ALLEGANY COLLEGE OF MARYLAND

Honors Program

James D. Stickler, Honors Director

1. Goal of the Honors Program

The Honors Program at Allegany College of Maryland provides enhanced educational opportunities for qualified students. Allegany College of Maryland Honors Program is a participating member of the National Collegiate Honors Council and subscribes to the precepts of an Honors Education advocated by the National Collegiate Honors Council.

2. The Honors Student

An exceptional student is identified at some institutions as a student who achieves a high score on a standardized aptitude test. While there is unquestionably a correlation between aptitude tests scores and academic performance, the correlation is far from perfect.

A "superior" student may also be recognized as a student displaying one or more of the following attributes:

a. a student who works harder and more persistently than hisher peers, or

b. a student who excels in articulate classroom discussions, or c. a student who shows superior leadership ability.

Additionally, a student who is recognized as being gifted or talented in a given subject, but who is demonstrably weak in other academic areas, may also qualify as an exceptional student. The perception of the exceptional student's characteristics varies not only among the professors at an institution, but also between institutions. A student identified as "exceptional" in one institution may well be recognized as an average student in others.

3. Admission Requirements

The Honors Program at Allegany College of Maryland actively supports the concept of academic excellence through the requirement of a 3.50 grade point average (GPA) out of a 4.00 GPA for admission into the Honors Program. To recognize achievement in an academic discipline or a career area, a student, who has achieved a 3.50 in his/her major subject area, but who has a cumulative GPA of less than 3.50, is eligible for admission into the Honors Program. Whoever seeks admission into the Honors Program must successfully complete an interview with the Honors Director or with one or more members of the Honors Committee or a person or persons designated by the Honors Director.

4. The Honors Program in the Campus Life

The Honors Program goal is to instill in the entire student body the pursuit of academic and personal excellence. To this end, the Honors Program strives to instill a sense of community among the members of the Program and the campus community through the sharing of academic experiences. The curricular activities provide opportunity for leadership development and for student socialization in campus-oriented service activities. The Honors Program fosters academic excellence through sponsoring speakers, forums, roundtable discussions, and educational activities for the whole campus community.

5. Admissions

For admission to the Honors Program of Allegany College of Maryland, a student must meet one of the following requirements:

a. any new part-time or new full-time student or transfer student from a regionally accredited high school or

b. any current part-time or current full-time student at Allegany College of Maryland or

c. a transfer student from an accredited institution of higher education.

In each admission category listed above, the student shall have a 3.50 grade point average (GPA) out of a possible 4.00 GPA for admission into the Allegany College of Maryland Honors Program. A Student who possesses less than a 3.50 GPA may apply for admission to the Honors Program, if the GPA in the major courses is at least 3.50. For such applicants, references will be requested to support the application.

The Honors candidate must complete an Allegany College of Maryland application for Admission and an Honors Application. The application form can be obtained from the Honors Director or the Admissions Office. After the applications have been returned, the Honors Director will schedule an interview with the applicant. The interview can be with the Honors Director or a member of the Honors Committee or a designee of the Honors Director. The interview will examine the applicant's educational background and future goals and objectives. The interview will not be longer than 30 minutes. With the completion of the interview and the confirmation of the required GPA, the candidate will be notified within three days whether or not the student's application has been accepted or rejected. The student then must confirm his/her participation in the Honors Program by signing and returning the letter of agreement.

6. Graduation from the Honors Program

To graduate with the seal of the Honors Program requires the successful completion of twelve (12) hours of coursework designated "HONORS" and a cumulative GPA of 3.25. The student must earn a grade of "B" or better in twelve hours of Honors courses. The "B" grade is required for all courses designated "HONORS." If a grade of "C" or lower is earned in an "HONORS" course, the course will not fulfill the requirement for the twelve hours of required coursework. While the course may be satisfactory for graduation, the student will be required to complete additional course work to receive the endorsement of Honors on transcripts and diploma. If a student's cumulative GPA drops between 3.24 and 3.00, the student will be given one semester in which to bring his/her GPA to a 3.25. If the student's GPA is 3.00 or less, the student will be dropped from the Honors Program. A grade of incomplete ("I") issued to a student registered in an HONORS course must follow the same procedures for completion as is described in the Allegany College of Maryland Catalog. A member of the Allegany College of Maryland Honors Program also is required to: (1) attend on a yearly basis the Honors Reception, and (2) participate in three hours of approved service activities at ACM each semester.

7. Registration in an Honors Course

All Honors courses are contracted by the Honor student with a faculty member in a course in which the Honors student is enrolled. The student can obtain an application for "HONORS-BY-CONTRACT" and the accompanying guidelines from the Honors Director's office. The student must confer with a faculty member and complete with the faculty member the "HONORS-BY-CONTRACT" application, in which a detailed explanation of the requirements which the student must complete to receive Honors credit for the course. The agreement, signed by the student and the instructor, must then be submitted to the Honors Director. After the Honors Director endorses the application, the student must submit the completed "HONORS-BY-CONTRACT"

8. Completion of the Honors Course

The central unifying objective in an Honors Program course must be the development of critical thinking skills. An additional objective is the use of written and oral communication in every facet of the course. Do not interpret this to mean additional term papers or assignments! More is not necessarily better! The assignments in an Honors course are only those which the instructor feels aid in learning! If the assignment does not meet this criteria, then the assignment is neither beneficial to the student nor to the instructor, and it may well impede the learning process. Activities which encourage and foster the development of leadership within the course is strongly encouraged. The Honors Contract must provide an opportunity and a vehicle whereby the Honors student demonstrates mastery of the subject and an enhancement in leadership abilities.

9. Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

Phi Theta Kappa is the International Honor Society for Two-Year Institutions, which was established in 1918 to recognize the academic accomplishments of students in junior and community colleges and currently has over one thousand chapters. Honors students are required to become members of Omicron Pi, the local chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. Membership in Omicron Pi will provide the student with social activities and community service programs, which are not a component of the Honors Program and are independent of course work. The Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society has numerous transfer scholarships to four-year colleges for members of Phi Theta Kappa as does the National Collegiate Honors Council. Since the Honors Program is an academic program, Omicron Pi is the social arm of the Honors Program. Through Omicron Pi, Honors students have the opportunity to participate in cultural and social activities, to provide service to the local community and the college, and to attend numerous workshops, conferences, and mini-honors programs sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa. An Honors Program student is not required to join Phi Theta Kappa, but membership in both organizations will provide the Honors student at Allegany College of Maryland with a total honors environment of academic rigor and fellowship.

10. Alpha Sigma Lambda

Allegany College of Maryland is also affiliated with Alpha Sigma Lambda and sponsors the Kappa Theta Chapter. Alpha Sigma Lambda was founded to recognize the academic achievements of nontraditional students. The Kappa Theta Chapter is an integral component of the Honors Program and serves as a support group for the nontraditional students enrolled at Allegany College of Maryland. Membership in Alpha Sigma Lambda requires a minimum GPA of 3.50 and the successful completion of 30 credit hours, of which 15 hours must be in the student's major.

11. Coordination of Honors Activities

The Honors Committee is composed of eight faculty members and administrators and three students who will be selected from each of the three participating organizations: the Honors program, Phi Theta Kappa, and Alpha Sigma Lambda. The Honors Committee is the advisory body which works with the Honors Director and the Vice-President of Instructional Affairs to:

a. establish the goals, policies, and guidelines of the Honors Program,

b. review Honors Program publications,

c. interview and screen Honors Program applicants, and

d. assist in all Honors Program activities.

The Honors Program activities and meetings will be coordinated by the three member Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will be composed of three students elected at large from the Honors Program and who are in their sophomore year.

The functions of the Executive Committee shall be:

a. to coordinate the academic and social activities of Phi Theta Kappa, the Honors Program, and Alpha Sigma Lambda,

b. to assist in the recruitment of new students into the Honors Program,

c. to plan at least one seminar, colloquium, or roundtable discussion each semester, and

d. to represent the Allegany College of Maryland at meetings and conventions of the National Collegiate Honors Council, the Northeast Region of the National Collegiate Honors Council, and the Maryland Collegiate Honors Council.

To hold three formal meetings of the Honors Program members each semester. Two meetings per semester will be informational and will be held one month after the beginning of the semester and one month before the end of the semester.

During the Fall Semester, the Honors Committee sponsors a Board's of Trustees and President's reception for the newly recruited Honors Students. Attendance of all Honors students at this reception is mandatory. The Student Honors Committee is the body coordinating the activities of the Honors Program activities and is affiliated with the National Collegiate Honors Council.

PLEASE NOTE: "In the case in which the overall value received for all scholarships (including the Scholastic Excellence and Honors Program Scholarships) exceeds the overall semester cost to attend Allegany College of Maryland, the Scholastic Excellence Scholarship and the Honors Program Scholarship would be reduced by the difference between the overall scholarship total and the overall semester cost. The Scholastic Achievement Scholarship will be reduced first, and then the Honors Program Scholarship, if necessary. PELL, SEOG, Work Study Grants, and Guaranteed Student Loans are entitlements, so they are not included in these calculations. All other scholarships and third party funding, including Vocational Rehabilitation and Western Maryland Consortium, will be included in the calculations." Allegany College of Maryland does not discriminate against students or prospective students for reasons of race, sex, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, veterans status, conditions of disability, or sexual orientation in admission, educational programs and activities, scholarship and loan programs, or any terms and conditions of enrollment. The College complies with applicable state and federal laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination.

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