104 North Hall
(715) 425-0699
www.uwrf.edu/honors_program/
Nanette Jordahl–Director
The UW-River Falls Honors Program is designed to meet the educational needs
of students who have an outstanding record of academic achievement and a true
sense of intellectual adventure. It allows students to experience a variety
of course types and educationally related experiences while gaining academic
credit. Students enrolled in the program may choose Honors sections of many
general education classes, take introductory and advanced Honors seminars, participate
in Honors colloquia, complete an Honors thesis/project, enroll in a service-learning
experience for credit and receive credits for participation in the intellectual
and creative life of the UW-RF community and elsewhere. All of these experiences
are gained while still keeping within the major and minor requirements of an
Honors student’s academic program.
Incoming freshmen must have a composite ACT score of 27 or higher and/or have
graduated in the top 10% of their high school class.
Sophomores, juniors, or seniors may enroll if their cumulative grade point average
is 3.3 or higher.
Students must maintain a 3.3 cumulative grade point average and complete at
least two Honors program credits per year to remain in the program.
The UW-RF Honors program consists of 18 Honors program credits, all of which
are possible to accumulate within the 120 minimum credits necessary to graduate.
Requirements for completing the Honors Program include at least 18 honors program
credits and no history of academic dishonesty.
Honors program seminars, colloquia, and courses will meet General Education
or Liberal Arts
requirements whenever applicable.
Sections of the following courses may be made available on a rotational basis
to Honors Program students:
Fine Arts
ART 100, MUS 100, SCTA 105
Social Science
ANTH 100, ECON 100, ESM 105, POLS114, SOCI 100
Science
BIOL 100, CHEM 121 (discussion groups and/or labs),
GEO 101, PHYS 117, 151, 161
(discussion groups and/or labs)
Diversity
TED 252-Foundations of Multicultural Education
Honors Requirements 18 Total Credits
Required Courses: 2-7 cr. hrs.
HON 181 Honors Seminar I 1
HON 498 Honors Thesis/Project 1-6
Directed Electives: 11 cr. hrs.
Honors Courses
ENG 112H Persuasive Reading and Writing 3
HUM 255 Arts and Ideas I 4
HUM 256 Arts and Ideas II 4
Seminar, Colloquia, and Contracted Credits 1-5 cr. hrs.
(variable credits)
Honors Program students enrolled in a non-honors course may contract with the
instructor to earn honors credit(s) for different work (i.e. in greater depth).
These credits will be recorded as honors credits.
Colloquia 0-2 cr. hrs.
Colloquia are optional and repeatable. They are offered in various subject areas
and may be supplements to existing courses or sequences, e.g., HON 166 and 167
might be offered by the mathematics department as supplements to MATH 166 and
167.
Honors Thesis/Project 1-6 cr. hrs.
Required of all participants during junior or senior year. Participants must
submit a project proposal outlining their research hypotheses, methodologies,
and expected outcomes, and suggest appropriate faculty reviewers to the Honors
Director for approval before commencing their work. Each project will be evaluated
by three faculty chosen by the student and approved by the Honors Director.
Projects may be graded pass/fail at the student’s request. Projects undertaken
for departmental senior seminars may be accepted as honors theses/projects at
the discretion of the department and the Honors Director.
Service Learning Component 1-6 cr. hrs.
Service learning in this context means unpaid volunteer work that will benefit
the community and provide a significant learning experience. Service learning
is based on the rationale that learning occurs through reflection on the service.
At least one credit of service learning is required; one credit equals 45 hours
of service learning. Service learning hours must be documented as to the amount
of time contributed and the learning component completed. Participants must
submit a proposal for service learning project(s) to the Honors Director for
their approval prior to the service learning activity. These proposals will
describe the service learning activity, outline its connection to the student’s
course work, and include the signature of the student’s proposed field
supervisor. Service learning hours may be planned and carried out individually,
through the Honors Club, or with another organization. Honors program students
are encouraged to arrange service learning activities through other organizations
they belong to in order to stimulate participation by other university community
members.
Events 0-2 cr. hrs.
This component is meant to encourage Honors Program participants to engage in
the intellectual and creative life of the UW-River Falls community and elsewhere.
Approved events will include attendance or participation in professional meetings,
lectures, concerts, plays, and art exhibits. Participants must submit an event
proposal to the Director prior to the events describing the events to be attended
and, wherever possible, drawing connections between them and the participant’s
course of study. Five events (12 hours minimum) equal one credit. Participants
must provide a portfolio of short reaction papers to each event and appropriate
evidence of participation in order to earn credit.
