Honors Program Guidelines

Required for many degrees:

EN 300 HN: Advanced College Writing (Eric McHenry)
This course will include additional practice in writing, to assure proficiency in the techniques and tools of composition and will offer students the opportunity to order and articulate their knowledge. Includes innovative assignments. This section is open only to Honors students and (by permission of instructor) students prepared for an Honors composition experience. Students cannot create Honors contracts for other sections of EN300, so this is the only way to gain an Honors experience in this course.

Humanities General Education:

HN 201 C: Ethical Responsibilities of Leadership (Michaela Saunders)

Survey of the fundamental ethical responsibilities of leadership; requires examination of obstacles to and opportunities for ethical leadership, an understanding of the cultural contexts of leadership and an articulation of a personal ethics statement as a foundation for applied ethics in the leadership process.

TH 202 HNA: Acting I (TBA)

This class develops the tools used by actors. Improvisations present students with acting challenges, giving them opportunities to exercise and expand their emotional and expressive range. Each challenge provides a particular focus for what are essentially experiments in human behavior. For theatre students, improvisation greatly enhances an immediate and vital connection to scene work. It provides tools for communication of text and subtext, creation of character, physical activity and nonverbal communication. Non-theater students are given the opportunity, through these activities to re-engage their senses, revitalize their bodies, voices, and intuition and explore the complex maze of human personality, interaction, and communication in a safe environment.

HN 301 XA: UN Commission Status of Women (Sharon Sullivan/Robert Beatty)

In this course students will study the work of the United Nations and the UN Commission on the Status of Women, identify the Sustainable Development Goals, and critically examine how countries and nongovernmental organizations are addressing these goals by attending the 68th U.N. Commission on the Status of Women in New York City as delegates and ad hoc delegates of NGO International Public Policy Institute. Short course. Travel course.

HN 301 XC: Guatemala (Kim Morse)

Guatemala endured a decades long civil war and an attempted genocide of its Mayan population (approximately 40 percent of the population) in the mid-to-late twentieth century. The basic fact creates a multitude of questions. Healing and nation building post war creates another set of innumerable questions.  Students in the course will create, for themselves, those questions through careful analysis of primary and secondary sources. The course will first immerse students into the attempted genocide through collective reading and annotation of the memoir of survivor (and Nobel Peace Prize winner), Rigoberta Menchu.  We will then build from precolonial history to the present. 

Students will have to build historical competency in Mayan ethnicities and religiosities, nation-state building, imperialism and liberal economics, reform movements, guerrilla movements, and civil war, among other topics. Learning will be collective as students read and annotate primary and secondary sources using Hypothesis and shared Google docs. Students will use improved critical reading skills to analyze secondary sources in review essays. The course culminates with the group research project.

Social Science General Education:

AN 113 HN: Linguistic Anthropology (Jason Miller)

Linguistic anthropology is the study of language and its relationship to culture. In this course, students are introduced to fundamental concepts in the field of linguistic anthropology such as cross-cultural differences in language, the role of language in shaping culture, behavior, and thought, how languages evolve over time, and how they are affected by globalization; particularly as it relates to identity: race, ethnicity, class, and gender. Students will explore the kinds of research linguistic anthropologists conduct, the methods they use, and how their work can be applied to real world settings. Can be used for Inclusion and Belonging Gen Ed Requirement instead of Social Science if desired.

SO 100 HN: Introduction to Sociology (Lindsey Ibañez)

Sociology is the study of society, social groups, and social behavior.  Sociologists focus on identifying, explaining, and interpreting the patterns, social trends, and processes found in human social relations. Sociologists elucidate the structural forces that shape our individual experiences. Through this course, you will come to realize how many aspects of your life are influenced by the social world in which you live and, as a result, you will obtain a better understanding of yourself and your place in society. Can be used for Inclusion and Belonging Gen Ed Requirement instead of Social Science if desired.

HN 202 D/VA: Exploring the Concept of Leadership (D: Madeline Lambing / VA: Michaela Saunders)

This course provides a survey of leadership theories and introduction to the academic study of leadership using case studies  nd contexts of the leadership process; requires identifying personal leadership potential, articulation of a personalized leadership theory, and leadership concepts applied in a Campus Action Project.

HN 202 D: Introduction to Community Studies (Michaela Saunders)

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary academic discipline of community studies. Topics include the importance of understanding self and place, theories of community change, basic community- based research methods, and the importance of civic engagement.

HN 302 C: Visual Anthropology (Jason Miller)

Linguistic anthropology is the study of language and its relationship to culture. In this course, students are introduced to fundamental concepts in the field of linguistic anthropology such as cross-cultural differences in language, the role of language in shaping culture, behavior, and thought, how languages evolve over time, and how they are affected by globalization; particularly as it relates to identity: race, ethnicity, class, and gender. Students will explore the kinds of research linguistic anthropologists conduct, the methods they use, and how their work can be applied to real world settings.

HN 302 E: American Urban & Metro Planning City Planning in Changing America (Bill Fiander) Analysis of historical, political, economic, social, and physical development of urban America. Emphasis will be placed on evolution of the segregated post-industrial American city through its contemporary form, solutions to urban problems through local and regional planning, and how communities are shaped by the context of land use, transportation, urban design, public policy, housing, political, economic, environmental, social equity, legal, and ideological decision-making in urban and metropolitan governments. Particular attention will be placed on areas of past civil unrest or significant racial and ethnic displacement, the roots of its geography, and planning remedies applied to heal the area as tapped from course learnings.

HN 302 XA: Study Abroad in Korea (Sangyoub Park)

This course is an introduction to Korean society and the emerging global popularity of contemporary Korean popular culture. In this course, we examine various sociological topics including demographic trends, immigration, gender, inequality in Korea and diverse aspects of Korean contemporary popular culture including film, television, food, beauty, music, and more. 

During the trip, we will: Examine the transition to the economic powerhouse from a war-torn and impoverished Korea and what is ahead in Korea; Visit historical sites, museums, and cultural events; Observe how Korea has tackled a shortage of labor and embraced immigrants; Converse with local experts on immigration and visit multicultural towns in Korea; Visit K-pop sites in Seoul. 

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: Describe elements of Korean history and culture; explain how Korea has transformed itself over the past 60 years; explain the future of Korea in terms of demographic trends; identify Korea’s impact on the global community; articulate the benefits of international travel and cross-national comparisons. 

HN302 XB – Kansas Legislative Experience (Robert Beatty)

This course provides an analysis of the Kansas Legislature and Governor, along with other statewide offices and media, along with how they function within the governmental systems in the state of Kansas. Along with an in-depth study of a legislative session, the student will be required to attend legislative committee meetings, floor debates, gubernatorial press conferences, and conduct participant observation within a legislative or executive office.

Electives:

HN 295 A: Post-Undergrad Prep (Kerry Wynn)

If you plan to apply to graduate school or secure a major scholarship after you graduate (such as the Fulbright or Marshall), this workshop may be for you. We will explore options for major scholarships, develop personalized plans for applying to post-graduation opportunities, and work together on personal statements and application materials. This is a zero-credit hour course, so you won’t be charged to participate.

HN 392 A: Directed Readings (Choose a mentor)

A special topics course designed to allow students and faculty the opportunity to explore and develop areas of study.

HN 392 B: Advanced Mock Trial (Olivia Higdon)

Learn the basics of trial advocacy, and how to polish these basic skills so as to attain competitive success; develop and sharpen your oral communication skills; develop advanced research skills; develop and sharpen your analytical ability; learn through competition with your classmates and teams from other universities; be better prepared for law school. 

HN 399 A: Honors Capstone (Choose a mentor)

This course fulfills the capstone requirement to graduate from the Honors Program. Students undertake a project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The project is intended as a culminating experience for a student’s academic career, and may take the form of scholarly or creative products. A capstone should engage the intellectual tools and knowledge a student has gained throughout their university Honors education, and it should demonstrate the exercise of intellectual practices developed in this program. HN399 is one way to fulfill the capstone option – contact Dr. Wynn for more options. 

KN 470 HN: Ethics in Sports and Rec Management (Clayton Whalen)

This course will examine ethical issues relevant to administration in the sport and recreation industries. The course will investigate the nature of ethics, various ethical theories, why ethics matters, the current state of ethics today, and how to go about promoting ethical behavior. Students will gain skill in thinking through moral dilemmas, particularly as they pertain to sport, recreation, exercise, games, and play. Students will also develop greater sophistication in writing, speaking, and persuasion.

The course will be organized around lectures and group-based learning.

Student initiative, decision-making, and responsibility will be emphasized throughout the course. A willingness to accept responsibility in group settings and work for collective goals is essential for success in the class.