Georgia Collegiate Honors Council Conference 2021

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Honors Program

The Honors Program of Gordon State College is designed to provide opportunities for academically talented and intellectually curious students to obtain an enhanced collegiate educational experience. The program encourages a small group of highly engaged students from diverse academic disciplines to engage in an enriched learning environment. Students in the Honors Program take alternate versions of regular classes that not only fulfill core curriculum requirements, but also focus on critical thinking skills, discussion, and individual research. Honors courses are not necessarily "harder" classes, but they are classes that provide students the chance to explore topics in a way that standard courses do not allow. Honors courses allow students to work with the best faculty on campus and facilitate the development of a sense of community with other like-minded students. Outside of the classroom, the Honors Program also provides a broad array of cultural experiences, specialized academic advising and mentoring, and additional opportunities for service learning and self-discovery.

Honors Co-curricular Activities

The Honors Program at Gordon State College also offers its students the opportunity to participate in a variety of on and off-campus events every term. These happenings are open to all honors students, free of charge, and range from small monthly campus events and service learning opportunities, to major off-campus artistic and cultural events. All students can keep abreast of current (and past) events by referencing the link below:

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes this program special?

Students in the Honors Program enjoy a number of special privileges:

• Small class sizes in Honors sections and the chance to develop camaraderie with other prepared and motivated students
• Priority registration with the first choice of classes each semester
• Honors classes created to stimulate and challenge intellectual development
• Honors housing opportunities for students who desire academically focused living arrangements on campus
• Special event trips each year to museums, theatres, and festivals
• Service learning opportunities on campus and in the surrounding community
• Student conferences at colleges and universities in the region
• Special recognition at graduation, with designation on diploma and regalia

What are the requirements for getting into the program?

For entering freshmen (full-time or part-time students):

• *Minimum 1100 SAT (verbal and math composite) or 24 ACT
• *Minimum 3.2 GPA in high school college preparatory curriculum, as calculated by the Georgia Student Finance Commission. (Not required for home-schooled students, who will be admitted with a probationary period of one semester.)
• Application with short essay (see application form for essay topic)

* Higher than the minimum is expected in at least one element: the SAT/ACT or the GPA. Home-schooled students must have an SAT/ACT score higher than the minimum to be considered.

For later admission of transfer, full-time, or part-time students:

• Minimum 3.5 GPA in 12 or more hours of college-level courses
• Letter of recommendation from a Gordon State College full-time instructor (or other appropriate full-time instructor if a transfer student)
• Application with short essay (see application form for essay topic)

How do I apply?

Once a student has applied for admission to Gordon State College and has been provisionally accepted, the student may apply for the Honors Program by

1. Obtaining an application online, Admission to the Honors Program (PDF) or from the Honors Program Coordinator (use the typewriter tool to fill out the form on-screen).

2. Submitting a complete application to: honors@gordonstate.edu
   or submit them to:

   Dr. David Janssen
   Honors Program Coordinator
   Honors House, 109
   Gordon State College
   419 College Drive
   Barnesville, GA 30204

Honors application deadlines:

1. Fall application deadline: October 10th (for acceptance notification by October 31st.)
2. Spring priority application deadline: March 1st (for acceptance notification by April 30th.)
3. Spring final application deadline: May 1st (for acceptance notification by May 31st.)

Additional/late applications may be fielded on a space-available basis.

Students admitted into the program will receive a letter of acceptance. New students who are admitted into the Honors Program must attend the mid-June New Student Orientation (see letter for date). A separate advising and registration session for Honors students will be held on that day.

Can I take an honors class even if I'm not in the Honors Program?

Yes. A student who is interested in an honors course and who has earned high grades in that subject may contact the Program Coordinator and be considered for placement in the class. Honors Program students will be given priority in registering for an honors class, but open seats will sometimes be available.

Are there other program requirements?

Students in the program are evaluated each semester. To continue in the program, students must maintain at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA. A student whose semester GPA falls below 3.0, has one semester to raise the cumulative GPA to 3.5. If his/her GPA is still below 3.5, the student may appeal for re-entry into the program.

To graduate with recognition of achievement as a student in the Honors Program, students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.5. In addition, students must have earned at least a 3.0 GPA in a minimum of four Honors courses, including the required Honors Colloquium course for which a brief honors project will be expected.

How do I register for classes?

Students cannot self-register for honors courses. Students taking honors courses need to enroll through the Program Coordinator (initially at orientation and on a one-on-one basis for subsequent terms).

Course Offerings

All Honors courses simultaneously fulfill core curriculum requirements and will be offering on a rotating basis. The variety and number of Honors courses will vary by term. Students should expect the required Honors Colloquium to be offered every other semester.