velvet Tam O’Shanter (hat), signifying that the student is an Honors Program graduate. The commencement program will also note the names of those graduates who complete the Honors Program.

Students who have completed or who are on track to complete the coursework required of the Specialization in Honors and their associate degree program but who fall short of the 3.5 GPA minimum requirement of the Specialization in Honors may, with approval by the Director of the Honors Program and/or the Honors Program Leadership Committee, participate in graduation ceremonies and be noted as a member of the Darr Honors Program in the commencement program and be permitted to wear the Tam O’Shanter.

Graduates of the Darr Honors Program must first have confirmation by the Office of Registration and Records that they have met all requirements of their degree program and of the Specialization in Honors before officially receiving their diploma and the Specialization in Honors certificate of completion.

Courses Approved for Honors Credit:

The following courses may be utilized by the Honors Program student toward satisfying the Specialization in Honors requirement for six (6) credit hours of Honors Component coursework; however, only course sections taught by full-time faculty members and approved by the Darr Honors Program Leadership Committee
carry Honors Component credit. Students must first complete a Request to Complete an Honors Component Course form – which includes obtaining permission from an eligible faculty member and the Director of the Honors Program –before being eligible to receive Honors credit for the course.

(Check each semester’s course schedule for availability)

AGR 100/ITC 105 Technology’s Impact on Society
BIO 102 Principles of Biological Science
CHM 105 Fundamentals of Chemistry
CHM 160 General Chemistry
COM 115 Fundamentals of Public Speaking
ENG 210 Writing II: Academic Writing (Honors credit not given for both ENG 210 and 221)
ENG 221 Writing II: Writing for the Professions (Honors credit not given for both ENG 210 and 221)
ENG 288 Literature of Work: Readings in the Professions
HNR 150 Honors I Seminar
HNR 250 Honors II Seminar
HNR 292 Directed Study in Honors
HNR 297 Topics in Honors
HNR 298 Honors Capstone
HST 121 Survey of the United States to 1877
HST 122 Survey of the United States Since 1877
MTH 138 Pre-Calculus Mathematics
MTH 261 Analytic Geometry and Calculus
PHI 110 Introduction to Philosophy
PLS 101 American Democracy and Citizenship
THE 109 Performance Studies