Honors College and NCHC
Modified: 2026-04-11 10:20 AM CDST
Honors education is easily understood but difficult to define. No two Honors Colleges or Honors Programs are alike despite sharing some basic principles:
- closer contact with faculty
- smaller courses taught differently (full honors)
- interaction with similarly motivated students
- undergraduate research
- extramural internships and study
- and self-directed community service.
Honors College students receive:
- an additional stipend (currently $300/semester)
- priority registration (mid-October and mid-March)
- the opportunity to live in Honors North Residence Hall (first come, first serve)
- however, there is no required residence hall for honors students
- field trips to educational and cultural venues
- funds to travel to meetings to present scholarly work
SAU Honors College
Location
Staff
Courses
- We have two types of courses: Full Honors and Contract Honors.
- Full honors courses included (pre COVID):
- World Lit I and II,
- US History II,
- General Psychology,
- Philosophy,
- Film Appreciation, and other one off courses.
- There was a scheduled rotation of the courses above.
- New Full honors courses:
- Fall 2023--Ancient Egypt
- Spring 2024--Psychology of Serial Killers, Sustainability of Natural Resources
- Fall 2024--Positive Psychology
- Spring 2025--Guitar Making, 3D Printing, World Literature II
- Fall 2025--Ancient Greece, General Psychology, Poverty in America
- Spring 2026--Honors College is soliciting course proposals at this time and will post those here soon
- The rotation (if any) of the new full honors courses is unknown at this time.
- NOTE: honors students who began in Fall 2023 and Fall 2024 are required to take at least ONE of the new full honors courses before graduating.
- Honors students who began before Fall 2023 MAY enroll in any of the new full honors courses.
- Contract Honors courses almost any 3000 or 4000 level course can become a contract honors course. A selected few 2000 courses may also become contract courses. Check with Kardas first about 2000 level courses.
- Process to make a regular course an honors contract course
- Obtain an honors contract by picking up one at office, e-mailing Kardas, or CLICKING HERE (PDF document)
- Students will contract with an instructor to make a regular course an honors course.
- If the instructor demurs, the course cannot be made honors
- The contract specifies how the student and instructor will work together to elevate the course to honors level.
- There is no typical example of such elevation. It may involve:
- conducting supervised research,
- building scientific equipment,
- analyzing large datasets,
- creating a movie from scratch
- other similar projects
- In general, the Honors College discourages the simple addition of a paper for contract courses. Students and faculty should seek unusual, interesting, and distinctive projects.
- Remember, a contract has two parties, you and the instructor. Be sure you agree before you sign it.
- Honors contract courses CANNOT be moved back to regular status past the 11th class day.
- Notice this clause: Instructor will inform the Honors College if a contract is not fulfilled in the time frame agreed upon by instructor and student. If the contract is not fulfilled the instructor may drop the final grade by one letter. Failure to turn in or complete an honors contract may result in probation or suspension from the Honors College.
Admission and Retention
- Students are admitted based upon a global assessment of academic potential.
- All applicants must submit the Honors College application.
- Automatic and expedited admission is available for students with ACT composite of 30 or higher and for Halman and Presidential Scholarship awardees. For those students the materials below (line 4) are not required.
- We examine ACT or SAT scores and high school GPA, require two essays, two letters of recommendation, and assess other relevant information.
- Students must maintain a 3.25 GPA in order to remain in the Honors College.
- Current SAU students may apply if they have a minimum SAU GPA of 3.5. These students must also submit the essays and letters of recommendation. However, they do not submit ACT or SAT scores.
- In order to graduate with honors, students must complete a minimum of 24 honors hours.
Technology
or Special Equipment Purchases
- Students who wish to purchase technology (e.g., tablets, laptops, wearables, or other such devices) should check their student account and use their stipend. Students may elect to keep the stipend ($300/semester) as well.
- Students desiring tech devices will purchase them on their own.
- Students may request the entire $600 to purchase specific equipment. Contact Honors College director to make such a request.
- NOTE: Your stipend may be diminshed should you owe SAU additional funds beyond those that your scholarship covers.
Honors 2+2
- The Honors 2+2 program partners with the Arkansas State University-Three Rivers, SAU Tech, South Arkansas Community College and National Park College.
- Each of those two-year colleges have created their own Honors Programs in conjunction with the SAU Honors College.
- Students from those two-year colleges are able to earn honors credits at their own institutions and then transfer them to SAU.
- The 2+2 program will allow qualified junior transfer students to earn an honors degree at SAU, previously impossible because of time constraints.
Goals for the Future
- Send more students on extramural internships
- Add two more schools to Honors 2+2
- Increase inter-class community through Honors College activities (e.g., field trips and cook outs)
- Name the Honors College
- The price for that is $750,000 minimum, fyi
- Raise funds through the SAU Foundation
- Those funds do not disappear at the end of the year, unlike SAU budget funds
- Promote self-generated community service activities
- Integrate Honors College more deeply into student government and student activities
- Increase Honors College stipend
- Resume extramural travel
- Submit student applications for national competitive grants
NCHC
- "is the professional organization of undergraduate Honors programs and colleges; Honors directors and deans; and Honors faculty, and students."
- Founded in 1966 it presently has nearly 900 member institutions (including SAU)
- Every year it holds an annual conference. SAU students and faculty have been well represented on the programs of those meetings.
NCHC Conferences
- 2028 Chicago – Nov. 2-4, 2028
- 2027 Atlanta – Nov. 4-6, 2027
- 2026 in New Orleans. Get ready to attend by completing and submitting your honors project
- 2025 in San Diego. Five faculty and three students will attend
- 2024 in Kansas City, no students attending
- 2023 in Chicago, four SAU students attending
- 2022 in Dallas, no SAU students attending
- 2021 in Orlando (SAU not attending: Covid, no travel funds)
- 2020 in Dallas, cancelled due to Covid-19, three students on the program
- 2019 in New Orleans
- Seven SAU students on program, one student moderator
- 2018 in Boston
- 2017 in Atlanta
- Three SAU students on program
- 2016 in Seattle
- Six SAU students on program
- 2015 in Chicago
- Four SAU students on program
- 2014 in Denver
- Three SAU students on program
- 2013 in New Orleans
- 2012 in Boston
- 2011 in Phoenix
- One student on 2011 program
- 2010 in Kansas City
- No student on 2010 program
- 2009 in Washington DC
Features of Honors Educations
- The NCHC takes pains to define honors education, differentiate between Honors Programs and Honors Colleges, and serves as clearinghouse for all things honors.
- NCHC on Honors in this link, the NCHC defines honors education as a combination of:
- academic enrichment,
- close contact with faculty,
- smaller courses,
- research,
- internships,
- foreign study,
- and community service.
- Honors education takes place in a wide variety of undergraduate academic settings and levels.
- Honors students are typically recognized at graduation ceremonies and on their transcripts.
Honors Programs vs. Honors Colleges
- The links below describe the ideal features of Honors Programs and Honors Colleges.
- They describe a set of "best practices" for success.
- Basically, the difference between the two comes down to size, budgets, operational control, residential opportunities, and the rank of the chief officer.
- Basic Characteristics of a Fully Developed Honors Program
- Admission criteria and requirements
- Institutional mandate
- Director reports to chief academic officer (Provost at SAU, Dr. Sronce)
- Honors curriculum
- 15% to 25% honors courses in the curriculum
- Honors courses meet general education requirements where appropriate
- Visible location, high standards, and model of excellence
- Honors faculty support mission
- Suitable and prominent quarters
- Standing academic committee
- Student governance
- Honors advising
- Laboratory for subjects, approaches, and pedagogies
- Regular self-assessment of goals and learning outcomes
- Extramural participation
- Articulation agreements with two-year programs
- Priority enrollment
- Basic Characteristics of a Fully Developed Honors College
- All of the above, plus:
- Honors College is equal collegiate unit
- Head of Honors College is a dean
- Honors College budgets are comensurate with units of equivalent size
- Departmental honors in larger institutions
- Control over recruitment and admissions
- Control over policies, curriculum, and selection of faculty
- Significant course opportunities over four years
- Minimum of 20% honors courses and required thesis or capstone
- Residential component for Honors College
- Recognition of honors status at commencement, diploma, and transcript
- Involved in alumni affairs and has an external advisory board
- Regularly assesses and evaluates program goals
NCHC as Clearinghouse and Resource
- The NCHC provides advice and information to its member institutions and to individual members.
- Members can find:
- sample syllabi,
- publications,
- links to regional honors organizations,
- honors semesters
- faculty institutes
- scholarships
- and much more.
- See the links below:
- Publications
- SAU keeps copies in the Honors Office
- Regional Honors Councils (Northeast, Southern, Mideast, Upper Midwest, Western, Great Plains)
- Nominally, Arkansas is in the Southern and the Great Plains regionals
- Historically, SAU attends the Southern Regional Honors Council meetings
- Honors Semesters
- Deana Hughes attended an honors semester at Grand Canyon University
- NCHC Scholarships
- Faculty & Directors
- SAU's new assistant director, Dr. Antoinette Odendaal attended NCHC's director training in July 2023 in Chicago
Evaluating the SAU Honors College
- Is SAU really an Honors College according to the NCHC definition?
- See the link to the SAU Honors College Report Card below, then decide.We will discuss SAU's status in class.
SAU Honors Accomplishments and Goals
- Since 2009 the SAU Honors College has progressed mightily, but much remains to be accomplished. See the link below for what has been done and what yet remain
- Honors Arkansas is an alliance of honors educators across Arkansas collectively working to enhance the scholarly, professional, and social experiences of high-achieving students.
- Initiative 1: Pipelines to Honors from Two-Year Institutions
- Honors Arkansas is working on creating and maintaining pipelines from honors programs in two-year institutions to honors colleges in four-year universities and colleges. Specific topics being addressed include advising, transfer credit, logistics, and communication.
- Initiative 2: Reseach Teams
- Honors Arkansas is working with the governor’s office to create research teams featuring students from multiple institutions grappling with pressing issues facing the state.
- Initiative 3: Honors Arkansas Forum
- Honors Arkansas is continuing to work on strategies for offering statewide honors seminars following the inaugural seminar:
- Pandemic (2020)
- Dissent/Protest (2021)
- Bioethics (2022)
- Privacy (2023)
- Health (2024)
- Crisis (2025)
- Honors Arkansas Member Institutions
Alumni Spotlights
(This is the 2020 version of Honors Arkansas's "Hometown Heroes" pamphlet)
- Find SAU's alumnus on the link above
- Honors Arkansas is preparing a new version of Hometown Heroes
- SAU nominated two senior engineering students:
- Noah Bretz
- Zachary Rennard
- Both published articles as first authors
- Electric Guitar Class
- This will be a panel discussion at NCHC in San Diego
- 3D Printing Class
- This will also be part of the NCHC panel discussion in California
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