Honors College courses

HONR 150. Flourishing. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Restricted to freshmen in The Honors College. Transitioning from high school to college is a major developmental task. The challenges include independence from adult supervision, new friendships, exposure to a unique culture of academic pressure, relative freedom with access to leisure time activities that include both positive and negative elements. Anxiety/depression, problems with substance use and mental illness often make their presence known in this period. It can be a time of high stress and tension but also a time for unprecedented opportunity to discover strength and resilience that sets students on a positive trajectory on the stage of life. Both professors and students have discovered that self-doubt, tension and stress not only impede knowledge acquisition but also the capacity to flourish, i.e. to actualize one’s innate capacity for resilience and growth. This course examines the state of college student mental health and wellness on a personal and systems level. It provides an opportunity for students to re-evaluate their beliefs, values and assumptions, and to do so in the context of learning about the science behind health and wellness. Key findings from the fields of positive psychology and the study of mental illness will inform students’ understanding of the biopsychosocial underpinnings of well-being.

HONR 160. Introduction to Community Engagement. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to juniors and seniors in The Honors College. Contemporary communities are diverse and interconnected. To impact positive social changes, leaders in these communities must understand critical theories of community engagement. This course surveys critical theories and models of community engagement, including but not limited to theories of citizenship, social movements, civic leadership, social justice, civil discourse and social capital. Students will use an interdisciplinary lens to analyze principles and practices of community engagement.

HONR 170. Humans of RVA and VCU. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Enrollment restricted to students in the Honors College. Students will study the nature of community, especially the Richmond community, as well as community engagement and their role in it. They will study the differences among the terms community engagement, community service and service learning, as well as their relationship to social justice and social change. In the style of the website Humans of New York, students will work in cohorts to interview Richmond residents and post stories and photos to social media, with an eye toward better understanding the many aspects of community.

HONR 171. Investigative Inquiry in RVA. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Prerequisite: HONR 170. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Honors College. Utilizing "City as Text," this experiential learning course provides students with an opportunity to work in diverse cohorts to experience activities and events in the Richmond community.

HONR 190. Freshman Seminar. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Restricted to freshmen in The Honors College. This course develops a learning paradigm for students appropriate to university education. Students are expected to gain a willingness to take intellectual risks, to engage in their own learning actively and to take responsibility for their own education. A thorough orientation to the library and other university resources is included. The students will hone critical-thinking skills while examining selected topics from a perspective that emphasizes critical interpretation rather than mastery of information. Students will engage in collaborative projects on specified topics. Attendance at certain Honors College events is required.

HONR 198. Freshman Honors. 1-4 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. Variable credit. Maximum total of 8 credits. May be repeated once under different topic. Prerequisite: permission of the dean of The Honors College. An interdisciplinary course that will provide an intensive study of selected topics.

HONR 200. Research Writing. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to honors students. In-depth study of principles of rhetoric and argumentation in both written and oral formats. Emphasis is on research-based expository writing and debate, with skills development in technological applications for information retrieval. Students may not receive credit for both HONR 200 and UNIV 200.

HONR 250. Writing in Cultural Conversation. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. In-depth study of principles of expository writing focusing on purpose and audience. Particular emphasis on critically engaging with texts and writing about original ideas informed by the thinking of others. Develops a number of writing strategies and skills including narration, description and figuration, as well as the art of persuasion.

HONR 298. Sophomore Honors. 1-4 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. Variable credit. Maximum total of 8 credits. May be repeated once under different topic. Prerequisite: permission of the dean of The Honors College. Appropriate prerequisite or corequisites may be demanded. An interdisciplinary course that will provide an intensive study of selected topics.

HONR 300. Qatar Honors Experiential Learning Project. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing and approval of Honors College dean. Restricted to honors students. Experiential learning is a project-based and student-led experience utilizing hands-on learning, academic research and personal reflection to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values and make worthwhile contributions to communities, organizations or groups. This course provides honors students with opportunities to collaborate with local, regional and/or international communities and organizations to engage in meaningful projects and initiatives that enhance academic enrichment, foster personal growth and practice social responsibility.

HONR 398. Honors Topics. 1-4 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. Variable credit. May be repeated with different topics. Prerequisite: permission of the dean of The Honors College. Appropriate prerequisite or corequisites may be demanded. An in-depth study of selected topics. May be cross listed with departmental courses. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.

HONR 399. Honors Module. 1.5 Hour.

Five-week course; 3 lecture hours. 1.5 credits per module. Prerequisite: permission of the dean of The Honors College. Intensive studies of topics from a wide spectrum of disciplines are undertaken. Each module is a self-contained unit. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.

HONR 492. Honors Independent Study. 0.5-4 Hours.

Semester course; variable hours. Variable credits. Maximum of 4 credits per semester. Maximum total of 9 credits over all semesters. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing, and approval of Honors College dean and instructor/tutor. Intensive study under supervision of a faculty member in an area not covered in depth or contained in the regular curriculum.

HONR 493. Honors College Internship. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 field experience hours. 1-3 credits (50 hours per credit). May be taken for a maximum of 3 credits per semester with a maximum of 6 credits total. Enrollment restricted to junior or senior students in the Honors College with approval of internship coordinator. Designed to provide students with real-world experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Graded as pass/fail.

HONR 494. Honors College Senior Capstone. 4 Hours.

Semester course; 4 independent study hours. 4 credits. Prerequisites: HONR 170; HONR 200 or UNIV 200; and HONR 250. Enrollment is restricted to seniors in the Honors College with a 3.2 grade point average in honors courses. Each student will participate, either individually or as part of a cohort, in preparing a project proposal approved by the course coordinator. This course will entail the planning and execution of a scholarly project where understanding of research techniques, effective oral and written communication and knowledge of relevant literature and theories are clearly demonstrated.

HONR 495. Honors College Senior Capstone: Proposal Writing. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 2 independent study hours. 2 credits. Prerequisites: HONR 170; HONR 200 or UNIV 200; and HONR 250. Enrollment is restricted to seniors in the Honors College with a cumulative 3.2 GPA in honors courses. This course is a part one of a two-semester sequence where each student will participate, either individually or as a part of a cohort, in preparing a project proposal approved by the course coordinator.

HONR 496. Honors College Senior Capstone: Practicum. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 2 independent study hours. 2 credits. Prerequisite: HONR 495. Enrollment is restricted to seniors in the Honors College with a cumulative 3.2 GPA in honors courses. This course is part two of a two-semester sequence where each student will participate, either individually or as a part of a cohort, in implementing a project proposal approved by the course coordinator.