Honors Program for Undergraduate Students
Coker University’s Honors Program is a community of driven students with high potential, who seek a university experience that promotes leadership development and reflective citizenship through a combination of coursework, co-curricular experiences, and independent exploration. The Honors Program provides students opportunities to learn and grow in six distinct areas: outstanding academics, campus leadership, creative endeavors, innovative scholarship, global citizenship, and pre-professional experiences.
Admissions
Prospective students with demonstrable potential in the areas listed above will be invited to apply to the Honors Program. When evaluating applicants for the Program, the university looks for students with energy and high potential who will take advantage of the opportunities that the Honors Program offers.
Consequently, admission to the Honors Program depends on:
- Academic achievement represented by standardized test scores and/or grades from previous schools
- Aptitude demonstrated through a self assessment and an essay
- Extracurricular experiences shown in a résumé
- Qualifications shown through a letter of reference from a teacher or supervisor
In addition, outstanding Coker University students with a 3.5 Coker GPA may be nominated by faculty, staff, or themselves, until their completion of the second semester of their sophomore year. These students will follow the same admissions process as prospective students, barring high school transcripts and standardized tests.
Global Perspective and Cultures Requirement
A foreign language up to the 102 level will count for six semester hours in the Global Perspectives and Cultures requirement. Students who meet the criteria on a Coker-administered language placement exam in Spanish, French, German, or Latin will receive a non-credit bearing exemption for one or both courses in the language requirement. The student’s remaining course(s) in Global Perspectives and Cultures cannot repeat the course(s) they exempted through placement. Students with AP credit or dual-enrollment credit may exempt the language requirement through course credit.
An additional 3-semester-hour course in Global Perspectives and Cultures, in a discipline other than the student’s major program, is required.
International Honors students whose secondary education was conducted in a language other than English may meet the foreign language requirement by successfully completing ENG 112 or its equivalent through course credit. International Honors students will complete the six semester hours of Global Perspectives and Cultures as required for all students through the General Education Program.
Transfer Information
Any student in good standing with the Honors Program or College at their current institution, who has 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher is eligible to transfer in as a Coker University Honors Student. All honors courses with a grade of C or higher that are taken as part of the degree program at the current institution will be accepted as honors credit. Interested transfer students should provide a letter stating that the honors student is in good standing from the Director or Dean of the Honors Program or University at their current institution to the Director of the Honors Program. In all cases, the final decision on admission to the Honors Program rests with the Honors Program Committee.
To graduate from the Honors Program at Coker University, a student must successfully complete the requirements shown in the following table. The Director of the Honors Program will review each student’s progress at the end of each semester. Students who are not making progress by taking sufficient HON courses to be on track for graduation or who have a cumulative grade point average below 3.500 will be put on probation for one semester to address the deficit. Students who do not address the deficit in the following semester will be dismissed from the program.
Priority registration for all seminars and Honors general education courses is given to Honors students; however, a non-Honors student may apply to take a seminar or Honors general education course if their cumulative GPA is over 3.5000, or if he/she has the recommendation of the instructor. The student will still need permission from the Director of the Honors Program.
Any courses taken under the Satisfactory/No Credit grading system cannot count towards Honors degree requirements.
Curricular, Extra- and Co-Curricular Requirements
Each Honors Student will complete coursework and a multi-semester Capstone Project under the direction of a faculty mentor. In addition to Honors coursework, each Honors student will choose two areas of focus to concentrate on during their college career. These are outstanding academics, campus leadership, creative endeavors, innovative scholarship, global citizenship, and pre-professional experiences. The students will create e-portfolios that record and reflect upon their activities and personal development in these two areas. The quality of this e-portfolio will be evaluated by the Director of the Honors Program and the Honors Program Committee as a requirement for graduation from the program.
Outstanding Academics
While all Honors Students must maintain a GPA of 3.5, students pursuing Outstanding Academics will maintain a GPA of 3.7 in order to graduate magna cum laude. In addition, these students should complete at least one of these experiences, serve as a tutor on campus for Trio, P.A.S.S., the QL Center, or the Writer’s Studio; serve as a Junior marshall (if invited); or apply for a nationally competitive fellowship or grant, such as a Fulbright, Boren, or Gilman. Other opportunities or experiences may be approved by the Honors Program Committee.
Campus Leadership
Students focusing on Campus Leadership will demonstrate their contributions to the campus by serving in leadership roles that might include: Commissioner, Resident Assistant, Ambassador, or officer in a campus club or organization, such as the Student Government Association or the Campus Activities Board. Students may focus on several roles or one as long as they demonstrate more than one academic year of commitment. Other opportunities or experiences may be approved by the Honors Program Committee.
Global Citizenship
Students who pursue Global Citizenship will participate in activities that broaden their cultural backgrounds and teach them how they can actively contribute to “the wider world through a continued pursuit of knowledge.” Students will participate in two or more activities, such as international study away, the Coker Enactus team, or service learning projects. Other opportunities or experiences may be approved by the Honors Program Committee.
Creative Endeavors
Students focusing on Creative Endeavors will seek opportunities to share their creative works with audiences outside of Coker University through publication or performance. Students can fulfill this requirement in several ways that include: applying to have artworks accepted for a show, to have written works accepted for publication, or to have performances accepted to showcases or regional conferences. Furthermore, students can complete a Dean’s Scholars Project in a creative area. Students need not focus on one area and can show their creativity in multiple genres. Other opportunities or experiences may be approved by the Honors Program Committee.
Innovative Scholarship
Students pursuing Innovative Scholarship will gain research experiences outside of the classroom and seek opportunities to share their research outside of Coker University. Students can fulfill this requirement in several ways that include being awarded an South Carolina Colleges and Universities Undergraduate (SCICU) Research Grant, applying for or participating in an REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program, serving as a research assistant on a grant, applying to present research at a honors or disciplinary conference, completing a Dean’s Scholars Project or having their work published. Other opportunities and experiences may be approved by the Honors Program Committee.
Pre-Professional Experiences
Students pursuing Pre-Professional Experiences focus on developing skills and attributes necessary for professionals in the field that will help them understand the expectations of their chosen career. Experiences that will fulfill this requirement are internships, externships, job shadowing, and being a campus liaison to guests artists or professionals. Students cannot earn course credit for these activities and they cannot be a part of an established work/study position. The students’ e-portfolios must contain a journal that records 45 hours of activities. For experiences that do not lend themselves to 45 hours, such as job shadowing or being a campus liaison for a guest artist, students may combine similar experiences. Other opportunities or experiences may be approved by the Honors Program Committee.
Honors Program
CU 101H: Introduction to Leadership and Life at Coker University (1SH)
Students may petition the Director of the Honors Program to have another CU 101 meet this requirement or have the requirement waived if they are transfer students.
HON 220: Honors Research Writing and Communication Skills (3SH)
This course will enable students to practice their research skills by instructing them how to compose information in written, verbal and visual forms. Students will learn communication and design theories that will enable them to communicate their research through different types of writing, oral presentations, posters, slide decks, and electronic documents. Prereq. ENG 112 or equivalent and COM 101.
Six semester hours from HON 240, HON 245, HON 250, HON 255 to fulfill Honors Liberal Arts Knowledge Requirements.
Students should consult with the Director of the Honors Program and their academic advisors to choose courses that will not replicate requirements within their majors.
Students will fulfill their remaining Liberal Arts Knowledge Requirements by taking courses from the courses listed on pages 65-66 of the catalog.
Two 2-semester hour seminar classes. These classes may be fulfilled by HON 300 or HON 399. Each course number may be repeated for credit.
Global Perspective and Cultures Requirement
A foreign language up to the 102 level will count for six semester hours in the Global Perspectives and Cultures requirement. Students who meet the criteria on a Coker-administered language placement exam in Spanish, French, German, Latin or American Sign Language will receive a non-credit bearing exemption for one or both courses in the language requirement. The student’s remaining course(s) in Global Perspectives and Cultures cannot repeat the course(s) they exempted through placement.
Students with AP credit may exempt the language requirement through course credit.
An additional 3-semester-hour course in Global Perspectives and Cultures, in a discipline other than the student’s major program, is required.
HON 290: Introduction to Honors Capstone and E-Portfolio (2SH)
This course will instruct students how to research and complete a proposal for their Honors Capstone. It will also instruct them how to create and maintain a reflective e-portfolio that traces their opportunities, activities, and experiences in outstanding academics, campus leadership, creative endeavors, innovative scholarship, global citizenship, and pre-professional experiences, with a focus on two distinct areas of their choice.
Submission of an e-portfolio that records and reflects upon their activities and personal development in two extra- or co-curricular areas. The quality of this e-portfolio will be evaluated by the Director of the Honors Program and the Honors Program Committee as a requirement for graduation from the program. The completed portfolio will be due by midterm in the student’s graduating semester.
HON 470 and HON 480
These classes involve planning and completion of the student’s Honors Capstone project. Honors students will partner with a faculty member in a discovery-based project or an original work involving inquiry, investigation and creative expression. Each student will develop a project that provides a written account of the scholarship activity. The specific format and guidelines for the thesis component will be developed by the honors student and faculty mentor in consultation with the Honors Program Committee.
HON 470 Honors Capstone I (1SH)
This course involves the planning and execution of the student’s honors capstone project. The student will work with a mentor to create a capstone proposal that will be approved by the Honors Program Committee. This course may be repeated for credit up to a total of no more than three semester hours. HON 470 must be completed with a minimum grade of C. If the student does not achieve the minimum grade of C, the student must retake the course at Coker University.
HON 480 Honors Capstone II (1SH)
This course involves the writing and public presentation of the student’s honors capstone project. Honors students will present their projects to the campus community in a suitable venue (such as the Celebration of Academics Week held each spring semester) approved by the Honors Program Committee. HON 480 may be repeated once for credit if students do not complete their projects in one semester. HON 480 must be completed with a minimum grade of C. If the student does not achieve the minimum grade of C, the student must retake the course at Coker University.