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 Honors College Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW
ABOUT THE SPC HONORS COLLEGE
(but were afraid to ask) . . .
What is the Honors College?
The Honors College provides academically motivated students with a
challenging intellectual experience and a close working relationship with
highly motivated faculty members. The Honors College provides an
approach to education in small classes based on active learning and critical
engagement. It is a way for students to associate and interact with like minded professors and fellow students. And above all, it is a way for them to achieve the best education possible at St. Petersburg College.
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Does it cost more?
No. Honors students pay the same tuition and fees as all students --
there are no extra costs whatsoever. In fact, participation in honors
courses may help you with financial aid – there are Honors College
Scholarships available for freshman and for continuing students.
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What are the benefits of the Honors College?
All honors students may register for classes during the early
registration period. Rigorous honors coursework sharpens students'
abilities to think critically and analytically and to express themselves
effectively. Honors academic credits are designated on your transcript --
which graduate schools and potential employers will see. There are several
unique scholarship opportunities for Honors College students, including
International Study scholarships. Special meeting, study and recreation
areas are being developed just for Honors College members.
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How are students selected for the
Honors College?
Students are selected by the Honors Council group based on
their class rank, grade point average, SAT or ACT scores, their
participation in extra-curricular and community-service activities, and a
satisfactory written essay on the special topic. Students must be in the top
ten percent of their high school graduating class or have a high school
cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher, or achieve a score 26 or
higher on the ACT or 1200 on the SAT, or have high scores in the College
Placement Test and have a satisfactory written essay score.
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What are the admissions requirements for current and transfer students?
Students must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 in all
college-level coursework (including transfer credits) and 12 credits hours
or more of college coursework and be qualified for college level coursework
in reading, writing and math.
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Who advises honors students?
Students will have an advisor in each SPC campus counseling
department. In addition to these advisors, every honors student has a
secondary advisor – the Honors College coordinator at each campus, the
director or the assistant director of the Honors College.
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Will all my courses be honors courses?
No. Usually students take no more than three honors courses each
semester. In this way, students in the Honors College are continually
involved in honors activities and at the same time they are fulfilling the
requirements for their major program of study.
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Do honors students have the same general education
requirements as other students?
Yes. In fact, most
of the honors courses are designed to fulfill these general education
requirements. You do NOT need to take more courses than other
students.
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How do I identify an honors course?
Honors courses can be identified as follows: an "H" after the
section number, as in ENC 1122H Composition II.
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Are honors courses harder than regular college courses?
Honors courses are challenging, often requiring more reading and
more involvement than many other courses. But Honors courses are designed to
require a different type of work, not necessarily more work. Compared
to non-honors courses, honors courses involve greater theoretical depth,
more cross-disciplinary study, more student-professor and student-student
interaction, and greater use of primary (e.g., original manuscripts) rather
than secondary (e.g., textbooks) reference sources. But again, honors
courses are not designed to require more work from students in terms of the number of assignments or tests.
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How many courses should I take each year?
Typically, honors students take two to three honors courses each
semester, finishing four to six by the end of their first year, seven
to nine by the end of their second year, and concentrating in their
last two years on completing their Capstone Project (if continue with
one of our 4-years colleges). In order to progress toward graduating with
honors, it is generally recommended that you register for two or three
honors courses (6-9 credit hours) each semester. You are required to
take at least one honors course every semester in order to remain in the
college.
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Are honors students required to study abroad?
No, although we strongly encourage our honors students to take
advantage of all academic opportunities, including study abroad. These
experiences often contribute to the development of wonderful honors projects
and satisfy our honors curriculum and requirements! To this end, we have
established opportunities for Honors College members to receive
International Study abroad scholarships.
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What else does the Honors College offer?
In addition to challenging classes with motivated students and
outstanding professors, the Honors College provides a variety of benefits including scholarships, community involvement through service learning,
special opportunities to attend national, regional, and state conferences as
well as cultural events on- and off-campus.
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What requirements should I meet to graduate with an Honors College
diploma or certificate?
A minimum of 18 credit hours of designated honors coursework, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or better in each honors course and a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or above to graduate with an Honors College Diploma. To graduate with an Honors College Certificate, students must meet the above grade point average requirements and complete 11 credit hours of honors coursework.
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Suppose I try it and find that it isn't for me. Can I withdraw?
Absolutely; you can withdraw at any time. The honors courses
which you have already taken will remain on your record; all of these
courses count for regular college credit and satisfy general education
requirements necessary for all students.
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I’ve applied to the Honors College and I just received a letter of acceptance. Now what should I do?
Read your acceptance letter carefully; it will contain all the instructions for your next steps as a member of the Honors College. Upon acceptance, you will need to make an appointment with your Honors College Advisor to schedule honors courses for the next semester. You will also need to make an appointment with your Honors College Campus Coordinator to review and sign the Honors College Contract which outlines your duties as a member.
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Why do I need to sign a contract once I have joined the Honors College?
The Honors College offers unique challenges and opportunities to its members, and therefore requires a certain level of commitment and dedication. This contract will help you to understand and remember your obligations as an Honors College member.
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What if my GPA drops after I am a member?
If your GPA drops below 3.25 for one semester, your membership will be temporarily changed to a probationary status. If your GPA remains below 3.25 for two or more semesters, you will be dismissed from the Honors College.
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What are the Service Learning requirements for Honors College Members?
Each Honors College member must complete a certain number of Service Learning hours before graduating from the Honors College. Freshman members must complete 60 service learning hours. This may vary for current or transfer students, depending on their degree progress.
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How do I get started with Service Learning?
You will get your introduction to service learning as a part of the mandatory Honors College Cornerstone Seminar. All service learning forms and documents can be found here, on the Angel Honors College Student Commons, or by contacting Beth Goodbread, the Service Learning Coordinator, (727)712-5754; goodbread.beth@spcollege.edu.
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How can I communicate with other Honors College students?
The Honors College Student Commons on Angel is a great tool to keep in contact with other Honors College members, faculty and administrators. All Honors College news and information will be posted to this site first, so it is important to log in at least once a week. You can chat with other members with the site’s email, discussion boards or whiteboards. You’ll also find lots of great links and resources to help you get the most out of your honors courses.
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Who are the honors faculty?
They are the most talented and most dedicated faculty at St. Petersburg College. A full list is available here, or on the Honors College Student Commons.
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Can I continue Honors College membership after transferring to one of SPC’s four year programs?
Yes, there are special opportunities for students to continue their Honors College membership while they are in a Bachelor’s Program. This includes independent research as well as service learning and community leadership. Students who participate will receive a special Honors College certificate upon graduation.
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When are scholarship decisions made?
The Honors College Scholarship committee meets regularly to review new members and award scholarships. After you have been accepted to the Honors College, your scholarship will be decided at the next committee meeting. At the end of summer, the scholarship committee meets to award scholarships to current Honors College members. All Honors College scholarships are merit-based rather than need based and awarded based on a variety of factors, including academic achievements, service learning and leadership experiences, and participation in honors classes and Honors College events.
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When will I receive my scholarship funds?
All financial aid is administered after the last drop/add day of the session. If you have questions about how your scholarship will be awarded, you can contact the Office of Scholarships and Student Financial Assistance, (727)791-2486.
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Since I am in the Honors College, do I automatically become a member of PTK?
Phi Theta Kappa is a completely separate organization from the Honors College. Although Phi Theta Kappa members are encouraged to apply to the Honors College, they are not automatically guaranteed membership, and vice versa. For more information about PTK, please contact your campus student activities coordinator.
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What do I need to do to make sure I get full honors recognition when I apply for graduation?
You should begin preparing for graduation by making sure that you have completed the required service learning hours and that you have taken enough honors classes to qualify for a diploma or certificate. You should take the Cornerstone Seminar during your first semester with the Honors College and the Capstone Seminar during your last. As soon as you have applied for graduation, you should contact the Honors College to notify us of your intent to graduate. It is your responsibility to let us know that you will be graduating so that we can prepare all Honors College regalia for you.
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