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Characteristics of a Snow College Honors Class

Honors classes do not distinguish themselves from regular classes by requiring more time or being harder than non-Honors courses (though they should be challenging). Instead, they should be characterized as being interactive, small, engaging, and/or innovative.

To be approved as an honors class, a course must

  • Utilize course materials in addition to or instead of a standard textbook. Primary sources may be part of these non-textbook course materials.
  • Encourage discussion and student participation instead of relying solely on a traditional lecture and test format.
  • Teach research skills, require in-depth reading, promote writing skills, and provide critical thinking opportunities.
  • Be led by teachers who are highly accessible to students, engaging in the classroom, and academically excellent.

Honors classes may also contain some of the following characteristics:

  • Utilize interdisciplinary connections, be team taught, or be paired with other classes.
  • Include input from students on class policies, content, and assessments.
  • Explore the history or philosophy of a discipline.
  • Involve student travel, guest presenters, or service learning.

Each Honors class should help students achieve the Honors Program outcomes: 

  1. Gain experience in self-directed learning through mentor relationships.
  2. Become more proficient in academic writing.
  3. Examine multiple disciplines in depth and draw interdisciplinary connections to address big problem issues.
  4. Develop scholarly habits of mind through undergraduate research.

The Honors Program in general attempts to implement as many of AAC&U's High Impact Practices as possible at the program level; it is desirable and encouraged to do the same at the individual Honors course level.

One feature of Honors classes that makes them Honors experiences is the people -- the motivated learners -- both students and professors. The Honors Program is a "community of learners." Honors courses foster relationships between students as well as between teachers and students. Honors courses are taught by full-time faculty in the face-to-face format.

Honors classes generally have an enrollment cap of 20. (The Foundations class can have 15 x 3 = 45.) Honors courses have an H in the section number.

Students may use an honors contract (with the permission and prior approval of both the instructor and honors director) to receive an Honors point or two in one non-honors class to count toward the required Honors points. If a student undertakes an honors contract, he or she must propose a project that replicates more than a couple of the honors characteristics listed above.

Students who wish to receive Snow College honors credit for college-level courses taught at a high school or at another higher education institution must provide the Honors Director with a course syllabus. To be approved for honors credit, the course must have matched this definition of an honors course and have been offered as part of a college-level honors program.