The Wesson Honors Program is designed to provide highly motivated students with an optional intensive experience in the liberal arts. By creating academic, cultural and social opportunities for integrative and interdisciplinary intellectual discovery, the program challenges students not only to widen their own avenues of intellectual exploration but also to take leadership in a community of scholars and participate as catalysts for inquiry and discussion across the college. The academic courses in the program introduce students to a rich body of interdisciplinary knowledge and the process of interdisciplinary thinking. Small seminar class meetings encourage lively exchanges between students and faculty members.
Students with a minimum 3.75 high school grade point average are eligible for the Wesson Honors Program. To sustain good standing in the program, students must maintain dean’s list status (earn a minimum 3.5 grade point average at least every other semester), take at least one honors course each year and uphold the mission of the Wesson Honors Program.
Wesson Honors Program learning:
Upon completion of the program students will:
- Demonstrate integrative and interdisciplinary thinking.
- Learn to work collaboratively with other highly motivated students to widen their avenues of intellectual curiosity.
- Take leadership in the college’s community of scholars as catalysts for inquiry and discussion.
A student must complete a minimum of 18 honors credits, including the Wesson Honors Capstone Seminar (2 credits) to receive an honors certificate. Completion of honors FYE 101 (4 credits) is highly recommended. Students who do not complete the honors First-Year Experience, but plan to earn an honors certificate, must meet with the honors coordinator to work out a plan to fulfill the requirements. The additional honors credits may be completed through honors topics courses (4 credits), honors Integrative Experience course, one honors peer mentor or teaching assistantship (1-4 credits), one honors contract (4 credits) or one honors independent study (1-4 credits).