RockhuRst univeRsity 2012–2014 catalog

High School GPA of 3.5 or higherCollege GPA of 3.3 or higherGraduationTo graduate from the program, students must have active status, complete a minimum of24 hours of honors credit, and earn a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or above. Additional informationon the Honors Program may be obtained from the Director of the Honors Program,and interested students may also visit the Rockhurst University website.HON 3500. Leaders in History, Culture, and Literature (3)This course introduces students to models of leadership, using literature, history, film, andart to understand how leaders act. In the Ignatian Jesuit tradition, the course encouragesthe development of personal leadership traits such as self-awareness, imagination, criticalthinking, and ethical responsibility. Prerequisite: Writing proficiency.HON 4940. Honors Thesis (1-4)The Honors Thesis is an in-depth, interdisciplinary project of special interest to the student.The student can choose to complete original research or creative work using methodsrecognized by practicing scholars. In all cases there must be a written product that includeselements appropriate to the relevant disciplines, such as a research question or hypothesis,methods section, discussion of findings, academic argument, etc. The Honors Programrequires the project to be interdisciplinary and to posses the depth, quality, or scope indicativeof honors work. In consultation with the Honors Director, the student will choosea thesis committee made up of a thesis advisor, a second faculty member reader, and theHonors Director. The thesis advisor will be a faculty member who is grounded in a relevantdiscipline and who will become the instructor of record. Prerequisite: Junior standing.The Freshman Incentive ProgramThe Freshman Incentive Program is designed for first-time college students who wish toattend Rockhurst University, but do not meet admission criteria. Students are consideredfor probationary admission through the Freshman Incentive Program if their compositeACT scores are between 18 and 20 or if their high school GPA and ACT sub-scores arelower than Rockhurst’s standards. There must be evidence that the student can succeed atRockhurst, which may include impressions from a personal interview, strong high schoolgrades and rank in class, letters of recommendation, strong record of extracurricular activity(especially in leadership roles), and an explanation of any factors that contributed to weakperformance and how these have been addressed.The program provides students with academic and other support designed to assistthem in succeeding at Rockhurst. Selected faculty and staff work together to combinevarious student services, including academic advising, tutoring from the Learning Center,and counseling from the Office of Student Development to create comprehensive supportfor Freshman Incentive Program (FIP) students as they make the transition to collegelife. Students admitted to the program will be notified by the Office of Admission and arerequired to participate fully in the program.Program requirements (applicable to freshman year only):Enroll in a first-year seminar;Enroll in specific FIP courses, including EN 1100, Reading and Study Skills;Take no more than 14 credit hours each semester;Participate in all scheduled FIP workshops; andMeet monthly with an academic advisor, the Director of Freshman Incentive Program,and/or the Director of New Students.Undergraduate Programs243