MiraCosta College Honors Scholar Program

Best Practices and Recommendations for Honors Contract Instruction

(Updated 8/15/19)

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Table of Contents

Honors Contracts Introduction………………………………………………………………………………Page 3

Honors Contracts Description……………………………………………………………………..…… Pages 4-5

Courses Approved for Honors Contract Instruction……………………… ……… Page 6-9

Due Dates for Contracts 2019/2020 Page 9

Honors Contracts Mechanics and Practices…………………………………………………..…… Page 10

FAQ for Honors Contract Instructors……………………………………………………………… Page 10-11

Types of Honors Syllabi………………………………………………………………………………… Page 12-13

Recommendations for your Syllabus……………………………………………………………………Page 13

Consistency of Honors Criteria and Course Goals……………………………….………………..Page 14

Best Tips for Honors Contract Instruction…………………………………………….……….Pages 15-17

Sample Honors Syllabi for Contract instruction......................................... .....Pages 18-22

Figure 1 Students at HTCC Research Conference at UCI

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Honors Contracts Introduction

Every Honors instructor is different, so every Honors course and contract is different. In working

with faculty to offer our honors curriculum, our motto is “respect the discipline.” However, Honors

courses also need to have a set of identifiable, common characteristics that unite them in a

common purpose.

In preparing your course, then, please keep in mind four main goals we should have for our Honors

curriculum and instruction:

1.) To strengthen students’ aptitude for critical thinking.

2.) To produce effective communicators, both in speech and in writing.

3.) To create a community of thinkers who share ideas, offer constructive criticism for each

other, and collaborate on projects.

4.) To nurture each student’s creative and scholarly potential.

If the student completes the Honors Contract, the accomplishment is noted on their transcript and

counts towards Honors Scholar Program requirements. Under your supervision and guidance, you

and the student will conceive a project or assignments which go above and beyond the regular

coursework. This project should relate to the skills and knowledge being taught in the class, but

take it to a more advanced level.

Figure 2 Students at Bay Area Research Symposium, Berkeley

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Honors Contracts Description

What is an Honors Contract?

An Honors Contract is a platform for individualized, enriched course content of a transfer-level

course arranged through a contract (a syllabus) established by the instructor, with approval

from the appropriate department chair and dean.

Rationale and Benefits of Honors Contracts:

The “Honors experience” is available to more students in more courses.

The “Honors teaching experience” is available to more faculty.

Contracts provide the platform to create personalized, in-depth learning opportunities in topics

and disciplines through creative projects, laboratory work, research, and/or service-learning.

Contracts were recommended to the Honors Scholar Program (HSP) by UCLA in its Transfer

Alliance Program (TAP) Review.

Contracts are an established instructional model supported by the Honors Transfer Council of

California (HTCC).

Contracts will not impact deans’ allotment of available hours for scheduling.

Contracts support the Honors Scholar Program’s Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs).

Contracts develop and promote writing, research, and communication skills in transfer-level

courses.

Completion of Honors coursework adds rigor and unique learning experiences that can

strengthen a college transcript, resume, admission essay, or job application.

Parameters of a contract:

A contract requires 25% to 33% “extra effort” from the student, in addition to regularly

assigned coursework, to demonstrate an enriched academic endeavor.

A contract is offered in association with an existing course; a separate Honors COR is required

for a contract.

A contract is directed and evaluated by the instructor; assignments and deadlines may differ

slightly from the associated course syllabus given the additional rigor and engagement

incorporated in the contract.

A separate syllabus will be required for each Honors section.

Contracts are available for transfer-level courses only.

Courses best suited for contracts are those that are included on the GE transfer patterns (Plan

B, Plan C) or those that are articulated for major preparation.

Contracts are not Directed Studies; they are articulated and transferable to the same extent as

the associated course.

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A contract is a one-to-one arrangement between instructor and student, but the same contract

assignments, deadlines, and specifics may be made available to more than one student in a

given Honors course section.

Student and Faculty Participant Eligibility for 2019/2020:

The option to create an Honors contract is available to any MiraCosta student for any course approved

for ‘stacking’ by the Courses and Programs Committee which follows the parameters outlined on Page

2. The completion and submission of an Honors Contract proposal is the responsibility of the

instructor. Participation by either party is completely voluntary. Faculty should determine if the

student possesses the required motivation and skills to complete the workload expected of an Honors

Contract. Special, unique cases can be discussed with the Honors Faculty Coordinator.

Guidelines for Faculty Eligibility:

Faculty teaching stacked Honors shall be compensated 0.22727 LHE per student contract, up to

a maximum of 5 student contracts per semester per faculty member. This mathematical

calculation comes out to 7.5 hours per contract at the instructor’s rate. The total faculty

assignment including work experience, internship classes, or stacked Honors shall not exceed

limits contained in the approved district/faculty assembly agreement or the MOU signed by the

Associate Faculty leadership in July 2016.

Before teaching a stacked Honors section, it is recommended by the Honors Advisory Council

that faculty should

o Complete a flex workshop in Honors instruction, or

o Provide proof of experience teaching an Honors section to the appropriate supervising

dean and vice-president, or

o Receive a recommendation to teach a stacked Honors section from their respective

department chair to the appropriate supervising dean and vice president.

Compensation for teaching a stacked Honors section requires approval by the appropriate dean

and vice president.

Honors Contract and syllabus/addendum for an Honors course and non-honors course must be

submitted to the Honors Scholar Program Office by set deadlines each semester. This deadline

is usually at the end of the first week of courses during the summer term and within the first

two weeks of instruction during the fall and spring semesters.

Faculty on reduced workloads are not eligible to teach Honors Contracts at this time.

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Courses Approved for 2019-2020 Honors Contract Instruction

Subject Course Onsite 100%

Online Hybrid CSU IGETC CourseTitle

ACCT 201H x x x CSU credit UC credit Financial Accounting (Honors)

ACCT 202H x x x CSU credit UC credit Managerial Accounting (Honors)

ADM 100H x x x D 4 Introduction to the Administration of Justice (Honors)

ANTH 101H x x B2 5B Biological Anthropology (Honors)

ANTH 101LH x B3 5B, 5C Biological Anthropology Lab (Honors)

ANTH 102H x x x D 4 Cultural Anthropology (Honors)

ANTH 105H x x x B2, D 4, 5B Evolution of Human Behavior (Honors)

ANTH 190H x x B2, D 4, 5B Primate Behavior and Ecology (Honors)

ART 159H x x x C1, C2 Art of Ancient Mesoamerica and South America (Honors)

ART 260H x C1 3A History of Modern Art (Honors)

BIO 204H x x B2, B3 5B, 5C

Foundations of Biology: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Genetics, and Molecular Biology (Honors)

BIO 210H x x CSU credit UC credit Human Anatomy (Honors)

BUS 140H x CSU credit UC credit

Legal Environment of Business (Honors)

BUS 290H x CSU credit Business Communication (Honors)

CHEM 115H x x B1, B3 5A, 5C Introductory General Chemistry: For Allied Health Majors (Honors)

CHEM 150H x x B1, B3 5A, 5C General Chemistry I: For Science Majors (Honors)

CHEM 151H x x B1, B3 5A, 5C General Chemistry II: For Science Majors (Honors)

CHEM 210H x x CSU credit UC credit

Organic Chemistry I: For Science Majors (Honors)

CHEM 211H x x CSU credit UC credit

Organic Chemistry II: For Science Majors (Honors)

DNCE 100H x x x C1 3A Dance Appreciation (Honors)

DNCE 101H x x x C1 Dance History (Honors)

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DNCE 105H x x x C1 Dance Cultures of the World (Honors)

ENGL 100H x x x A2 1A Composition and Reading (Honors)

ENGL 201H x A3 1B Critical Thinking, Composition, and Literature (Honors)

ENGL 202H x x x A3 1B Critical Thinking and Composition (Honors)

FILM 101H x x x C1 3A Introduction to Film (Honors)

FILM 111H x x x C1, C2 3A, 3B Film History I: 1880-1945 (Honors)

FILM 112H x x x C1, C2 3A, 3B Film History II: 1945-Present (Honors)

FILM 211H x x x C2 3B Identity and Film: Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality (Honors)

FILM 212H x x x C2 3B Women and Film: Representation and Impact (Honors)

GEOL 101H x x x B1 5A Physical Geology (Honors)

HIST 100H x x x C2, D 3B, 4 World History to 1500 (Honors)

HIST 101H x x x C2, D 3B, 4 World History Since 1500 (Honors)

HIST 102H x x x D 4 History of the Modern Middle East (Honors)

HIST 103H x x x C2 3B Early European History and Culture (Honors)

HIST 104H x x x C2 3B Modern European History and Culture (Honors)

HIST 105H x x x D 4 History of England (Honors)

HIST 106H x x x D 4 History of Technology (Honors)

HIST 110H x x x D* 4 United States History to 1877 (Honors)

HIST 111H x x x D* 4 United States History Since 1877 (Honors)

HIST 113H x x x D 4 American Military History (Honors)

HIST 115H x C2, D 3B, 4 Women in American History (Honors)

HIST 116H x x x D* 4 History of the Americas to 1830 (Honors)

HIST 117H x x x D* 4 History of the Americas Since 1830 (Honors)

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HIST 141H x x x D* 4 Mexican American History Through 1877 (Honors)

HIST 142H x x x D* 4 Mexican American History Since 1877 (Honors)

HIST 145H x x x D* 4 African American History to 1877 (Honors)

HIST 146H x x x D 4 African American History Since 1877 (Honors)

HUMN 101H x C2 3B Introduction to the Arts (Honors)

LIBR 201H x x x CSU credit UC credit Media & Information Literacy (Honors)

LIT 250H x x x C2 American Literature: First Contact Through the Civil War (Honors)

LIT 251H x x x C2 American Literature: Mid-1800s to the Present (Honors)

LIT 260H x C2 3B English Literature Through the 18th Century (Honors)

LIT 261H x C2 3B English Literature: Romantic to Contemporary (Honors)

LIT 265H x C2 3B Shakespeare Studies (Honors)

LIT 270H x C2 World Literature to 1600 (Honors)

MATH 131H x x x B4 2A Pre-Calculus II: Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry (Honors)

MATH 150H x x x B4 2A Calculus and Analytic Geometry (Honors)

MATH 226H x x CSU credit Discrete Mathematics (Honors)

MATH 260H x x x B4 2A Calculus and Analytic Geometry III (Honors)

MATH 270H x x CSU credit Linear Algebra (Honors)

MUS 119H x x x C1 3A Jazz History (Honors)

NUTR 100H x x x B2, E Nutrition Today (Honors)

OCEA 101H x B1 5A Introduction to Oceanography (Honors)

PHIL 101H x x x C2 3B Introduction to Philosophy: Knowledge and Reality (Honors)

PHIL 110H x x x A3 Introduction to Logic (Honors)

PHSN 108H x x x B1 5A Introduction to Climate Change (Honors)

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PHYS 151H x x B1, B3 5A, 5C Principles of Physics I (Honors)

PHYS 152H x x B1, B3 5A, 5C Principles of Physics II (Honors)

PHYS 253H x x B1, B3 5A, 5C Principles of Physics III (Honors)

PSYC 101H x D 4 General Psychology (Honors)

PSYC 104H x B4 2A Statistics for Behavioral Science (Honors)

RELG 101H x x x C2 3B World Religions (Honors)

SOC 101H x D 4 Introduction to Sociology (Honors)

*applicable toward CSU graduation requirement

updated 6/27/2019

Submission Due Dates for Honors Contracts for 2019-2020, by 4 p.m.

FALL 2019 For Regular Start classes: Monday, Week 5 9/16/19 For Late Start 15-week classes: Monday, Week 6 9/23/19 For First 8-Week classes: Tuesday, Week 3 9/3/19 For Second 8-Week classes: Monday, Week 11 10/28/19 SPRING 2020 For Regular Start classes: Tuesday, Week 5 2/18/20 For Late Start 15-week classes: Monday, Week 6 2/24/20 For First 8-Week classes: Monday, Week 3 2/3/20 For Second 8-Week classes: Monday, Week 11 4/6/20

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Honors Contracts Mechanics and Practices

1.) (Early or Pre-Semester) Student or Instructor solicits interest in Honors version of

the course.

2.) (Early semester) Faculty meets with interested students once or twice to know

student interests and abilities and to go over Honors syllabus.

3.) Faculty member handles contract paperwork and submits 1.) Honors Contract and

2.) Honors Syllabus to Honors@miracosta.edu in the first four weeks of the

semester for full-length semester courses. Within first two weeks of the semester

for 8-week courses. Within first week of the semester for 6-week courses.

Specific dates and times are located at www.miracosta.edu/honors and must be

followed explicitly. Late contracts will not be accepted.

4.) Faculty and student meet regularly throughout the semester in accordance to

the expectations of the syllabus.

5.) Faculty posts one final grade on SURF at the end of the semester.

FAQ for Honors Contract Instructors

Why are we offering Honors Contracts? Contracts offer the “Honors experience” to more students and more instructors. Contracts were recommended to the Honors Scholar Program by UCLA in its TAP Review and they are an established instructional model supported by the Honors Transfer Council of California.

Will we offer designated Honors sections as well as Honors Contracts? Yes, but we are still thinking about how these two types of offerings will balance each other.

If the associated non-Honors class is cancelled for low enrollment, but one student still wants an Honors Contract, can I still teach the contract? No. The Honors Contract is tied to the scheduling of the associated non-Honors class.

Once a student has entered into an Honors Contract, can a student withdraw from an Honors Contract and re-enter the regular course? After census…No. Student enrollment and withdrawal is handled by the same mechanisms Admissions and Records uses for non-Honors courses and all of the same rules apply.

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Can a student take an Honors Contract pass/no pass? Yes, but students should consult their academic counselor first before making this choice. Transfer destinations like UCLA and UCI highly discourage Honors students from taking their Honors courses pass/no pass.

Can a student receive an ‘Incomplete’ for an Honors Contract course? Yes. The rules for an incomplete grade are the same regardless of whether the course is an Honors contract course or not.

Since faculty can only teach five Honors Contracts (depending on your contractual load limits), what are some suggestions to help determine the most deserving students? The Honors Advisory Council recommends the following criteria: 1.) Is a student an Honors student? 2.) How close is the student to graduation and program completion? 3.) Is your course part of the student’s major prep transfer requirements? Remember that all MiraCosta students are eligible for Honors coursework. I recommend doing an assignment in the few weeks of a semester that can be used to find ‘hidden’ students that often are great for this type of coursework but are overlooked because they are often quiet or less confident students. Leave a couple of honors contracts open so you can find these special students in your classroom that need encouragement to ‘step up’ into the honors contract experience.

What kind of projects are considered ‘Honors’ types of assignments? While not an exhaustive list, many of the traditional types of assignments include:

-Research Project/Paper -Service/Community Based Learning Project -Demonstration of an advanced skill -Computer Programming

-Class Presentations based on research -Creative Writing or Fine Arts Portfolio Assuming the instructor has followed the proper mechanics, practices and timeline for the creation of an Honors contract, the main criteria for approving an Honors contract hinges on whether the Honors syllabus clearly reflects what the ‘Honors’ component is for this course and how this extra work and course knowledge will be accomplished.

Types of Honors Syllabi:

Instructors provide syllabus information to Honors students in a variety of ways. Some instructors

distribute a stand-alone Honors syllabus that lays out the Honors course requirements. Since the

student also receives a syllabus for the regular requirements of the class, the Honors syllabus may be

somewhat shorter in length (classroom etiquette, late work policies, etc. are not replicated in the

Honors syllabus to avoid redundancy). The advantage of the separate syllabus is that it makes it clear

how the Honors coursework is distinct from the regular requirements for the course.

Other instructors include the Honors course requirements in the syllabus for regular section of the

class so that all students receive the same syllabus. The advantage of this style of syllabus is that all

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students can see what the Honors students will be accomplishing during the semester and it may

encourage additional students to join the Honors section. Please utilize the type of syllabus that works

the best for you.

Recommendations for Grading:

1.) The student’s grade should reflect the student’s work in the entire course, including regular

course assignments and exams detailed in course syllabus.

2.) Aim to use different evaluation methods in your honors course from those you use in your

regular courses. Every Honors course should take advantage of the small numbers of students

to use individualized examination techniques, such as open-ended examination questions, oral

exams, and/or portfolios. Make sure your course outline of record permits these types of

assignments.

3.) Cultivate a spirit of adventure and risk-taking. In many Honors courses, a palpable sense exists

among the students and the faculty member that they are engaged in an experiment, a “trying

out” of new assignments and new approaches. Many Honors students are risk-averse because

they fear it may affect their transfer G.P.A. Help students emerge from their conservatism by

valuing risk-taking as part of the grading process. Possibly offer opportunities for re-writes if a student

takes a bold, novel approach to the assignment.

Regular course requirements (assignments, tests, etc.) 1. _________________________________________________________ __________% 2._________________________________________________________ _________ % 3._________________________________________________________ _________ % 4. _________________________________________________________ __________% 5. _________________________________________________________ __________% 6. _________________________________________________________ __________%

Regular Total: 100 %

Honors contract work requires various additional assignments (extra reading, writing, field work, etc.) 1. _________________________________________________________ _________% 2.__________________________________________________________ _________ % 3. _________________________________________________________ _________% 4. _________________________________________________________ _________% 5._________________________________________________________ _________%

Honors Total: 25-33%

Overall Total: 125-133%

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Recommendations for your Syllabus: What to Include:

1. Make sure you have Honors mentioned in the title (i.e. Honors History 110H).

2. Basic course information - include course description, course objectives, Honors course number (i.e. History 110H), and Honors section number.

3. Faculty information – list your name, e-mail, as well as office number and office hours for faculty.

4. Provide a clear purpose for the course: The Honors syllabus is an Honors student’s guide of what

to expect in the course. It provides an overview of the goals, academic content, materials, grading

policies, and schedule for the semester.

5. Books and assigned materials - include complete information about all recommended and required

reading as well as any other materials you would like students to have to be successful in the

course. It is not recommended that you write, “Extra readings and materials will be assigned” or “I

will periodically hand out primary and secondary source documents to discuss in meetings on

blackboard.” The vagueness of these statements may hurt your student’s ability to receive credit

for the course at a transfer institution. Amend and update your syllabus when possible to reflect

the specificity of your readings.

6. Honors assignments – explain any required reading, assignments, presentations, or other Honors

work the student will be completing in your class that is in addition to the regular work for the class. Include the expectations and due dates for these assignments. Rubrics and student models are particular helpful in getting students to work at your expected ‘Honors’ level of competence.

7. Grading policy – include your grade system: point, letter, etc. What is your policy about late and

make-up work? Make sure it is either in the non-Honors or Honors syllabus. 8. Meeting times - list when you will be meeting with Honors students outside of regular class times

ensuring that is regular and effective. Be specific with your expectations about meeting. The schedule could be provided on a separate handout if the meeting times are not established when you distribute the syllabus.

9. Canvas access -include what types of information, if any, students can access in the Honors and/or

regular Canvas course shells for your class.

10. Try to have your assignments connect in some way to the Honors Scholar Program’s Program Student Learning Outcomes.

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Consistency of Honors Criteria and Course Goals As a rule of thumb, students should anticipate investing approximately ¼ to ⅓ more effort in order to earn the Honors credit. The goal of the Honors Contract is to stimulate and enrich the academic experience for both faculty and student. The contract syllabus submitted by the instructor must incorporate some (at least five) of the attributes below, as compared to the non-Honors course.

o approaching the material from an interesting or unconventional thematic perspective;

o emphasizing written and oral communication skills in individual or group settings;

o more opportunities for writing at a higher standard;

o emphasizing discussion and other interactive teaching/learning techniques (pro-seminars, seminars) that are generally unsuitable for larger undergraduate classes;

o encouraging creative expression and achievement;

o fostering teamwork, collaboration and a higher degree of student participation and involvement in the class;

o applying theories and principles learned in class to "real-life" problems and situations;

o providing opportunities for student-conceived independent research;

o incorporating, where possible, more community-based opportunities for study outside the formal classroom and away from campus (field trips, interviews, cultural events, service projects);

o providing opportunities for publication or public presentation of work;

o developing assignments and exercises that require students to reconcile conflicting findings or to synthesize different points of view, particularly in cross-or interdisciplinary contexts;

o emphasizing the use of challenging original or primary sources, as opposed to traditional textbooks and secondary readings;

o use of resources or consultants from beyond the campus, such as university libraries, interactions with business leaders, visiting professionals and so forth;

o higher standards of performance than those expected of regular students;

o greater enhancement of skills in critical thinking, analysis and interpretation of course material;

o leadership in the teaching environment: leading study groups, lab exercises, class discussion, assisting faculty in preparation and delivery of instructional material.

o _________________________________________________________________

o _________________________________________________________________

o _________________________________________________________________

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Best Tips for Honors Contract Instruction

Recommendation #1: In order for Honors Contracts to work well, students must have regular,

effective meetings with faculty members. These meetings can take a number of different forms,

either as small group or individual meetings with the faculty, and focus on all aspects of the student's

experience such as research development and design, critical discussion of readings, consideration of

obstacles to the project evaluation or research proposed. Meetings can discuss the specifics of the

class, Honors assignments, or address any and all issues pertinent to the student’s course experience.

These meetings can be done face-to-face or online. Occasionally problems such as poor production and

communication emerge in some contract situations that could have been worked out through more

active consultation with the faculty instructor.

From HSP Faculty Director Christopher Sleeper: “My favorite meetings in the past have often taken

place outside my office in coffee shops, restaurants and research libraries. In my opinion, there is

something exciting about going through the process of research as a team instead of simply sending a

student alone to handle the research wilderness.”

Figure 3 Honors Students and Faculty at Bay Area Symposium

Recommendation #2: Faculty instructors should establish specific deadlines for staged completion of

the Honors elements. This will make your meetings with your student more useful, efficient and

productive.

Recommendation #3: Develop a very clear class participation rubric for your Honors section that

outlines the expectations of student involvement both in and outside of class.

Recommendation #4: Organizing your Class

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When organizing your contract syllabus we recommend two ideas: 1.) Use the Course Outline of

Record for creating and structuring your assignments. 2.) Use the S.M.A.R.T. Goal System:

S. pecific: Have you been specific enough with your expectations and goals of the meetings and

assignments in the section?

M. easureable: How will these Honors assignments affect the overall grading of a student? Can a

student do sloppy work in their Honors assignments and still receive an ‘A’ or ‘B’ grade overall?

A. ttainable: Does a student have the practical resources to complete the assignments you are asking

them to complete?

R. ealistic: Are your expectations of this assignment realistic? To be realistic, a goal must represent an

objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic;

you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal

represents substantial progress.

T. imely: Are you scaffolding your assignments so that a student has a true chance of completing

them? We have all written papers in a short period of time but we want to model better behaviors for

our students. Remember that our students are on a transfer and semester timeline. If a student is

taking Incompletes because they were not able to complete an Honors assignment, it may jeopardize

their certification for transfer.

Recommendation #5: If it is appropriate, try to involve students in the leadership of the course.

Students in an Honors course could, for example, be asked to contribute to the design of course

assignments or tailor existing course assignments to reflect their particular class’s own interests. For

example, students might be asked to draw interdisciplinary connections to other coursework in which

the students are engaged. Faculty have had a lot of fun designing course content where both the

student and instructor taught particular aspects of the lecture material for the class.

Recommendation #6: The potential flexibility of Honors contracts instruction might allow you to create

an honors learning community that involves working with another instructor and students.

Recommendation #7: The ‘stacked’ contract method is a great way to get the pulse of the class. Ask

your honors students regular about what assignments and concepts are working for your contract and

non-contract students. Usually, because of the extra access to your students, students are more likely

to be more open to discussing these types of topics.

Recommendation #8: Do not assume research skills. Many honors contracts will involve some aspect

of research and often they will also require presentation skills too. Do not assume that students

possess these skills. If you are requiring a student to do research at an ‘honors’ level, make sure one of

your first meetings with the student takes place at a library and possibly with a reference librarian

present. Students need guidance and direction to find the appropriate-level resources for your

projects. Left to their own devices, students usually turn to the path of least resistance (i.e. Google

searches) and the results are often not pretty.

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Recommendation #9: Tie your student’s contract work to the OMNI research showcase. The OMNI, ‘Outstanding Minds Nurturing Inspiration’, was created to be a one-day conference of MiraCosta student research that showcases the excellent quality of MiraCosta’s students work each semester. The word OMNI in Latin means ‘all, of all things’ and this word was deliberately chosen because the OMNI showcase is meant to provide an inclusive, friendly, multidisciplinary forum for any MiraCosta student working on research in their coursework, internships or independently. The OMNI especially supports the

new Honors contract curriculum by bringing together students, faculty mentors and the MiraCosta district community to share ideas and learn about the research and scholarship that developed out of their Honors contracts. Deadlines for student submissions usually occur around the middle of each semester and the conference takes place on a Saturday usually a week before finals week. Presenting at the OMNI showcase offers opportunities to enhance their academic resume that support their academic resume and will help students transfer successfully to some of the more competitive academic programs and universities.

Recommendation #10: advice for your Honors Syllabus:

o State precisely how your project differs from the regular work of the class.

o Make very clear what you're doing, why you're doing it, how you're doing it, when you're

doing it, and what the outcome (or final product) of your student project will be.

o Include an explicit timetable for meetings with the student, submission of the components or

drafts of the project, and submission of the final product. The final deadline can be no later

than the scheduled final examination period for the course.

o Include an explicit statement of the criteria that will be used to evaluate the contracted work.

Will the project be graded? If so, what percentage of the course grade will the contracted

work constitute? If the project will not be graded, what are the minimum requirements that

the work must meet in order to be judged acceptable?

o Very important! What will happen if the contracted work is not satisfactory? Will this be

reflected in a lower course grade? It is vital that the criteria by which your work will be

evaluated, and the consequences for unsatisfactory work, be stated clearly and

explicitly. This is for your own protection.

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Sample Honors Syllabus for Contract instruction: Please borrow if it works for you.

More Sample Syllabi may be found at the ‘For Faculty’ link on our HSP webpage.

Professor Christopher Sleeper

MiraCosta College

Email: csleeper@miracosta.edu

Telephone: (760) 757-2121 X6514

Office: 3113 Office Hours: T/TH 1:30-2:30 p.m. and by appointment

History 110H: Honors American History to 1877

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.”

–Abraham Lincoln

Welcome to Honors American History 110H. The purpose of the honors section for this

class is to investigate themes and processes of the early period of American history on a more

analytical and comparative level than the regular course. Examining some of the historical

scholarship for American History will allow you to explore and investigate important but lesser

known themes and topics of American history and refine research and presentation skills.

Though there will be more work expected of you, I hope you will find our honors experience to

be stimulating, fun and challenging. In addition to the regular course learning outcomes, as we

embark on our adventure in learning I am hoping that you will accomplish the following goals:

1. Gain an enriched knowledge of American history;

2. Learn how to use primary and second source collections pertaining to American history;

3. Acquire an interest in learning more by asking questions and seeking answers;

4. Improve time management skills that encourage efficiency and self-directed learning;

5. Develop communication skills for formal presentations;

6. Study how to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments and points of view.

IF YOU ACCOMPLISH THESE SIX GOALS YOU WILL:

1.) Achieve an academic milestone achievement that enhances your professional resume;

2.) Develop valuable academic skills that will prepare you for your transfer;

3.) Establish a professional relationship with me that can yield strong academic and

professional recommendations;

4.) Add rigor and distinction to your academic transcript.

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Required materials:

Students will acquire scholarly source material for their research paper from different websites,

journals and books to discuss in synchronous and asynchronous meetings. Students will not

need to purchase these materials.

Contract Collaboration:

I would like us to communicate via email, phone or in-person (preferred) every two

weeks to discuss paper sources and progress on your research paper. I would also like to

see you make regular and consistent contributions on the ‘Sleeper Salon’ forums and

course blogs that explore your research topic.

Students are expected to meet with me periodically to discuss their research. A

minimum of one (1) meeting will be necessary to receive full credit for the research

proposal, and a minimum of three (3) additional meetings will be necessary to meet the

requirements of the research paper. A minimum of two (2) meetings will be needed to

develop your formal presentation. I prefer that these meetings and especially the formal

presentation practice meetings take place in office hours but others may be done over the

phone or online. We should agree on the expectations, timing and frequency of our

communication before the contract is signed.

Important Notes:

Honors contracts are available for any MiraCosta student and not only students

who normally receive the highest grades. Students who enjoy reading and writing,

particularly in history, should be good candidates for an Honors contract in history.

Creating and completing an honors contract requires a serious commitment from the

student. Once a student enters into an Honors contract, a student cannot retreat back into

the original History 110 section. A student may withdraw entirely from an honors

contract class at any point up to the withdrawal deadline (75% point of the semester).

Any student taking an honors contract may use either Honors lounge either at Oceanside

or the San Elijo campus and may procure a library card for advanced study at UC Irvine,

CSU San Marcos and UCLA.

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Research Paper and formal presentation

Each student is required to complete a 7-8 page research paper using at least four scholarly

sources (one primary source) by November 6 and present your work either in oral or poster form

at the MiraCosta OMNI Showcase on November 18. To help you with the paper, we will

collaborate together to improve your research and writing skills. More information on this

assignment can be found in the course resources folder on Blackboard. Students are expected

to meet deadlines during the semester that require handing in other parts of the project

such as research proposals and annotated bibliographies. Please see the summary at the end

of this syllabus for these deadlines.

Why did I assign a research paper and a formal presentation? If you examine how the

University of California selects transfer students (Click here), you will notice that the U.C.

values numerous criteria including Honors course completion and completion of special projects

undertaken in the context of your college curriculum or in conjunction with special school

events, projects or programs (such as the OMNI showcase).

Completing the research paper and formal presentation will help you fulfill two of the Honors

Scholar Program Student Learning Outcomes:

PSLO 1: Honors students will report having engaged in at least one type of research using

discipline-specific skills during their Honors Scholar Program participation, either through

Honors coursework or participation in a research conference.

PSLO 2: Honors students will report having engaged in at least one formal presentation of

research using discipline-specific skills during their Honors Scholar Program participation,

either through Honors coursework or participation in a research conference.

Grades will be based on the following regular and honors course work:

REGULAR ASSIGNMENTS:

History Blogs/wikis/Thought Papers/Primary Source Analysis Up to 150 points

Four Exams, each one occurring every four weeks Up to 300 points

Book worksheet 50 points

Class Participation on discussion boards Up to 90 points

HONORS ASSIGNMENTS:

Honors Class Participation 50 points

Honors Research Paper Proposal 20 points

Honors Annotated Bibliography 20 points

Honors Research Paper 100 points

Honors Research Presentation (may be poster or oral presentation) 40 points

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Total 820 points

Major Course and Assignment Dates (Summary)

Assignment Due Date

Honors Contract Consultation and Completion By August 24

Honors Research Paper Proposal September 4

Honors Annotated Bibliography Due October 18

Research Collaboration Expected every two or three weeks

Honors Research Paper Due Date November 6

OMNI Showcase Presentation at San Elijo (required) November 18

Note: Students should keep a copy of this syllabus until they graduate from their

four-year institution in order to better handle possible articulation issues.

“Here you Leave Today and Enter the World of Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy." -Walt Disney

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Sample Syllabus for Contract Education… with some “Improvement Needed”:

Honors Assignments

You will complete these assignments in addition to the regular assignments for the course.

Final Paper

You will turn in a final paper (due finals week) that reflects the quality and care expected of honors

students

Special Honors Seminar

We will convene as a special honors seminar at times to be arranged outside of class (three one hour

sessions) to discuss additional assigned readings or to further discuss readings from the class. These

meetings will take place about once a month during the semester. The book we will read this semester

is The Reasons of Love, by Harry G. Frankfurt (ISBN: 0-691-12624-0). The bookstore does not have this

book. I suggest you order it from Amazon. If you have any problems let me know and I will help.

Office Hours Visit

Schedule an office hour visit with me once (at least) during the semester.

Coordinator Notes:

This is a contract syllabus from another community college for an Honors Philosophy course.

1.) I think it can be improved by being clearer about the expectations of the final paper and the office

hours.

2.) I recommend having a clear list of due dates and the expectations for the students enrolled with

the professor.

3.) Students may not know what a seminar is or how it functions. I would have some sort of rubric

about the expectations of student participation in a seminar or how a student can prepare for that sort

of pedagogical exercise.