By Matt Haynie
Incoming NAU Honor students will now be expected to follow the new program requirements that went into effect this semester.
The new requirements will only affect incoming Honors students from this the Fall 2011 semester and on; Honors students enrolled before then will continue with the old catalog.
Compared to the old catalog, Honors students will be expected to take a greater amount of Honors-specific classes. The Honors lecture classes HON 191 and 192, which were the only two Honors-specific classes students had to take, have been replaced with HON 190. After HON 190, students then choose one class from HON 291, 292, 293, or 294 and then HON 391, 392, 393, or 394 with each relating to one of the Distribution Requirements found in NAU degree plans. An Honors Capstone is another addition, which can be done in tandem with the Capstone already required for the student's major. Lastly, Honors students are now required to attend five “Honors Pathway Experiences,” which are various out-of-class experiences approved by the Honors program.
Senior Honors Academic Advisor Katie Sheridan said although there are more Honors-specific classes in the new program, it is still the same 21 unit requirement.
“It's not actually anymore classes. There's just a little more structure and progression to the program,” Sheridan said. “Now the Honors experience will be extended throughout [students'] career here.”
Honors Program Director George Gumerman said the change was made because some students felt disconnected from the Honors program, specifically upper-division students.
“We really decided to make the new curriculum more structured and flexible,” Gumerman said. “Now we have second year experiences as well.”
With 750 Honors students enrolled at NAU, there are expected to be varied reactions to the new program.
Freshman Honors student Jeana Weatherhead has no qualms with the new challenges.
“I figured if I'm going to college I might as well get my money's worth and be challenged to learn something,” Weatherhead said.
On the other hand, Sophomore Honors student Tiffany Halvorsen said it is already challenging enough to make her schedule.
“I really like the seminars... and it would be cool have them available every year, but being required to take one already takes away from my major,” Halvorsen said. “In the position I'm in right now... Adding some that I have to take would be really stressful.”
Regardless of what changes are made to the Honors program, Director Gumerman keeps the aim of the Honors program in mind.
“Our goal is to create a community of scholars that are interested in being around other scholars.”
