The Honors Program was created to encourage motivated, curious, academically superior students to explore some aspect of their program in greater depth and to broaden and deepen their awareness of themselves as responsible, contributing members of a larger community. Honors Program participants complete a series of seminars, as well as a substantial honors project and 10 hours of volunteer community service. The permanent college transcript of students completing program requirements will read “Honors Program Graduate.”

Application

The honors program coordinator reviews academic records of current and incoming freshmen and invites students with a record of strong academic achievement to apply for Honors Program status. The coordinator makes the final decision based on the application, including the required student essay, letters of recommendation from two educators, and meeting with the student. Any current Alfred State student with a GPA of 3.5 (of a possible 4.0) or better and at least one year remaining at the college is welcome to apply to the program. Students accepted into the Honors Program remain in the program of their choice for degree purposes.

Program Requirements

Honors Program participants are required to

• earn an overall 3.25 GPA by graduation, with no more than one semester’s GPA falling below 3.0;
• enroll in honors courses offered by various departments, schedules permitting;
• work with a faculty or staff member to complete an honors project, usually a technical or research project related to the student’s personal or career plans;
• participate in at least two honors seminars per semester - short, informal opportunities to interact with some of the college’s most respected teachers;
• attend and participate in the college’s speakers series, especially those sponsored by the Honors Program;
• complete 10 hours of volunteer, unpaid service of genuine benefit to the community or individuals in the community.

Program Benefits

The Honors Program coordinator will

• offer interesting, challenging, credit-bearing honors courses, informal honors seminars, and speakers of interest from the professional world;
• facilitate arrangements for the honors project and community service requirements, if requested;
• negotiate special Honors Program privileges: one-week laptop loans, “faculty” library borrowing privileges, and first-day course registration privileges;
• write letters to transfer colleges explaining our honors program and recommending students to the honors program at those colleges;
• indicate “Honors Program Graduate” on the students’ permanent college transcripts.

Interested students should contact:

Professor Terrence Morgan, Honors Program Coordinator
Hunter Student Development Center
Alfred State
Alfred, NY 14802
Phone: (607) 587-4187
E-mail: morgantm@alfredstate.edu [1]

Some of the previous honors seminars have included the following guest speakers (click on the link for more info):

• Neil Benedict, associate vice president of Student Life [2]
• Sherry Volk, Physical and Life Sciences Department [3]
• Dr. John Anderson, president of Alfred State [4]
• Professor Wayne Bensley, Physical and Life Sciences Department [5]
• Ashley Kehoe, director, Civic Engagement and Student Leadership Programs [6]
• Professor Yogendra (Yogi) Jonchhe, Mechanical Engineering Technology Department [7]
• Mike Ronan, associate professor, Automotive Trades [8]
• Mark Amman, professor and acting chair, Physical and Life Sciences Department [9]
• Dr. John O. Hunter, president emeritus of Alfred State (1986-93) [10]