Honors Program -Eastern Oregon University

EOU Honors Program Guidelines

Pursuit of an Honors Baccalaureate degree at Eastern Oregon University is a special privilege reserved for the most highly motivated of students, and all are encouraged to consider the prospect of earning an Honors Baccalaureate degree. Upon successful completion of the requirements of the Honors Program, along with institutional graduation requirements, the Honors student will earn an Honors Bachelor's of Science (H.B.S.), an Honors Bachelor's of Arts (H.B.A.), or an Honors Bachelor's of Music (H.B.Mus.) degree. This special degree is a statement that the recipient took full advantage of his/her university experience to grow as an academic, serve others, understand diverse cultures, and provide leadership to the campus community.

Honors Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

The requirements for the Honors Baccalaureate Degree are as follows:

Honors Orientation Seminar (HONR 201, 3 credits)
Controversies in Contemporary Society (HONR 301, 3 credits)
Honors Independent Project
Honors Capstone Project
Membership in Honorary or Professional Societies
Cumulative EOU GPA of at least 3.50
Presentation at a Professional Meeting

Honors Orientation Seminar (HONR 201) and Controversies in Contemporary Society (HONR 301): In these seminars, students will investigate issues of current relevance. The topic will vary on a yearly basis, depending on the interests of the instructor and students. Students will be expected to analyze and discuss issues critically. HONR 201 will provide an orientation to the Honors Program, while HONR 301 will have a strong emphasis on presentations and will prepare students for executing their independent projects.

Honors Independent Project: Honors students will be expected to complete one independent project. The focus or topic for a project should be chosen from the list below. The student must seek a faculty/staff sponsor for the project, and under the guidance of his/her sponsor, complete a formal project proposal to be evaluated and approved by the Honors Committee before work on the project may begin. The proposal must contain the following information:

The goals and expected outcome(s) of the project
The rationale for executing the project
A detailed explanation of how the project is to be executed
An estimated budget for project expenses
A plan for evaluation of the project
How this project constitutes Honors-level work - that is, how the project exceeds ordinary standards for similar projects of the same type

Upon completion and evaluation of the project, Honors students are then expected to complete a final project report to be submitted to the Honors Committee.

List of independent projects:

An independent research project, either field-based or library-based
Independent creative performance or studio activity
Community service learning project
Leadership project, either on-campus or off-campus
Study abroad/intercultural experience
Other, as approved by the Honors Committee

Honors Capstone Project: The Honors Capstone Project is designed to be the culmination of the Honors experience. It seeks to directly link the mission of the Honors Program with students' specific fields of study. If a particular major does not require independent research for their capstone, an independent research project must be created to fulfill the Honors Capstone Project. This project will expand upon a student's existing capstone experience in three significant ways:

It will make direct interdisciplinary connections between a student's field of study/research and other disciplines.
It will make significant connections between a student's academic research and the larger world, including reflection on the benefits and significance the work has on the larger society.
It will involve a presentation of the student's findings at a professional conference, such as the Spring Symposium.

Before beginning the Honors capstone experience, an Honors student will be expected to discuss specific capstone project details with a faculty advisor in his/her discipline outlining how the student's particular capstone experience exceeds the standards of a typical capstone in his/her major. Honors students should submit a project proposal to the Honors Committee at the start of the capstone experience, and then present the results of their research for evaluation before a committee composed of the Honors student's faculty sponsor, a faculty member from a different discipline, and a member of the Honors Committee.

Membership in Honorary or Professional Societies: Honors students will be expected to pursue membership in Phi Kappa Phi or other professional or honorary societies specific to the student's academic discipline(s).

Presentation at a Professional Meeting: Honors students will be expected to deliver a presentation at a professional meeting, such as the Spring Symposium or the NCHC National Conference, on the results of one or more of their projects.

Honors Program Admission

Admission into the Honors Program may be accomplished by successful completion of HONR 201 with a grade of "B" while having a cumulative EOU GPA of at least 3.50. To maintain membership in the Honors Program, students must maintain a cumulative EOU GPA of at least 3.50 while making timely progress towards completion of Honors Program requirements, preferably according to the timeline above. For more information on the Honors Program and to obtain application materials, please contact the Honors Program Co-Directors or a member of the Honors Committee.