Honors Course Proposals
Honors Introductory Experience Course Proposals
The University Honors Program, in cooperation with the Office of the Provost & Chief Academic Officer, seeks innovative proposals for Honors Introductory Experience courses from outstanding faculty. These courses meet USU’s General Education Breadth requirements and build cross-disciplinary community by engaging first- and second-year Honors students in hands-on research and field work, global and local citizenship (CEL designations encouraged), and civil discourse about the “big questions” that drive General Education at USU.
The program welcomes proposals for courses in the following areas: BHU (Humanities: HONR 1320), BCA (Creative Arts: HONR 1330), BSS (Social Sciences: HONR 1340), BLS (Life Sciences: HONR 1350), and BPS (Physical Sciences: HONR 1360). Selected courses will run once a year (fall or spring) for three years, in AY 2023-2024, AY 2024-2025, and AY 2025-2026.
Proposals must include two parts:
- A cover sheet, complete with faculty and department head signatures
- A proposal packet (follow link for details) that includes (1) a one-page pedagogical resume; (2) a one-page course description stating the central idea of the proposed course and indicating how the course will engage Honors students in hands-on experiential learning, controlled and guided risk-taking, and the development of skill in civil discourse; (3) a list of USU's General Education Breadth learning outcomes in the proposed discipline with a brief, specific statement about how the course will meet each one; (4) a list of the University Honors Program's learning outcomes with a brief, specific statement about how the course will meet each one; and 5) a five-page draft syllabus
Honors Introductory Experience course proposals must be submitted to honors@usu.edu by close of business on January 3, 2023. Application review will be complete in mid-February, and all applicants will be notified with a decision by February 15.
Honors Think Tank Course Proposals
The University Honors Program, in cooperation with the Office of the Provost & Chief Academic Officer, seeks proposals for team-taught Honors Think Tanks that meet USU’s General Education Depth requirements and allow students to explore one topic through two disciplinary lenses. Honors Think Tank courses are co-taught by two outstanding professors with fundamentally different areas of expertise, and Honors invites proposals from faculty teams who envision teaching together across two of the following three different course numbers/depth areas: HONR 3010 (DSC: Life/Physical Sciences), HONR 3020 (DHA: Humanities/Arts), and HONR 3030 (DSS: Social Sciences). Each student registers and earns USU credit for one depth area, but all students progress on all learning outcomes in both disciplinary areas. Faculty are responsible for the section aligned with their expertise, but they share much of the grading and team-teach every class, exploring the topic from their disciplinary perspective and modeling cross-disciplinary discussion. Honors Think Tanks capture students’ imaginations, encourage them to take intellectual risks in a safe environment, and engage them as USU “Citizen Scholars” in their local and/or global communities (CEL course designations encouraged). Each section also typically meets either CI or QI requirements. Selected courses will launch in Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 and run again in AY 2024-25.
Proposals must include two parts:
- A cover sheet, complete with both faculty members' and department heads' signatures
- A proposal packet (follow link for details) that includes (1) two one-page pedagogical resumes (one for each faculty member); (2) a one-page course description stating the central idea of the proposed course and indicating how the course will engage Honors students in hands-on experiential learning, controlled and guided risk-taking, and the development of skill in civil discourse; (3) a one-page description of the role of each faculty member and the vision for classroom collaboration; (4) a one-page articulation of how shared and separate course assignments and activities create opportunities for students to gain a deep understanding of one area and interdisciplinary collaboration across two areas; (5) a list of USU's General Education Depth learning outcomes in the two proposed disciplines with a brief, specific statement about how the course will meet each one; (6) a list of the University Honors Program's learning outcomes with a brief, specific statement about how the course will meet each one; and (7) a five-page draft syllabus