9-21-23
Lots to cover in this email.
There is a sponsored symposium on September 29th at 2:30 pm in GHS 109. Dr. Anna Ragni will be presenting, “Hominin Bones, Brains, and Biomechanics.” (10 Academic points)
We have just finalized the first HON 255 travel course, “Global Gateway: Intercultural Competence in Italy.” It will be taught by Dr. Vanessa Rukholm. The course will meet on campus for the second 7 weeks of the spring semester then spend June 18th through June 29th in Italy. More here. The deadline to apply for the course is November 1st, 2023. This will count for the HON 255 Idea Lab. If you’re trying to figure out the best way to fit in all of your Honors Curriculum requirements, this is the only way to get HON 255 during the summer.
The application for the Oxford Semester Abroad Programme is coming up quickly: October 14th. The application is here.
For students currently in HON 100 or HON 102, the deadline to continue in Honors is October 15th. The application to continue in Honors is available here.
Three of the Honors Executive Committees (HEC) have scheduled their meetings for the semester. If you’re looking to get involved in the Honors Program, one of the best ways is to join a HEC subcommittee. There are four of them: service, on-campus activities, off-campus activities, and symposia.
If you are interested in joining the Off-Campus Excursions Subcommittee, here is the link to join their GroupMe! The committee’s first meeting will be September 27th at 7:30 PM in Plant Hall 208.
If you’re interested in joining the On-Campus Activities Subcommittee, their first meeting will be on Thursday, September 21st at 6:00 pm in the study area on the second floor of FCA.
And if you’re interested in joining the service subcommittee, their first meeting will be on September 26th at 5:00 pm in Plant Hall 208.
If you have any questions, please email us: honors@ut.edu
Best,
Dr. Cragun
Honors Co-Director
9-14-23
There is a Coffee Conversation next week, September 20th, at 5:00 pm in McKay Hall’s Common Room. Dr. Sarah Smith-Frigerio will be leading a discussion on the question, “How can communication destigmatize mental health concerns?” (10 Academic points)
Because these are meant to be small group discussions, the event is capped at just 20 students. Here is the sign-up form for this event:
https://forms.gle/1mboSqVGMwbXAvQi8
There will be light snacks.
We also just got an email from an alumnus, Dr. Bascom Bradshaw (class of 1997) who would like to have 25 Honors students join him and a group of alumni on a yacht for brunch during alumni weekend: October 28th, from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. (10 Engagement points)
If you’re interested in this opportunity to network with UT alumni, you can sign up here:
[form is now closed; link removed because opportunity is full].
In the interest of professional socialization, if you sign up for either of these events and then do not show up without letting us know, we will make note of that and not let you sign up for limited space events in the future. Signing up for limited events and then not showing up takes a space away from another student. Make sure that you can attend when you sign up and if something comes up, let us know by emailing honors@ut.edu.
Best,
Dr. Cragun
Honors Co-Director
9-7-2023
We have our first symposium of the semester this week.
Friday, September 8th, from 4:00 to 4:45 on the 9th floor of Vaughn, two students who attended Oxford in the spring, Lena Malpeli and Rian Benoit, will describe their experiences. No registration is required. Make sure to bring your phone so you can scan the QR code to get credit for attendance. (10 Academic Points)
since it’s the beginning of the year and we have some new students in Honors, I’m going to repeat our expectations for Honors Symposia. First, arrive early. Arriving when a speaker has already begun their presentation is rude. We will not let students into the presentation after about the first 5 minutes. Plan to stay for their entire presentation and pay attention. One of the best ways to show respect for a speaker and to illustrate that you are paying attention is to ask questions during the Q&A portion of a presentation. If you leave before the presentation ends, you will not receive credit for attending the symposium. Leaving early is also rude. Be respectful.
We’re working with the Honors Executive Council to begin organizing activities but don’t have any scheduled just yet. Even so, if you’d like to begin earning Community points, you can always earn those through PEACE. Here is our policy on earning points through PEACE:
Community service points can be earned by volunteering at the Honors Service subcommittee-sanctioned events or with PEACE. Other volunteer opportunities do not count for Honors ACE points. The volunteer hours to community points ratio is as follows: 1-2 hrs is 10 points; 3-4 hrs is 20 points; 5-6 is 30 points. People who serve on PEACE alternative breaks earn points as follows: Weekend break: 50 service points; Week break national or international: 100 service points.
If you have any questions, please contact us at: honors@ut.edu.
Best,
Dr. Cragun
Honors Co-Director