Facebook pixel Honors Program Guidelines

Honors Program Guidelines

Our Mission:

To prepare students for four-year institutions and the workplace by providing an enriched educational experience. We aim to transform students into scholars who value academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, leadership, and campus/community engagement.

Eligibility:

Note: Each STLCC campus has a separate Honors program, which must be applied to individually.

Returning students:

Cumulative 3.5 GPA in minimum of 12 hours college level coursework

New students:

One of these: 3.5 high school GPA, 26 act composite, 99/106 Accuplacer

*A letter of recommendation from a professor can be helpful with the application process, especially if your GPA or test scores are borderline or if you have not yet accumulated 12 hours of college level courses.

Application process:

  1. Students who meet the above criteria must first submit an Honors program application, which can be found online. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.
  2. After your application is reviewed, an interview will be scheduled with the Honors program coordinator, Dr. Jerry Myers.
  3. Upon admittance, receipt of these guidelines serves as your agreement to the rules and policies of the program. You will be notified of acceptance through email, added to the Honors Canvas page and can now pursue Honors work.

Once you’re admitted:

Summary of opportunities

There is no minimum participation amount – honors students in good standing have a variety of opportunities available to them each semester, including the option to:

  • Enroll in Honors courses and pursue Honors contracts in non-honors sections of courses 100 level and above; completing each earns Honors credit.
  • Apply to Honors Goal group, a small, selective group that has weekly meetings to set, problem solve, and accomplish academic goals over the course of one semester.
  • Enjoy the benefits of the Honors community, including access to scholarships, special events and workshops, and academic/transfer mentorship.
  • Explore areas of your own intellectual curiosity as you develop working relationships with professors who can connect you to future opportunities.
  • Join the Student Honors Council (SHC): A student-led club serving to further the interests of honors students and allow for informal social events.
  • Become an Honors Scholar graduate to receive honors designation on your transcript and STLCC diploma.

Note: Each semester we will confirm your continued eligibility before approving honors contracts and courses. Students are encouraged to stay aware of their own GPA before planning on honors work in a given term.

Honors courses:

There are two types of honors courses:

  1. Courses containing only honors students that are smaller (max of 20 students) than non-honors sections. These courses are usually conducted in a “seminar” style similar to upper level college courses.
  2. Honors sections running concurrently with non-honors sessions, so that there is a small cohort of honors students within the section, who are given different course requirements.

Instructors are full-time professors, typically with the highest degrees in their field, committed to providing an in-depth experience for qualified students. Honors courses provide greater student-student and student-professor interaction, deeper discussions, and further exploration of subject matter.

Honors courses are not “more work”, they are more in-depth work. Smaller class sizes and a stronger academic atmosphere allow professors to eliminate work designed to monitor student effort. Fun fact: The average GPA of an honors course is higher than that of a non-honors course!

Students must receive an A or B in the course and adequately complete the honors work (as determined by the professor) to receive honors credit for the course. If a student does not earn an A or B or does not complete the work pertaining to honors, no honors credit will be awarded. However, regular course credit will not be compromised.

Students must be admitted to the Honors program to enroll in honors sections. If you are not already admitted to the program and enroll in an honors section with the help of an STLCC advisor, please subsequently contact us so we can formally process your application as soon as possible.

Honors contracts:

An Honors contract is a voluntary arrangement between a student and instructor, establishing a learning experience above and beyond normal coursework. Students pursue projects of special interest that complement course subject matter. The contract typically require one semester hour of academic credit (approx. 30 hours of work) in addition to regular course requirements. Examples of contracts include a 6-8 page research paper, creating a website, designing a lab experiment, work of art, etc.

There are several steps to complete an honors contract.

  1. If a returning member of the Honors program, confirm eligibility by checking GPA.
  2. Meet with the instructor early in the semester to determine their willingness to supervise the project.
  3. Complete an Honors Contract Worksheet. These should be completed early in the semester.
  4. The instructor receives a contract template via-email. Complete the contract with the instructor. Under the contract’s “Description of Activities”, include objectives, requirements of the project, and dates of scheduled interactions regarding the project. The final signed contract is due to mchonors@stlcc.edu no later than one week before midterm in the course for which the project will be completed.
  5. After processing, the instructor and student will receive a scanned copy via email.
  6. The project must be completed by the end of the semester, typically no later than the last day of classes. If the student and professor agree on an alternative date, it should be noted on the contract.

Throughout the semester, the student and professor meet regularly. Honors projects may introduce possible fields of interest and enable mentorship by professors who can connect students to future opportunities. Honors projects serve as great additions to an academic portfolio, which can be presented to future employers, college transfer admissions, and professors who are potential mentors.

Students must receive an A or B in the course and adequately complete the honors project (as determined by the professor) to receive honors credit. The project is not factored into the student’s grade and all other grading will be held to the same standard as all students. If a student does not earn an A or B or does not complete the project, no honors credit will be awarded; no penalty is imposed for incomplete projects.

*Honors course work is designed to be more rewarding academic experience.*

Becoming an Honors Scholar graduate:

Graduating students who earn 15 hours of honors course-work graduate as an Honors Scholar. For students graduating under the guidelines of a capstone requirement, we strongly suggest taking the capstone as honors. When honors sections of courses are offered,honors students are encouraged to take at least 6 of their honors credits in this format.

Honors Scholars receive:

  1. Honors designation on course transcript and diploma
  2. Special recognition at graduation and the college awards banquet
  3. Honors medallion to wear with cap and gown

Select Honors Goal group:

Each semester, Dr. Myers selects a small group of highly motivated honors students, by special application, to participate in an Honors Goal Group for the semester. Weekly meetings are held using a rigorous process, allowing students to set, problem solve, and accomplish academic goals.

Scholarships:

  • Recipients of the Board of Trustees Honors College scholarship must be qualified to participate in the Honors program. The scholarship covers up to 12 credit hours per semester and is automatic renewed for up to two semesters if in compliance with scholarship criteria. Candidates can be nominated by the Honors Advisory Board or the student must have a 3.5 cumulative GPA over at least 24 college-level credit. Award amount = up to 12 credit hours per semester / 24 credit hours per year.
  • Transfer scholarships: Many Honors students receive lucrative transfer scholarships to area universities, including Washington University, Saint Louis University, Lindenwood University and the Pierre Laclede Honors College at UMSL. We also have arrangements with several universities that facilitate transfer into their Honors programs.

Honors Community:

The Honors program provides a community within the larger college, offering helpful information and support related to student success, scholarships, transfer, and employment. Events include visits to local universities, meetings with scholarship committees, and a variety of workshops (e.g., creating an academic portfolio, strategic goal setting, forming effective peer groups).

Student Honors Council (SHC)

SHC is a club specifically geared towards members of the Honors program. Run by honors students, with Dr. Myers as the faculty advisor, SHC furthers the interests of honors students and establishes community outside the classroom. Through the club status of this organization, members can organize social gatherings or events, network with one another, provide honors input to Dr. Myers, and apply for club funding. The long term goals of SHC is an extension of those of the Honors program; however, SHC’s “club status” allows members to go beyond the formalized purpose of the Honors program.

Staying in touch (so you can stay involved)

The Honors program uses our STLCC email: mchonors@stlcc.edu and Teams as means communication for honors students.

  • mchonors@stlcc.edu: This email account is specifically designated for the Honors program at STLCC-Meramec; it is maintained by Dr. Myers and the Honors Program assistant, Maureen Thomas. Please check that your spam filter is not placing our emails in your junk file.

Honors at STLCC-Meramec allows you to connect and interact with other highly motivated and high achieving students inside and outside the classroom and to receive additional mentorship from honors faculty. Continue to stay in touch by checking your email regularly throughout the semester. Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions at any time. We are here to help you get more out of your STLCC education!

STLCC Meramec Honors program contacts:

  • Dr. Jerry Myers: Honors program coordinator for the STLCC-Meramec Honors program; Professor of Music. His office is HE 103, within the HE 101 suite. He can be emailed directly at gmyers34@stlcc.edu.
  • Maureen Thomas: Honors program assistant; email at mchonors@stlcc.edu
Back to top