University Honors

Rosalie Otero, Director
Dudley Wynn Honors Center
Student Health Center Building, Room 21
MSC06-3890
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
(505) 277-4211

Faculty
Leslie A. Donovan, Ph.D., University of Washington
Christopher L. Holden, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin
Richard Howell, Ph.D., The University of New Mexico
Celia López-Chávez, Ph.D., University of Seville (Spain)
Troy Lovata, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin
Rosalie C. Otero, Ph.D., The University of New Mexico
Diane Rawls, Ph.D., The University of New Mexico
Ursula Shepherd, Ph.D., The University of New Mexico
Michael Thomas, Ph.D., The University of Washington

Introduction

The University Honors Program is designed to increase opportunities for liberal arts education for highly motivated and academically committed undergraduates from all University of New Mexico colleges and schools. Small (16–17 students) interdisciplinary seminars, individual advisement, extensive interaction with faculty, and opportunities for independent research and field-based learning are central to the Honors Program. The Program is housed in the Dudley Wynn Honors Center. Participation in this program, leading to graduation with Honors in University Honors, is by application only; all undergraduates interested in a challenging intellectual program are encouraged to apply. Students are primarily selected on the basis of their academic potential (ACT or SAT scores), record in high school, or college-level work and intellectual motivation. Small seminars, lively discussion, student participation, self-expression; and faculty selected for their commitment to students, scholarship, and teaching are all essential components of the academic environment in the Honors Program.

Honors seminars are offered at the 100, 200, 300 and 400 levels: the Core Legacy Seminars offer an introduction to significant ideas in Western culture; 200-level seminars focus on cross-cultural examinations of other legacies and world views; 300-level seminars explore specific topics designed to broaden understanding and the interconnectedness of academic disciplines; 400-level seminars are explorations of topics that are more in-depth than those of lower-level seminars, and students will have greater roles and responsibilities. The end result will be a publishable paper or a collaborative mini-conference. The capstone senior options (Senior Colloquium with Service Learning, Senior Thesis, or Senior Teaching) are designed to allow students to examine personal value systems and social ethics, gain experience as student teachers, or pursue independent research.

Students are encouraged to join the University Honors Program during the first semester of their freshman year and to continue taking Honors seminars as core and group requirements in various colleges, and as electives. Second-semester freshmen, as well as sophomores and first-semester juniors, may, however, also join the program.

Formal requirements for graduation with Honors in University Honors are:

1. Completion of 24 credit hours in University Honors seminars with a minimum of 3 credit hours at the 100, 200, 300, and 400 levels, and 6 credit hours of senior capstone options (400 level).
2. A minimum 3.20 cumulative grade point average.
3. Recommendation by the Director and Certification by the University Honors Faculty.

The University Honors Program uses a unique grading system. Students receive grades of A, CR, NC, and I. This grading system is designed to encourage students to broaden their general education by challenging themselves and taking academic risks. Under this system students may be rewarded for superior performance (A) but not penalized for ordinary, satisfactory performance (CR) or for failure to complete the seminar or do poorly (NC). The program is designed to offer intellectual challenge, and students are expected to achieve at their highest levels; at the same time, competition for high grades is minimized. Taking Honors seminars under this grading system does not cancel the right of students to elect one University of New Mexico course per semester on a Credit/No Credit basis. In addition, Honors faculty provide individual written evaluations of each student in their seminars. These evaluations are kept in the student’s confidential, personal file. Students are encouraged to review their evaluations and write a response to an evaluation if they disagree.

Special advising and counseling are available by staff and faculty for students in the University Honors Program. Information on this and other aspects of the University Honors Program may be obtained at the Honors Center. Students working towards Honors in University Honors are encouraged to undertake Departmental Honors as well.

The Undergraduate Seminar Program/Honors Seminar (USP)

Topics and instructors vary from section to section and from semester to semester. Open to all undergraduate students. No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 16 students per class. Grading on an A, CR, NC or I basis only system. (May be included in total hour requirement for graduation with Honors but may not be substituted for 300 level or above requirement, except with permission of Director.)