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Honoring the 21st Century Student Through an Honors CollegeInnovations ConferenceMarch 3, 2014SLIDE #1Lone Star College System & LSC-TomballNational Context for Honors CollegeLocal Context for Honors College Observations about successful implementationQuestions & Answers

Welcome

SLIDE #At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

Articulate strategies, challenges, best practices and benefits associated with creating an Honors College;Identify the structures, mechanisms, and resources needed to implement an Honors College

Todays Outcomes

SLIDE #3Lone Star College System:

Celebrating 40-years of serving North Houston areaComprised of 6 colleges, 2 university centers, 5 satellite centersConnected globallyCurrently leading the charge in Texas to improve student completion

A little about us

SLIDE #4Lone Star College System:

Currently enrolling 78,000 credit studentsCurrently enrolling 12,000 non-credit studentsCalled the largest higher education institution in Houston area

A little about us

SLIDE #5Lone Star College - Tomball:

Celebrating 25-yearsComprised of one main campus and an off-site health science buildingCurrently enrolling 8,800 credit students

A little about us

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A little about us

Mostly femaleGrowing Hispanic populationMost students under age 24SLIDE #

A little about usSLIDE #A little about us

SLIDE #A little about us

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National Context for Honors CollegeSLIDE #National Context for Honors CollegeIt is important that college graduates, whatever their location, be not just globally competitive but also globally competent, understanding their roles as citizens and workers in an international context.

This can be accomplished through a well-structured, vibrant Honors College program.

SLIDE #The Completion Agenda:Post-Secondary Education Leaders Perspectives On Issues Of/Strategiesfor Increasing Completion Rates: Key findings from an online survey among post-secondary education leaders

Conducted November/December 2011 by Hart Research AssociatesFunded by the Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationNational Context for Honors College

SLIDE #National Context for Honors College

The Completion Agenda:Post-Secondary Education Leaders Perspectives On Issues Of/Strategiesfor Increasing Completion Rates: Key findings from an online survey among post-secondary education leaders

Conducted November/December 2011 by Hart Research AssociatesFunded by the Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationSLIDE #National Context for Honors CollegeSix out of 10 students entering community colleges must take remedial courses to make up for knowledge and skills they did not learn in high school.

SLIDE #National Context for Honors College

SLIDE #As community colleges, we are now out of the closet, Terry OBanion, president emeritus of the league and chair of the graduate faculty at National American University, said. Once dismissed as high schools with ash trays, two-year colleges have become ground zero in the national completion movement, which has taken on a life of its own since the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation called on the nation to double the number of students who, by 2020, earn a certificate or associate degree or transfer to a four-year college or university.Why an Honors College in a Community College?

SLIDE #20Why an Honors College in a Community College?This is our Andy Warhol moment, Mr. OBanion told a group of educators attending a breakout seminar as the League for Innovations annual conference kicked off. He urged them not to blow their 15 minutes of fame.

SLIDE #21Why an Honors College in a Community College?Context for Honors CollegeBENEFITS TO THE COLLEGE:

Attracts goal-oriented, academically gifted students Creates advanced academic culture through encouraging academic rigorIncreases student success rates and completionPromotes vibrant student life culture through hallmark eventsFosters engaged alumniEnhances reputation of the institution locally and globallyGives back to the community by producing gifted interns, skilled employees, and civic leaders

SLIDE #Why an Honors College in a Community College?Context for Honors CollegeBENEFITS TO THE STUDENTS:

Cohort learning community on each campus.Honors College curriculum drawn from the core curriculumHonors options for students not in Honors CollegeLeadership trainingEnrichment activities, including cultural events and international travel

SLIDE #Local Context for Honors CollegeOur Mission:

Lone Star College System provides comprehensive educational opportunities and programs to enrich lives. Our Vision:

Lone Star College System is recognized globally as the premier community college for student success, innovation and partnerships.

SLIDE #24Local Context for Honors College2012 2015 Strategic PlanStrategic Goal 1

Increase completion and achievement of all students.

SLIDE #25LSCS Honors College - PastDecentralizedLack of consistency in standards Difficulty recruitingNo branding or recognition

SLIDE #The TransitionSLIDE #

One Honors CollegeSLIDE #LSCS Honors College - PRESENTSYSTEM MISSION

The Lone Star College System Honors College exemplifies academic and personal excellence across the campuses of Lone Star College System by preparing students to fulfill the responsibilities of the Citizen Scholar. By providing a unique and innovative environment that values critical thinking, cultural production, and community service, the Honors College constructs an enduring foundation for lifelong learning and achievement in a complex global society.

SLIDE #LSCS Honors College - PresentSYSTEM PHILOSOPHY

College within a college Earn honors academic course credit by enrolling in honors sections, as well as by working with a faculty mentor on honors contracts

SLIDE #LSCS Honors College - PRESENTSYSTEM STRUCTURESLIDE #Open to new or returning students with at least one of the following:

A high school GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale1150 or higher on the SAT (combined math and critical reading sections)26 or higher composite score on the ACT3.25 GPA with a 9 or more college credit hoursLSCS Honors College - PresentELIGIBILITYSLIDE #CHANCELLORS HONORS COLLEGE FELLOWS:

Honors Associate Degree (AA or AS)Scholarship Package to include tuition and fees (15 credit hours per semester)Book Allowance ($600 per semester)Stipend ($600 per semester)International travel opportunitiesLSCS Honors College - PRESENTSLIDE #

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Mechanisms for Engaging FacultyHonors Advisory Council

The Honors Council directs the activities of the LSC-Tomball Honors Program. This council is comprised of college faculty, staff and administrators dedicated to the mission of offering appropriate challenges to our gifted students. It is the responsibility of the Honors Council to assure quality in the Honors Program. The chairperson of the council is the Honors Program Director, who reports to the Vice President of Instruction.

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Mechanisms for Engaging FacultyHonors Faculty Spring 2014

Speech 1318 InterpersonalFriesen, C.English 2328 American LitVeselis, A.History 1302 US History >1877Prewitt, S.Economics 2302 MacroeconomicsDavia, R.English 1302 Comp & Rhetoric IICarter, K.Biology 1406 Biology II, MajorsSimcik, B.Government 2389 InternshipHaysley, V.

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Mechanisms for EngagementHonors Cohorts

English 1301 Composition & Rhetoric IEducation 1300 Student Success Course for HonorsSpeech

SLIDE #Honors Presentation DayCampus-wide event each semesterHonors student present their researchOpen to all faculty and staffMechanisms for Engagement

Honors student John Colvin presents his comparison of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Silmarillion" and the Old Testament.SLIDE #

The Culture of Honors

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What works.What doesnt.What works

Honors Study as

a reflection of the culture of your institution

a reflection of institutional values

an opportunity to emphasize academic depth

What doesnt

one size fits all approach

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What works.What doesnt.Considerations

Unique needs of the community college environment

Function that Honors Studies fulfills within the life of the College

Nurturing scholars and scholarshipAcademic standards and flexibility

Strength of community partnerships

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What works.What doesnt.Establishing Honors Studies

Leadership and supportStrategic planning/goals for the departmentRecruitingAdmissions processFunding and scholarshipsCurriculum developmentHonors faculty designationStudent experience beyond the classroomMaintenance and growthSense of community internal and external

SLIDE #42Identity matters. Find space that is dedicated to Honors. ClassroomStudent study area/loungeProvide signageOBSERVATIONS

SLIDE #Outreach matters. Find target populations of students.Dual creditHome schoolAdvanced Placement studentsNon-traditional studentsOBSERVATIONS

SLIDE #Faculty input matters. Include faculty in the planning and implementation.

Administrative support matters. Commitment of resources makes a difference.

OBSERVATIONS

SLIDE #It takes time. Allow some small enrollment classes to make in the beginning.OBSERVATIONS

SLIDE #Should community colleges offer Honors Programs? Why? What does the future hold?How can they grow and attract more students?

Honors College - FUTURESLIDE #http://chronicle.com/article/Whats-the-Point-of-an-Honors/144227/

Honors College - FUTURE

Whats the Point of an Honors College, Anyway?In 1989, the sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term third place to refer to environments, separate from work and home, which people visit frequently and voluntarily. Examples include coffeehouses, cafes, salons, and the Internet.SLIDE #http://chronicle.com/article/Whats-the-Point-of-an-Honors/144227/

Honors College - FUTURE

Whats the Point of an Honors College, Anyway?Third places share certain fundamental traits:

They act as social levelers, discounting class status as a marker of social significance. Their mood is playful; their atmosphere is warm and friendly.They promote group creativity and lively conversation. Most important, they serve as anchors of a community, fostering broad and less scripted interactions than those we have at home or our regular workplaces.SLIDE #http://chronicle.com/article/Whats-the-Point-of-an-Honors/144227/

Honors College - FUTURE

Whats the Point of an Honors College, Anyway?Thinking about honors colleges as third places gives us a new and non-elitist way of asserting their value... It reinforces how they can serve as spaces of creativity; conversation; intellectualism; collegiality. It also reinforces their potential as homes of inter-disciplinarity.

SLIDE #http://chronicle.com/article/Whats-the-Point-of-an-Honors/144227/

Honors College - FUTURE

Whats the Point of an Honors College, Anyway?Like all third places, honors colleges are neutral ground, separate from departments and yet in the business of serving them all; as such, they provide an ideal space for the kind of in between collaboration required by interdisciplinary work. Honors colleges are where team-teachingthat activity we all say we should do more of but cant because of departmental restrictionsreally can happen.SLIDE #2-Year Honors Boom: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/02/04/honors

Honors College - FUTURENational professional organization of undergraduate Honors programsLast year, 167 community college members (13% of total membership)

National honors society for community college studentsLast year, 43.5% of chapters reported their institutions had an honors collegeSLIDE #

Questions?Dr. Susan E. KarrPresidentSusan.E.Karr@Lonestar.edu

Dr. Lee Ann NuttVice President of InstructionLeeAnn.Nutt@Lonestar.edu

Dr. Lisa MoralesDean Academic Initiatives & PartnershipsLisa.R.Morales@Lonestar.edu SLIDE #53

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