Designed to mark the midpoint of the Honors curriculum, the Honors Portfolio both showcases the value of the student’s experience in the University Honors Program and acts as a springboard to the next stage of their Honors education at USU. Students completing a portfolio are mentored by faculty and advisors as they provide evidence of their initial progress on four Honors Learning Outcomes.
The goal of the portfolio is to allow students to reflect on their experiences in the University Honors Program, understand how those experiences impact their overall USU undergraduate experience, and prepare them to complete the requirements for the University Honors transcript designation if they are completing a bachelor’s degree. The Honors Portfolio is completed in Module 5: Honors Portfolio.
The key components of every Honors Portfolio are as follows:
- Active mentorship from the student’s Honors Academic Advisor and faculty Departmental Honors Advisor;
- Space to feature and highlight the student’s Honors learning, projects, and reflective writing;
- Careful selection of the student’s best academic work; and
- A reflection on the personal and professional value of the student’s time in the University Honors Program.
Recommended Honors Portfolio Timeline
The Honors curriculum is carefully tailored to each student’s goals and personal graduation plan. Honors students should discuss their Honors Portfolio timeline with their Honors Academic Advisor.
Prepare
During their first semester in Honors, students create the Honors Portfolio Framework as part of Module 2: Engaging with Honors and Beyond. Once they create this framework, or “empty shell,” for their portfolio, students are prepared to begin submitting evidence to their portfolio as they begin to complete assignments for Honors.
Complete
Once the Honors Portfolio Framework is complete and students have begun earning Honors points, they can start adding evidence to their portfolio. Some pieces of evidence will not be ready to add until a student’s third or fourth semester, while others can be added after the first or second semester. This process of filling the portfolio continues over 2-4 semesters.
Review
A key element of the Honors Portfolio is the mentorship students receive from their Honors Academic Advisor. Around a student’s third or fourth semester in the Honors Program and once most of a student’s evidence has been added to the portfolio, they meet with their Honors Academic Advisor to discuss their portfolio and how Honors is impacting their overall undergraduate education.
Submit
During their third or fourth semester in Honors, students revise their portfolio based on feedback from their Honors Academic Advisor, write a reflection about their time completing the Honors Experience requirements, and work with their Departmental Honors Advisor to earn final approval for the Honors Portfolio.