Honors classes are stimulating, engaging, and offer a greater level of depth while emphasizing student involvement, participation and performance. The City College Honors Program offers three different options for participation: the Honors Core, Honors Courses, and Honors Contracts. The Honors Core is a two semester learning community. The Core begins every fall semester and features a team taught Honors English 101 course linked to Honors Sociology 101. During the spring semester the entire Honors Core cohort progresses to a second learning community linking Honors English 205 with Honors Humanities 101. The Honors Core allows for a relationship of complex ideas that can be explored over an extended period of time. Academic skill-building is reinforced, and a stronger sense of community is developed among all participants in the program. Students must maintain good academic standing in order to progress to the following semester. These courses are subjected to application approval; applications can be obtained at the Honors Program office, Room AH-102 phone number (619) 388-3512, and can be downloaded from the Honors Student Resources page on this website. Honors Courses, outside of the Honors Core, are offered in several different subjects every semester. They are identified on the class schedule by an Honors designation. These courses are open to any student and do not require an application. They explore topics in greater depth and breadth; honors students encounter a range of historical, technical and cultural points of view that they may not experience in a non-honors section of the same course. Honors Contracts are the most popular way that students participate in Honors. An honors contract is a mutual agreement reached between a student and a professor to enhance a course through honors level objectives and tasks that are in addition to those of the regular class. The contract also includes the methods of evaluation, a syllabus for the non-honors course appropriately amended with the honors components, and a signature sheet, indicating acceptance by the student and instructor. Contracts are made at the discretion of the professor and with the assistance of campus honors coordinators. Honors contract requirements may include additional readings, writing, as well as special projects. The biggest advantage of honors contracts is that they allow students to explore their favorite subjects in greater depth while compiling the honors units that they need to transfer within the boundaries of their own personal schedule. Almost all courses can be converted into Honors however, the only other stipulations are that the course must be face to face, 16 weeks long, and a 100-level or higher. Please contact the Honors Program for semester deadline.
