For students of exceptional academic promise as demonstrated in entrance examinations and high school transcripts, the Crichton College Honors Program offers open, energetic and demanding engagement with The Great Books of the Western World. The program presupposes that faith in Christ is a motive for critical engagement with the best scholarship in all fields of knowledge. Using an approach to learning modeled on the British tutorial system, it is designed to foster sustained independent thought, intense curiosity and very close scrutiny of ideas in the cardinal texts of Western Culture. For a limited number of qualified students, it offers full scholarship assistance.
Eligibility
Honors Scholars are chosen on the basis of demonstrated academic ability. Eligibility requires applicants to meet at least two of the following criteria: a minimum high school GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale); ranking in the top 10% of the graduating class; a minimum ACT composite score of 26 or the equivalent SAT score. Acceptance is granted at the sole discretion of the Honors Dean. Honors scholars must maintain a Crichton GPA of at least 3.35.
Curriculum
The curriculum presents a partial alternative to the General Education Core and is not restricted to a particular major. In addition to certain courses from the General Education Core, it is comprised of a series of nine honors tutorials for freshmen and sophomores and nine additional courses in the junior and senior years adapted for Honors credit. The student may apply to take an upper course for honors credit under the procedure below. See Honors Course Paradigm
Stipulation for Honors in Education
Students seeking licensure in education must meet all honors requirements above with the following exception:
Honors students majoring in Education and seeking licensure to teach in a specialty field should limit their upper division courses taken for honors credit to the field of specialization only and to those education courses that are required for licensure. Otherwise, seeking the honors diploma will unduly lengthen the undergraduate curriculum.
Petitioning for Upper Division Honors Credit
To enroll in a course for honors credit, the student requests an honors addendum to that course from the professor. The professor provides the addendum, attaching it to a “Petition to seek Upper Division Honors Credit. The student submits the request to the Office of Academic Records bearing the signatures of the Honors Dean, the student, the professor, and the Academic Vice President. The college regards the student as "attempting honors credit" when the executed form is delivered to the Office of Academic Affairs. Unless the student wishes to withdraw the request for
honors credit, it is awarded when the professor of the course awards the student a grade. Upon written request to the Dean of the Honors Program students may withdraw from their attempt to earn honors credit at any time prior to the deadline noted on the academic calendar for withdrawing from a course without grade point penalty.
In the event of scheduling conflicts between an honors requirement and a requirement for a major, the student may petition that an available upper division course be adapted for honors credit. The student follows the procedure described above in this section to pursue enrollment in the course.
Regularly Enrolled Students Who Wish to
Take an Honors Tutorial,
Enroll in a Course for Honors Credit,
or Enter the Honors Program
Any regularly enrolled student may request admission to an honors tutorial or request honors credit for an upper division course. Such requests should be accompanied by a nomination from a faculty member who regularly teaches in the Honors Program. Direct such requests to the Honors Dean.
Transfer or other students not eligible for admission to the Honors Program by virtue of their high school credentials may apply on the basis of demonstrated academic ability in the completion of no less than 24, nor more than 45, semester hours of college-level course work. Criteria for determining such an applicant’s eligibility include scholarly ability, proficiency in writing and research as evidenced in a portfolio of writing samples from their college work, a college GPA of 3.5 or above and a personal interview. In addition, students who have earned any final course grade below a "C-" or more than one final course grade below a "B-" (including equivalent "W" grades) in any college work attempted, including Chapel or other such courses graded on a "Pass/Fail" basis, shall not be considered for admission to the Honors Program. The Honors Committee will review the application and notify the applicant of its decision. Students whose application is denied may reapply in a subsequent semester. First consideration in scholarship awards is given to entering freshmen.
Pedagogy and Methods
Faculty guide Honors Scholars in tutorials focusing on analytical discussion and assignments (verbal and quantitative) and intensive writing and research. Classroom methods emphasize Socratic questioning to encourage cumulative and, when possible, interdisciplinary learning. Generally, the program de-emphasizes lectures. Rather, professors act as guides to focus discussion upon significant questions arising from the assigned texts and to stimulate research and further probing. Tutors assign readings in layers to inspire Christian reflection. Readings in classic texts are followed by readings in contemporary texts in the same field, and these are followed by readings in intellectually demanding Christian writers in the field.
Good Standing in the Honors Program
Honors students are expected to excel as scholars, citizens, and campus leaders. Their relationship with the college will be reviewed annually for compliance with all relevant policies. At all times during the academic year (fall and spring semesters) Honors Scholars must maintain their status as full-time students at Crichton College.
Honors students whose cumulative GPA at the end of any academic year is less than the required 3.35 will be placed on Honors probation. Any such student failing to raise the deficient cumulative GPA to at least 3.35 by the end of the next ensuing fall semester will be removed from the program. In addition, Honors students receiving a final grade below a "C-" in any course (including Chapel or other such courses graded on a "Pass/Fail" basis), or any two final course grades below a "B-," will be removed from the program. In evaluating a student’s compliance with this policy the grades "WC," "WD," and "WF" will be counted as deficiencies.
Any Honors student finally adjudged to have committed the offense of academic dishonesty, as defined in the policy and procedure published in the current Academic Catalog, will be removed from the program immediately. Further, any Honors student receiving the disciplinary sanction of suspension (except "interim suspension") or dismissal (as defined in the current Student Handbook and supplemental document entitled "Crichton College Campus Judicial System" available in the Office of Student Services) for violation of any disciplinary policy will be removed from the program immediately.
A student’s removal from the Honors Program shall result in the immediate termination of any institutional scholarship assistance based on admission to the Honors Program.
