and Chair of the Philosophy department. Dr. Seana Sugrue, an Associate Professor of Politics and the Director of the Pre-law Program adds, “It is tailored to serve those seeking intensive engagement with their professors.” The Honors Program seeks to foster an environment where conversations on subjects introduced in the classroom, laboratory, or seminar, flow easily to the dining hall, dormitory, or other social areas. To aid in this goal, students participating in the Honors Program have the option of taking advantage of special living spaces in the Residence Halls and a lounge in the library restricted for Honors students’ use. The encouragement to pursue questions outside of class are furthered by the Honors Integrated Colloquia, which are held throughout the academic year. According to Dr. Bradley Ritter, Assistant Professor of Classics and Early Christian Literature and Chair of the Core Curriculum Council, “The Honors Integrated Colloquia will be at the heart of their experience, bringing together students and faculty from different disciplines for a deeper inquiry into the issues which unify our Core Curriculum and our intellectual tradition.” Through the Colloquia, students come to see that the questions and topics studied in each discipline are not entirely isolated and exclusive to that study, but are in fact interrelated throughout the Curriculum—a web of inquiry and knowledge that links history to literature to philosophy to math to classics studies to politics to theology to biology, and guided by the harmonious spirit of Faith and Reason. The Honors Program is open to incoming students as well as those current students and transfers who still have half of the Core Curriculum remaining. Although priority consideration will be given to students who have high school GPAs of 3.6 or higher, an SAT score of 1860 or above, or an ACT score of 27 or above, any student who has a dis-
tinguished record of academic achievement will be considered for invitation to the Honors Program. Incoming Honors students must fulfill four requirements in order to maintain their participation in the Program: • Complete at least six (6) Honors level courses from the Core Curriculum. • Take Latin as their foreign language requirement. • Attend the Honors Integrated Colloquia. • Maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.4.
Students fulfilling all four requirements before graduation will receive recognition of their participation in the Program on their transcripts as well as graduate with honors in the Core Curriculum. Students also have the option of graduating with honors in their chosen major(s), if they should satisfy the Honors senior thesis/project requirement. The advent of the Honors Program marks a new era at Ave Maria, one characterized by a heightened pursuit of academic, intellectual, and personal excellence, illuminated by Christian truth and charity—a quest becoming rarer and rarer in higher education. amu
Sophomore Peter Atkinson and freshman Alexis Stypa study at the Bean of Ave Maria.
avemaria.edu | fall 2012 |
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