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Honors Program

Honors Program
The ASU-Beebe Honors Program is a rigorous course designed to meet the needs, abilities and potential of highly skilled and committed students seeking to augment their intellectual experience in college. Its rotation of selective courses is intended to provide demanding academic and intellectual learning opportunities encouraging self-examination, reassessment and development. Students are also required to serve the community through course projects and participate in group cultural events, which aim to promote good citizenship, social responsibility, cultural awareness and intellectual rigor.

Honors Program Mission

Our mission in the Honors Program at Arkansas State University-Beebe is to provide a vibrant, educational environment for innovative teaching and learning within an interdisciplinary curriculum sparked by creative, critical inquiry and respect for a diversity of thoughts, experiences and identities in a stimulating and rewarding educational environment.

Why Enroll in an Honors Course?

An honors course is required every semester for the honors students receiving an honors scholarship with a minimum of 3.75 GPA. Students with certain GPAs who are not part of the honors scholarship recipients are also invited to enroll in honors classes. To be considered graduating with honors, students will have taken at least four honors courses during their two-year study at ASU-Beebe. 
 
Honors courses are intended to be more complex but not necessarily more difficult. Faculty members who teach our honors courses are highly encouraged to explore their own pedagogical boundaries. Honors students are challenged to think critically in and beyond the classroom. The Honors Program is a nurturing ground for pedagogical innovation and exploration that transforms the quality of educational experiences across the college.

Fall Rotation of Honors Courses

ENG 2003H | Honors World Literature I 3 credits

ECON 2313H | Honors Online Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 credits


Spring Rotation of Honors Courses

POSC 2103H | Honors Intro to U.S. Government | 3 credits

BIOL 1014H | Honors Principles of Biology | 4 credits


Additional honors courses are available to accommodate honors scholarship students to take honors courses not included in the regular, free-standing honors courses rotation.

For consideration, students must submit the Honors Program Application Package by August 5 for the fall semester and January 2 for the spring semester. Qualified applicants will then be contacted for an interview with members of the Honors Program Committee.

A student may be eligible for the scholarship for a maximum of four semesters. Continuation is reviewed at the end of each semester and requires a 3.5 cumulative GPA with enrollment in at least one honors course every semester. At least 12 credit hours of honors courses are required for a student to graduate with honors. Recipients are expected to be active members of the Beta Omega Alpha, a chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. 
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) recognizes the academic achievement of college students and provides opportunities for its members to grow as scholars and leaders. Established in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa has a presence on almost 1,300 community college campuses in 11 nations. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) recognized Phi Theta Kappa as the official honor society for two-year colleges in 1929. More than 3.5 million students have been inducted since 1918, with approximately 250,000 active members in the nation’s community colleges, making Phi Theta Kappa a true catalyst among members and colleges.

The Honors ePortfolio is a digital collection that documents the knowledge, skills and abilities students have gained through all experiences in college. Creating and working on an ePortfolio allows students to figure out how the different aspects of their college experience fit together. In short, it offers an excellent opportunity to share their story with faculty and peers. It is advised that begin this project during your first semester. 


ePortfolio Benefits

  • Discover your purpose. | Creating an ePortfolio allows you to figure out what is important to you and where you want to go in terms of a career. Treat it as your life journal in pursuit of transformation.

  • Follow your progress. | ePortfolios give a more accurate account of all your knowledge and skills, which cannot be determined through a transcript or GPA. Displaying a thought process in your ePortfolio helps viewers get an idea of how you think and problem-solve. 

  • Make yourself more marketable for jobs, internships and scholarships. | ePortfolios give employers a detailed inventory of what you have to contribute that goes beyond simply a resume. But even if you never share it, creating an ePortfolio is an excellent practice for talking about what is essential to you and what you want to accomplish. In addition, sharing with faculty helps you get better, more detailed recommendation letters.

Teaching an honors course is not required of faculty, but it adds to a faculty member’s teaching accomplishments and is considered a service to the college. Honors courses are intended to be more complex but not necessarily more difficult. Faculty who teach honors courses are highly encouraged to explore their own pedagogical boundaries. We know that teaching honors can enhance the lives of all students you work with, not just those who interact in honors courses. We believe the Honors Program serves as a nurturing ground for pedagogical innovation and exploration that transforms the quality of educational experiences across the college.

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