Let's Talk About the Honors Program!
By: Jasmine Gage ‘25
The Honors Program here at McKendree is considered an academic program that is specialized for high-achieving students to provide an enhanced educational experience while they continue their studies on campus. It provides a list of specialized courses for its students through general education courses, a potential opportunity for the Honors scholarship, opportunities to create and present research findings, and certain events hosted by the program.
What Are the Requirements in Order to Join or Stay Within the Program?
The requirements to join the program for incoming first-years is to have/maintain a 3.75 GPA throughout the school year. As for students who are already present here on campus, you must also have a 3.75 GPA in order to qualify. If you are interested in being a part of the program, do not hesitate to reach out to Dr. Nicole DeWall, the Honors program director. She will be more than happy to welcome you aboard!
In order to stay within the program, every semester you must take one of the Honors courses provided to you during that semester. Even if the course sounds intimidating, I encourage you to take it anyway. You never know what you might learn that semester and what you can take away from it! Also, keep in mind that some courses may only be available to you during that semester, so don’t be afraid to jump at the chance!
Once you finish the requirement of specialized courses, you move onto two courses that help you pinpoint a specific research question and work closely with a faculty member of your choice to help you develop the research plan. After you form the specific area of research, you will then create a presentation to showcase on Academic Excellence Day.
What Classes Would I Be Taking?
The Honors program offers classes that are specialized toward Honors students. It features a different list of classes every semester and they tend to be more interesting than your usual general education courses. One of my favorite Honors classes I took on campus was a philosophy class discussing love and sexuality. It mainly focused on the nature of love, its place in society, and how one of our greatest philosophers, Plato, described love in its most natural state. It was considered a course that would only be available during one semester, so I decided to take it and loved every second of it! By taking these courses, you are also able to complete your general education requirements while also having the chance to have a bit of fun throughout the semester.
What are the Perks of Being in this Program?
Now I know what you may be thinking: What exactly do I get from being in this program? The first perk I would love to address is having the opportunity to meet the guest speakers that the Hett sponsors. About two years ago, I had the honor of being able to meet Steve Burns from the kids’ show, Blues Clues. The Honors program hosted an event known as “Sundaes with Steve” and the Honors students were able to talk with him, get autographs, take photos, and create sundaes with Steve.
You also get the chance to receive paid tickets to the Hett events, invites to Honors parties, become a part of the Honors Council, and get the chance to present at the Honors Council of the Illinois Region (HCIR). Attending events such as HCIR or being on the Honors Council can help build your resume while building upon certain skills such as leadership and communication. Besides, it’s always nice to take a step out of your comfort zone.
What Are the Activities the Honors Program Hosts?
The Honors program tends to host mini parties for the Honors students to be able to take a load off their shoulders and relax a bit from the overwhelming semester. They also typically have projects that they do at parties as well. At one of the parties, I had the chance to actually to donate to an organization with the other Honors students. Another year, I had the chance of meeting the incoming Honors students and discussing with them what they could expect from the program. You also have the chance to join the Honors Council, which typically focuses on the program itself and what we can create such as social events, potential courses for next year, and more! Recently, the Honors program has launched a brand-new newsletter called “The Brainy Bearcat.” This newsletter will feature information about future events the program will host, helpful information for Honors students, and more!
Why Should I Join?
You should join for the wonderful experience the Honors program can bring into your life. I’ve met great professors, had the opportunity to present at the HCIR and at Academic Excellence Day, and met some pretty cool guest speakers, formed relationships with other Honors students, and more. The program is pretty special in its own way, but if my words alone cannot convince you, here’s a quote from Dr. Nicole DeWall herself!
“McKendree’s Honors Program is special because it’s fully integrated into the general education curriculum. That means that Honors students fulfill a few of their general education credits by taking the Honors version of the classes they would normally take. Honors classes tend to be “cooler” or more topic-based than typical general education classes and they often involve outside-of-class extension events or projects.
Honors students also have opportunities to engage in research with faculty members, which are such special experiences. Students choose the projects, and they take the lead.
I love working with our most curious and motivated students. They make my job easy! I also love planning bonding events and supporting our wonderful faculty members who teach in the program.”
So go ahead and join the Honors program—we would love to have you!
