|
Overview of the Program
How the Program was developed
Coordinator and Counselor
15 Frequently Asked Questions
The Skyline Honors
Program is a transfer preparation program offering a selection of honors
designated courses offered in the 5 IGETC areas. All courses are open to
all students who are otherwise eligible for the class. The Honors Transfer Program is a
member of the Transfer Alliance Program of U.C.L.A. and the Honors Transfer
Council of California. The
consortium of two-year honors programs offer students benefits such as
priority admission, access to special scholarships and housing preference
at some transfer institutions. Students who are eligible for the Honors
Program may elect to take as few or as many courses as they wish, but only
those who take a minimum of 4 courses in the program will be designated as
honors graduates. The program is staffed by a faculty coordinator, a designated
counselor, and the faculty teaching in the program. The program started
admitting students in Fall 2000.
[back to top]
How the Program was Developed
Students had been asking
for both an honors program and an honors society, so in Fall of 1997 Donna
Bestock was asked to research honors programs and make a recommendation for
Skyline. Three types of programs were considered: 1. An honors program as
described by the Transfer Alliance Program. Foothill and West Valley have successful
programs of this kind. 2. Individual honors courses as at CSM, and 3.
Honors contracts with individual students. These proposals were reviewed by
The Educational Policy Committee and then by the Senate Governing Council
and College Council. We decided that a TAP program is best for Skyline. An
Honors Steering Committee was appointed with representatives from each of
the 5 IGETC areas and counseling. The original committee members were:
Carlos Colombetti, chair, arts and humanities; Nina Floro, English
communication; Soodi Zamani, mathematical concepts and quantitative
reasoning; George Buckingham, social and behavioral sciences; George Goth,
physical and biological sciences;
Linda Rosa Corazon, counseling; and Donna Bestock, ex officio.
The Committee planned the program, using
institutional research and planning techniques of the kind recommended by
the Accreditation Commission. We investigated other honors programs, joined
the Bay Area Honors Consortium and consulted with colleagues at several
colleges. With the help of Don Biederman, we researched the patterns of
IGETC classes taken by recent students with a GPA of 3.25 and above. We
held focus groups of current students with GPAs of 3.3 and above. We
surveyed counselors about patterns of course selections by our highest
achieving students. From all of these factors combined, we chose courses in
each of the categories to request development of honors sections. From
those we chose only courses with multiple sections; we do not want to limit
the choices available to other students. The courses we requested were: IGETC 1 (English
communication) Engl 100, Engl 110, Engl 165 IGETC 2 (Mathematical concepts
and quantitative reasoning) Math 200, Math 251 IGETC 3 (Arts and
Humanities) Mus 202, Hist 100*, Hist 240* IGETC 4 (Social and Behavioral
sciences) Hist 100*, Hist 240*, Psyc 100 IGETC 5 (Physical and Biological
sciences) Chem 210, Biol 110.
[back to top]
Coordinator and Counselor
Katherine Harer,
Professor of English, became the program coordinator in 2006. Her duties include recruitment and
approval of students, coordination of the selection and scheduling of
courses and faculty, and representing the program both on and off campus.
Connie brings a wealth of experience in curriculum development, innovative
use of technology and program initiation to this position. Her Puente
experience, in which she worked closely with a counseling partner, is
especially helpful. Connie is committed to "finding and attracting to
the Program the entire range of diversity within our student body in terms
of race, culture, gender, age, and special needs."
Joyce Lee and
Melissa Komadina have been appointed counselors to the program. Their
duties include being the designated counselor to all students admitted to
the Honors Program. They also participate in the recruitment and approval
of students. They work closely with the transfer/articulation officer to
develop and maintain our transfer agreements and accompany students to honors events
at recruiting transfer institutions. They are pleased to be associated with
an exciting program that provides valuable opportunities and experiences
for Skyline students.
[back to top]
15 Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the
advantages for students?
In our student focus groups, the advantages identified as most important to
Skyline students were small classes with students of similar interests,
talents and motivation, and increased transfer and scholarship
opportunities. Students were not very concerned about the amount of work or
possible effects on their GPAs; they felt quite ready for the challenge and
wanted to start right now!
2. What are the
advantages for faculty?
As for students, small classes and the chance to do more in depth work with
students who are exceptionally talented, independent and committed. Faculty
will be encouraged to be more experimental, will themselves be more
challenged, and will get a fresh perspective on their courses.
3. What are the
advantages for the college?
This program increases our visibility in the community and enhances our
reputation as a learning institution. It helps us attract and retain more
talented students. Since many other colleges in the area are instituting
honors programs, we need such offerings to remain competitive. The program
is designed to help us meet Partnership for Excellence (PFE) goals to
increase transfers and degrees awarded.
[back
to top]
4. How are
students chosen?
Criteria for admission to the program are eligibility for English 100 and
Math 120 and GPA of 3.25 in 9 units of degree applicable courses, or a high school GPA of 3.5. Some
students enter from high school
as honors program participants; others
join after some college experience. We particularly seek out
students who have been in programs for under-represented students such as
PUENTE, ASTEP and MESA, who have
discovered their academic interests and talents. Prospective students are recruited
and screened by the program coordinator and counselor.
5. How are faculty be chosen?
A number of factors are considered: student recommendations, dean
recommendation, and self-selection by those who teach the appropriate
classes and are interested in (and enthusiastic about!) doing the
coordination and classroom assessment that will be asked of faculty in the
program.
6. What is
the faculty assignment?
Faculty appointments to the program are on a semester to semester basis.
Both courses and faculty change from term to term. Faculty are asked to
teach to honors course outlines.
[back to top]
7. Does the
Program offer evening honors classes?
Yes. Each semester between one
and three evening honors classes are offered. In addition, evening HTP students
may contract classes for honors credit.
8. What is the
relationship between the Honors Program and the Phi Theta Kappa Honor
Society?
Some students will belong to both organizations. PTK and the Honors Transfer
Program can work together on community service activities since both have a
service component. Completion of the Honors Program requires a minimum of
16 hours of service to the community. One way for students to satisfy this
requirement is to volunteer for activities organized by PTK.
9. Won't this
dilute the quality of the non-honors sections?
No. Honors students take most of their
classes in non-honors sections and not all students who are eligible for
honors courses take them.
[back
to top]
10. Isn't this
program elitist?
No. Skyline has several programs that serve the needs of a specific part of
our population. They are very effective in helping students but do not make
other students who are not in the program feel diminished or uncared for.
The Honors program is specifically designed for the wide variety of Skyline
students and no racial, cultural, gender, age or other bias is present in
selection of students. Our research cohorts were selected with this in
mind. Many of our students have had little chance to take honors or AP
classes in their high schools-they simply were not offered. This Program
ensures that ALL Skyline students have access to the kinds of classes those
from other communities may already enjoy. The demographics of the Program
almost perfectly reflect the demographics of the Skyline student population
at large.
11. Is this a
tracking system?
No. No student is required to take any particular honors course. Honors
students take about 75% of their classes in regular sections. All honors sections are open to the
general student population. Students are not isolated by the Honors
Program.
12. What is the
coordinator's function?
The coordinator recruits and admits students, coordinates class scheduling
and instructor selection, works with the transfer center
coordinator/articulation officer to institute and maintain transfer
agreements, coordinates program research, and works with the program
administrator on budget and other administrative matters.
13. How is the
program being funded?
The program start-up was funded with PFE funds and was designed to increase
our transfer and degree numbers, two of the PFE goals.
14. How will the
program develop?
The program is dynamic and research driven. We add and modify classes as
appropriate. We have been increasing the number of classes offered in
learning community style.
[back
to top]
If you have
questions about the Honors Transfer Program, please contact the program
Coordinator: Katherine Harer.
|
