Honors rolled out a new requirement for incoming students (only) this year: Honors ACE points. ACE stands for Academics, Community Service, and Engagement. Students are required to get 100 points per year to remain active in the honors program. They need 40 in Academics — which they achieve by attending the 4 required symposia per year — 20 in Engagement, and 40 however they’d like to distribute it, including doing volunteer work with Honors or through the PEACE office.
Students have several options for getting these points. If they want more experience with scholarship, they can achieve Academic points by presenting papers with their professors or on their own, getting papers published, or getting a research grant. The Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (OURI) has several great research opportunities for students, and these should not be overlooked. Research grants pay you to geek out about cool stuff, and they’re not just for scientists. Grants are available to people in the humanities and creative artists, too!
If students want more points in engagement, then they should come out and get involved in Honors. They might consider volunteering with the Honors Executive Committee, which helps plan symposia, outings, and service opportunities. Or they might consider attending one of the opening or ending socials we host each semester. Or they might just come to one of the off-campus excursions or attend an on-campus meeting/activity (we’re planning a game night — more info soon).
Community service isn’t required because Honors has 800 students and only 2 vans for off-campus service-work, but that doesn’t mean Honors students don’t have options. If volunteering is your passion, you can earn ACE points by signing up for one of the many volunteer opportunities with the PEACE office.
Want to push yourself? Consider striving for 100 ACE points in each category and earn yourself a badge. Badges reward students who go above and beyond, and students who receive 100 Academic Points receive a Scholarship Badge; 100 Community Points receive a Service Badge; or 100 Engagement Points receive a Leadership Badge. Badges will be awarded digitally via our Canvas site, and they can be downloaded and added to your Mozilla backpack and uploaded with other resume materials when you apply for jobs outside of college. Honors will also be awarding badges as pins to be appended to your Honors Medal; badge winners will be recognized in a special ceremony at the semester’s end.