Tasks
Faculty members who teach Honors Option courses are expected to perform the following tasks:
- Actively assist each Honors Option student in his or her course.
- Communicate with instructors from the student's major field or instructors in core courses as necessary (For example, for a student who wishes to complete an Honors Option in English composition on an accounting related topic, the Honors English instructor may wish to communicate with the student's Accounting instructor.)
- Return project plan submissions to students within one week as approved or accompanied by recommendations for improvement or additional requirements for acceptance.
- Meet/communicate with Honors students on no fewer than two occasions during the semester after the project is approved and before the final project is due to discuss the project and to ensure milestones are being met and progress is being made.
- Provide written feedback, possibly by email, to each Honors student twice during the semester to make positive suggestions for improvement and completion.
- Work with Honors Program Committee members to resolve issues that arise as appropriate.
Meeting with Honors Option Students Who Are Pursuing a Community Service Project
Faculty members teaching students who have designed Honors Option Projects that have a community service aspect are expected to perform the following tasks:
- Advise the student to meet with Durham Tech’s service learning coordinator, Erin Riney, to discuss community service / community interaction elements of a project and to sign a community-based learning waiver.
- Meet with the student, Erin Riney, and the site supervisor (if appropriate) to create an understanding of the scope of community-based work and the benefits and limitations of working with a community partner.
- Interact with/check in with the site supervisor at least once, possibly through email.
- Remove a student from a site if necessary and determine the ramifications, with the help of the Honors Program Committee, if appropriate.
- Consider including site supervisor feedback and comments in the evaluation of the Honors project.
Loads for Instructors Teaching Honors Option Courses
- Honors Option instructors participate on a volunteer basis, and as such they do not receive course release time or any additional remuneration for their efforts.
- Honors Option instructors are limited to three (3) honors students/contracts per semester.
Following-up with Honors Option Students
Faculty members teaching Honors Option courses are expected to perform these follow-up tasks:
- Recognize students who complete Honors Option courses each year (for example, through an end-of-term meeting, oral presentation session, or reception.)
- Conduct an informal evaluation with students for feedback on their experiences in pursuing the Honors Option as well as suggestions for future Honors Option students.