Honors education is expected to be challenging in substance, communication skills, and thinking skills. In addition, honors education is interactive, building intellectual relationships between faculty and students. Honors course experiences at ASU take several forms:
1) HON prefix courses are offered at the lower division (100) level and at the upper division (300 and 400 level). HON courses have a maximum enrollment of 19 students, are conducted in seminar format, are interdisciplinary in content and approach, and have a significant writing component. These courses are taught primarily by the faculty in Barrett Honors College, but each semester some HON courses are taught by disciplinary faculty. HON 492 and 493 are the thesis guidance courses, which are between each Honors students and his/her thesis mentor.
2) Footnote 19 courses carry the prefix fo the department offering the course. They are designed to challenge students in a small class format and develop in two ways:
- breakout sections of large lecture courses and
- stand alone seminars.
Both forms are limited to Honors students (although in exceptional cases outstanding non-Honors students can be added with permission of the professor). Footnote 19 sections and seminars must be taught by regular faculty, not by graduate students or temporary hires. In addition they must:
- average no more than 25 students
- engage students in discussion
- offer a challenging curriculum
- include a significant writing component appropriate to the discipline
3) Honors Contracts are not separate courses. They are individual contracts made between the professor teaching a course and an Honors student in the course. They are intended to build relationships between students and faculty, as well as to challenge and engage honors students beyond the requirements of the course. Honors Contracts are the most varied of the honors experiences at ASU. They should involve discussions between the faculty and student outside of the normal class period and often involve supplemental reading, writing, or speaking assignments that build communication skills and knowledge in the subject area. For Honors Contract policies and procedures Click Here
If you are interested in teaching honors students, have input (praise or concern) about your experience teaching honors students, or simply want to know more, contact Margaret Nelson, Associate Dean, Barrett Honors College (mailcode: 1612, email:
MNelson@asu.edu, phone: 965.9520).
Barrett Faculty Advisory Groups:Honors College faculty includes regular faculty at ASU (lecturers and tenure-track/tenured faculty), employed in any College, who make sustained contributions to the programs of the BHC. In the largest sense, any faculty member who teaches or mentors BHC students is considered a member of the Honors faculty. Two specific advisory groups to BHC are selected from the faculty:
Honors Faculty Council: Select disciplinary faculty and BHC lecturers who teach or regularly work with BHC students (this council will also have a few faculty- administrators who have demonstrated a sustained interest in BHC). This faculty council will be asked by the Dean to assist and advise BHC in various ways.
Honors Faculty Advisors: Disciplinary faculty who assist BHC students within their specific departments and programs (some members of this group may be on the Honors Faculty Council).