Renée Crown University Honors Program
Contact Samuel Gorovitz, Founding Director,
306 Bowne Hall, 315-443-2759
The Renée Crown University Honors Program is a selective, demanding, and rewarding program for outstanding students who seek intense intellectual challenge and are prepared to invest the extra effort it takes to meet that challenge. It is marked by four distinguishing characteristics:
- Heightened expectations;
- Participation in a vibrant and active community of learners;
- Intensity of intellectual experience; and
- Special intellectual opportunities and responsibilities.
The program is open to qualified students from all undergraduate majors at Syracuse University. Its requirements, supplemental to those of their majors, stipulate that they demonstrate the attributes of “depth, breadth, command of language, global awareness, civic engagement, and collaborative capacity” by successfully completing the following program requirements:
Depth
- An Honors Capstone Project, with written summary for a non-expert audience; and
- XXX 499, thesis preparation, in the major (e.g., HST 499 or ETS 499).
Breadth
A. Disciplinary Diversity (the following three requirements): An introductory honors seminar (
HNR 100, for first-year students;
HNR 210,
HNR 220, or
HNR 230 for students entering after their first year).
Four three-credit Honors courses, from at least two of the following divisions: humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences/mathematics. At least two of these courses must carry the HNR prefix. The remaining two courses may have the HNR prefix, or be Honors sections of regular, departmental courses. Students may substitute three one-credit, 200-level Honors seminars, taken for a grade, for one of these courses.
B. Interdisciplinarity Work (
one of the following three options):
- An approved, three-credit HNR, Soling or other course with substantial interdisciplinary content; or
- An independent project experience, with prior approval from the Honors Program; or
- A clearly interdisciplinary Capstone Project, with prior approval from the Honors Program and from the student’s major department.
Command of Language (the following four requirements)
- The Capstone Project as described under “Depth” above;
- A written description of the Capstone Project, as noted under “Depth” above;
- One course with a substantial public presentation requirement; and
- Either one course with a significant quantitative component or one course in creative expression.
Global Awareness (
two of the following ten options; these must represent historically different cultural, ethnic, and linguistic heritages, and at least one must be non-Eurocentric in its focus):
- One course that has a non-US focus (other than language courses);
- A Capstone Project that has a non-US focus;
- Ability in a foreign language at a level of 201 or higher;
- An internship or other work with a documented global perspective for at least 50 hours;
- A semester or summer abroad in a University-approved foreign study program;
- An Honors-approved, short-term program that includes a foreign travel component (see examples at: suabroad.syr.edu/programs/shortTerm);
- At least one semester of residence in a Learning Community with an international focus.
- Participate in the University’s Maxwell in Washington Undergraduate Semester one semester residency program (IR/DC);
- An approved, sustained, reciprocal mentoring partnership with international students for one semester under the aegis of the Slutzker Center for International Services; or
- An alternative path approved in advance by the Honors Program.
If the requirements of a student’s major create a serious impediment to completing this requirement as stated, the student may, with prior approval from the program director, satisfy the requirement by completing two courses: one non-US, one non-Eurocentric.
Civic Engagement (two requirements):
Demonstrate civic engagement through sustained, documented involvement over several semesters. The minimum requirement is 50 hours of activity.
Collaborative Capacity (one of three options):
Successfully complete an extended activity with a team of three to five collaborators that involves significant intellectual content appropriate to the Honors Program:
- An approved course or extended project through the Soling program or through other courses that involve substantial teamwork; or
- An independent project experience (in area such as drama or engineering), resulting in production of a deliverable artifact, such as a report, presentation, or performance (requires faculty approval before work begins and at the end of the project);
- An off-campus project (which may be done through an internship, field experience, or other activity), resulting in deliverable artifact, such as a report, presentation, or performance, and accompanied by a written description of the experience, signed by the faculty mentor.
All courses taken to fulfill the above requirements must be completed with a grade of B or better. Honors students must complete the program with a grade point average at least at the cum laude level in their home schools or colleges (for School of Architecture students, 3.2; for all other schools and colleges, 3.4).
Upon completion of these requirements, “Renée Crown University Honors” is awarded on the diploma and listed under “Awards and Honors” on the transcript.
Courses
In addition to honors courses that are offered by individual departments, the Honors Program offers the following seminars and courses: