Professor: Wesley Beal
Admission to the Program
First-time, full-time students are invited to interview for the Honors Fellows Program after either:
- scoring 27 or better on the ACT or 1250 or better on the SAT, or
- scoring an unweighted 3.7 GPA or better
In both cases, a student must also meet proficiencies in ENG 001 and MTH 001 prior to matriculation
Lyon students who enter the College without meeting the requirements of the Honors program may apply to become Honors Fellows if they complete the first year with a GPA of 3.5 or better and submit an application to the Honors director. Likewise, transfer students may be admitted when they demonstrate a 3.5 GPA in courses given transfer credit and submit an application to the Honors director. In these cases, students will likely have to make up for missed Honors sections of common-core courses by adding to their total Honors Points requirement (see below).
Honors Fellow Curricular Requirements
- Honors sections of POL 105H* and ENG 105H* taken in the first year
- Fulfillment of two Honors contracts within the student's major (for 3- or 4- credit courses)
- Completion of 10 Honors points (or more for late-entering Honors Fellows; see below)
- HON 400 Honors Capstone (3 credits)
* These courses also satisfy Core requirements
Honors Points
Students who become Honors Fellows after the common-core sequence has begun must add 1 point to their total Honors Points requirement for each 3-credit common-core course not taken in an Honors cohort. Likewise, students who apply AP credits or transfer credits toward the common-core sequence must add 1 point to their total Honors Points requirement for each 3-credit common-core course not taken in an Honors cohort. Honors Fellows must complete 10 Honors points; they are encouraged to formulate a timetable to completion with the Honors director. Honors Fellows may repeat a points category no more than four times.
The allocation of points is:
4 points: Double-majoring
4 points: Study abroad
3 points: Additional year (six-credit sequence) of the foreign language beyond core and major requirements
3 points: Nichols trip
2 points: Honors Fellows domestic travel
2 points: Presentation of new work at undergraduate or professional conference or at juried exhibition or production off campus
3 points: Publication in a peer-reviewed journal or juried, off-campus exhibition
2 points: Additional honors contract beyond the two required for the program
1 point: Attendance of professional conference off-campus
1 point: Completion of the Introduction to Postgraduate Fellowships course
1 point: Executive officer of SGA-recognized organization
1 point: Internship off-campus
1 point: Academic year of service as Resident Assistant or Resident Director
1 point: Semester as Supplemental Instructor
1 point: Semester of College-affiliated or –sponsored vocal or instrumental ensemble, or billed participation in theater production
1 point: Semester of research/arts assistantship
1 point: Lead an Honors Fellows Salon
1 point: Year of varsity athletics
GPA Maintenance, Probation, and Suspension
Honors Fellows must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or better to graduate as an Honors Fellow. An Honors Fellow whose GPA falls below 3.25 will be put on probation from the HFP. While on probation, the Fellow must devise and implement a formal plan to improve her GPA in consultation with the HFP director. A Fellow may not apply contracts to coursework during probation, nor may a Fellow participate in sophomore domestic travel while on probation. The status of a Fellow on probation will be reconsidered after each semester. After two consecutive semesters on probation, the Fellow will be removed from the program.