Honors College Council

Voting members present: Hilary Boudet (remote), Michael Burand, David Cann, Jessica Fujinaga, Kathryn McIntosh (remote), Sandy Neubaum (remote), Sam Logan(remote), Adam Gross, Marina Ketrenos, Jennifer Martin (remote), Sahana Shah
Voting members absent: Demian Hommel, Bo Sun
Ex-Officio members present: Toni Doolen
Guests present: Vincent Davis (remote), Susan Rodgers

Designate a Volunteer to Take Meeting Minutes

Continued Discussion

• Allow students to count graduate-level classes towards their Honors degree (students in the Accelerated Masters Platform could simultaneously earn 1) undergraduate credit, 2) Honors College credit, and 3) graduate-level credit).
  • Potential for vote.
    • Is there anything related to transfer credits that can apply to this? Students sometimes look for courses to take via Ecampus during internships.
    • Toni – I don't think anything in policy to preclude that. Like with students studying abroad, it takes an advisor to review that with the student to make the notation.
    • There's already a policy for graduate degrees that students need to be on campus.
    • Susan tried responding to each of these with some draft language. Right now; the Honors College Council (HCC) needs to figure out where on the website this will be placed. Students in the Accelerated Masters Platform (AMP) already will be notified first as well as head advisors, then it can trickle down to advising teams and colleges.
      • The HCC would add a note stating that students taking graduate courses may be able to count them as upper division honors elective credits.
      • To be consistent on the website, we came up with a statement to include instead of FAQs: If you have questions about the AMP programs, or how credits may impact your degree requirements for tuition, contact your primary major academic advisor.
        • Does the HCC want to make an explicit statement about slash courses, stating that students can't take a 400 level and then the 500 level?
          • Toni clarified that if students took the 400 level, it wouldn't be a grad class. You cannot take the 400 and 500 level of the same class. It’s not just an Honors College policy – it is an OSU policy.
          • A lot of the slash classes aren't seminar, like how the Honors College tries to make those classes. If the goal is to get students into graduate-level seminar classes, those slash classes don't have that environment.
          • The intent is not to replace Honors colloquia; these credits will count for electives. There's lots of detail in Academic Programs about slash courses and how undergraduates need permission to register for 500 level courses.

Action: Motion to allow students to count graduate-level classes towards their Honors degree; seconded. The motion passed with 10 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition, 1 abstention.

• Allow students to petition to apply to the Honors College without meeting the minimum requirements (3.75 high school GPA or 1300 SAT or 27 ACT).
  • Presentation of relevant admissions data by Gildha Cumming, Assistant Dean of Admissions, First-Year Engagement & Communications.
    • During COVID, the HCC approved a temporary process for students to petition to apply without meeting the minimum requirements. The first year, the HCC was approved to allow it and, for a time after that, the HCC voted for it to continue. We are now asking how we will continue:
      • Formalize the process.
      • Continue to pilot/approve it for another year.
      • Go back to how things were prior to COVID.
    • We have three years of data for this process:
      • Most students apply as first year or transfers, and some students apply directly to the Honors College after one or more terms at OSU.
      • The review process is holistic; all materials are compiled and reviewed by Honors College staff or admissions committee members.
      • If a student has a lower GPA, we can look at their test scores and essay and short answer questions.
      • Applications to the Honors College have been going up consistently since 2021 and we anticipate about 2800 applications at the end of this admissions cycle.
    • Jessica – I understand students can currently provide GPA with the option to provide test scores, and they have an opportunity to discuss hardships they've faced. Are you proposing we continue asking that or are you saying we'd drop GPA and test scores and base admission just on essays and short responses?
    • Can we have an example of an extenuating circumstance?
      • Example: Sometimes students have moved around a lot during high school; perhaps a parent was incarcerated; big life events can affect student performance, and you can usually see right when those circumstances occurred on their transcripts.
      • Response to question – The Honors College (HC) has no intention of dropping the two minimum requirements.
    • If a student meets the minimums, is it near-guaranteed that they'll have admission to the Honors College?
      • Historically, the admit rate has fluctuated from 50% to 30%. We recently increased offers of admission, partially to accommodate the slump in high school graduates. If a student has shown to take the steps to apply and qualify, their chance of admission is exceptionally high.
      • Every applicant also has to submit an honors college essay, whereas many other university honors colleges just admit students.
      • We're still less than 7% of the total undergraduate population, and other schools are sometimes 10-20. It takes a lot of resources to support the thesis and course side of things for the HC.
    • Is there a large burden to review these applications?
      • No; the HC partners with Admissions to review them.
      • Some administrative burden, but nothing significant.

Discussion will continue during the next meeting.

Other Business?