Next year’s incoming freshmen will enter an honors program much different from the current system.
Changes include new criteria for acceptance, updated expectations for students who would like to graduate with honors, and specific expectations for honors contracts.
To be accepted, future students will need a 3.3 GPA or higher and at least a 26 on the ACT. For students who want to graduate with honors, the expectation is to take four credit hours of honors salon classes, three classes of honors Quest, two honors contracts outside their major area of study, and one honors contract inside their major.
Carrie Coward Bucher, coordinator of student achievement, said students who have an honors contract should expect roughly one additional hour of work per week.
Bucher indicated the changes were made to keep up with the National Collegiate Honors Council’s list of best practices. The changes are intended to bring the structure of Baker’s honors program closer to that of other schools.
The Baker University Faculty Senate approved the changes to the program Oct. 2.
Students currently in the honors program will not be affected by the changes to the honors program, but some are optimistic about next year’s program.
Sophomore Ben Sobek has enjoyed his experience in the honors program so far.
“Getting to be with other people who care about their education is important to me,” Sobek said.
Sobek joined the honors program because the honors salon fit into his schedule, but said he enjoys the diversity of professors and perspectives present in the program. Sobek said he believes in the future of the honors program, but he realizes it can’t be successfully planned overnight.
Senior Lauren Breithaupt said there is a lot of potential for improvement in the honors program and hopes incoming freshmen will be excited about the new program. Breithaupt believes the benefits from the honors program will also be a draw for new students, because the honors program will push students to do something else.
Breithaupt thinks the new GPA requirement will motivate students in the program.
“My favorite part of being in the honors program is being in class with students who enjoy being in school,” Breithaupt said.