Faculty are invited to submit proposals to teach University Honors seminars in 2013-14. 

The University Honors Program (UHP) comprises the top 7% of UC undergraduate students, from across colleges and disciplines. Admission is very competitive, with entering students having an average ACT score of over 31.

University Honors is committed to helping students maximize their educational opportunities at UC while discovering and pursuing their passions in life and using their gifts and talents to make meaningful contributions to society. Students are provided with exceptional learning opportunities through which they can take full advantage of their college experience and develop academically, professionally and personally. Students are challenged through honors seminars and experiential learning projects focused on:

• Community engagement
• Global studies
• Leadership
• Research and creative arts

Honors seminars are the backbone of the UHP curriculum and are critical to each student's experience and success. Therefore, faculty from across UC's colleges are engaged in teaching honors seminars. Faculty from all disciplines are invited to submit proposals!

Semester Pedagogy and Structure
Honors seminars challenge and broaden the intellectual horizons of University Honors students at all levels, regardless of the disciplines in which students are majoring. Honors seminars are expected to align with one or more of the thematic areas - community engagement, global studies, leadership, and research and creative arts. Honors seminars are also expected to engage students in experiential learning, challenging students with creative projects and experiences that take learning beyond the typical classroom. Honors seminars are also expected to fulfill general education Breadth of Knowledge (BoK) requirements. Learn more about honors seminar pedagogy, content and structure.

Guidelines and Proposal

Guidelines -  Download the guidelines (PDF)

Propsoal -     Download the proposal (MS Word)
                        Download the proposal (PDF)

Deadline and Submission
Proposals are due Tuesday, November 13, 2012. Please submit the following via email to honors@uc.edu:

1. Completed proposal form (submit as a pdf when possible)
2. Course syllabus (submit as a pdf when possible)
3. Curriculum vitae (for each faculty member involved; submit as a pdf when possible)
4. A statement of support from your department head confirming that, if the course is approved, you will be able to offer it during the 2013-14 academic year. The statement does not need to evaluate the proposal. This statement can be emailed directly to honors@uc.edu by the department head.

Compensation - $6000 per honors seminar + PBB funds
For each course accepted and offered, the originating department will receive a $6000 payment from University Honors. In the case of a team-taught course, $8000 will be split amongst participating departments. The funds are transferred to the department during the semester in which the course is taught.

The use of the funds is determined by the college/department. If a faculty member has questions about how the funds will be used, he/she should talk with the department head.

In addition, performance based budgeting (PBB) plays a role. University Honors students come from all of the undergraduate colleges. Therefore, students from across colleges will enroll. Typically, 2/3 of students in each honors seminar will likely originate from a different college.

Under PBB in 2012-13, the college listing the course receives $222.40 per student credit hour for students who are majors in other colleges. With a class of 20 students, if 2/3 (13) are from outside the listing college, then the college could generate $8673.60 additional dollars (13*$222.40 *3credits).

Resources

• View listings of current and previous honors seminars. 
• View honors seminars with study tour components (international and domestic).
• See examples of honors seminars (PDF).
• Information on creating honors courses in e-curriculum and ordering them in Universis.

Proposal Review & Selection Process
Proposals are evaluated by a subcommittee of the University Honors Council, comprised of faculty, staff and students from across colleges. Criteria for selection will focus on how well the course meets the guidelines, especially related to experiential learning and the thematic areas. The number of courses accepted is based on budget. We anticipate being able to fund 25-30 courses each year. We typically receive 60-70 proposals.

Notification
Faculty and department heads will learn of the status of proposals via email in late-December 2012.

Questions?
Contact Dr. Raj Mehta (raj.mehta@uc.edu, 556-6252) or Debbie Brawn (debbie.brawn@uc.edu, 556-6226).