A student who fails to meet the required GPA may be given one semester on probationary status before being dropped from the Honors Program. Recipients of a Trustees Superior Student Scholarship are not eligible for a Scholar s Stipend, but are invited to join the Honors Program. Additionally, several additional scholarships are awarded specifically to Honors Program students. These seminar classes, with enrollment limited to 20, fulfill several all-University requirements. In the freshman year, students take the two-semester Freshman Honors Colloquium in which students read significant works in the history of western cultures, beginning with Homer and the Bible and ending with Marx, Darwin and Freud.
Sophomores take a course in non-western perspectives.
Seniors take an honors seminar that requires students to confront a complex social issue, examine it from several perspectives and take a stance on some aspect of the issue. Each honors student must complete an independent research project supervised by a faculty specialist, assuring that honors students gain research experience in his or her area of concentration. Often the research projects lead directly into graduate studies or a special career path. They are also encouraged to present their research at regional and national conferences, with partial funding from the Paul Stock Endowment. An active student organization provides opportunities for community service and a variety of social and cultural activities.