Southwestern University
2001-2002 Catalog
Southwestern University: A Statement
The Academic Program
Degree Requirements
Academic Regulations
Course Descriptions
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SPECIAL ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
SOUTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENTAL HONORS PROGRAM
The faculty voted to institute an Honors Program on April 29, 1980. Details
of the Program are given below, as revised on November 19, 1996.
The
faculty of Southwestern University makes available to highly motivated and able
students a Departmental* Honors Program, designed to allow students to engage in
a substantial project in their major area of study near the end of their
undergraduate career. The honors project is an independent endeavor that is
developed and executed by the student in consultation with an honors advisor.
The project research could take the form of a substantial paper based on
empirical and/or bibliographic research, creative works, and the like. The
Departmental Honors Program is governed by the following provisions adopted by
the faculty.
*“Departmental” is intended to include recognized
interdisciplinary programs, e.g., American Studies, Animal Behavior,
International Studies, Women’s Studies, and approved independent majors.
In these cases, “department” and “department chair”
refer to the committee that oversees the program and its chair.
1. To
be considered for admittance to the Departmental Honors Program, a student
should ordinarily have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.4 and a
minimum grade point average of 3.6 in the major. Admission to the Honors Program
requires approval of the department. Approval is based on an informal assessment
of the student’s academic ability and motivation to carry out a
substantial independent project, the coherence and feasibility of the project,
and the availability and willingness of an appropriate faculty advisor and
supervisory committee. No student will be formally admitted to the Departmental
Honors Program without these elements.
2. Although admission to the
Departmental Honors Program is formally “by departmental
invitation,” students are encouraged to initiate communication with the
faculty member with whom they might be interested in working. Whenever possible,
such contact should be made well in advance of the proposed starting date. Note
that interdepartmental honors projects are encouraged, in which case there may
be co-advisors.
3. Eligible students register for honors course credit
during at least two semesters. Each department has its own honors course number
(XX-983), which normally is repeated to total the six semester hours (no more or
less) of credit required to earn departmental honors. Students may enroll for
honors course credit no earlier than the second semester of their junior year
and no later than the last day for adding courses in the first semester of their
senior year. However, in some cases groundwork for the honors project may be
started in the fall of the junior year, or even earlier. Note that the optimal
timing of the honors project varies by discipline. For instance, projects in the
Humanities are normally carried out in the senior year with groundwork begun the
preceding summer, whereas in the Sciences, an earlier start may be warranted.
4. At the discretion of the department involved, the honors project may
be included in the total hours requirement for the major. However, it should not
normally be substituted for regular curriculum requirements of the major, with
the possible exception of the Capstone. Substitutions require the advance
approval of the department chair.
5. The honors advisor will normally
be the member of the department who has the most knowledge and expertise in the
general area of the honors project. The prospective advisor, the student, and
the department chair must approve of the selection. The honors advisor is solely
responsible for determining the honors course grades.
6. The
supervisory committee will be chosen by the honors advisor and the student, with
the approval of the department chair. The committee will have at least three but
not more than five members, including the honors advisor and one faculty member
outside the department. The role of the committee is to provide guidance on an
as-needed basis and, upon its completion, to judge whether or not the project
warrants Departmental Honors.
7. When an honors project is approved, a
timetable for its completion will be developed by the student and approved by
the honors advisor. A final completion date for the project will be set
sufficiently in advance of the student’s graduation for the assessment
process and final revisions to be completed. Failure to meet this deadline will
eliminate a student from consideration for University Honors.
8. If the
honors project is not developed or satisfactorily executed as planned, it will
be possible to convert registration in an honors course into registration for
Independent Study. If this conversion is made, the project must meet the normal
requirements for Independent Study.
9. Completed honors projects are
presented in a public forum, attended by the honors advisor, supervisory
committee, and guests. This presentation will take the form of, or be
supplemented by, a traditional oral “defense” in which the committee
asks the honors student questions to assist in the evaluation of the project.
10. Upon completion, the honors advisor and supervisory committee
members sign a document to certify that the product of the project is worthy of
Departmental Honors. For honors projects that take the form of a manuscript,
this “signature page” becomes the first page of the final document.
The elements of the signature page are centered and arranged as follows: 1) the
title of the report, 2) the author’s name, 3) the statement “A
Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Graduation with
Honors in [name of the department or program],” and 4) Southwestern
University, [year]. On the bottom half of the page, next to the word
“Approved,” include one signature line for each member of the
supervisory committee. Under each signature line, type the signatory’s
name, role [“Honors Advisor” or “Committee Member”], and
academic department. A copy of this page must be submitted to the
Registrar’s Office prior to graduation.
11. Honors projects that
take the form of a manuscript are bound, and a copy is shelved alphabetically by
author with other honors theses in the A. Frank Smith, Jr. Library Center. The
student should take at least two original, unmarked copies of the final
corrected version of the manuscript to the Collection Development Coordinator,
A. Frank Smith, Jr. Library Center. There should be no written comments on the
documents submitted. The Library pays for binding two copies, one for the
Library and one for the student. The student or department may request that
additional copies be bound at a cost of approximately $10.00 each. Theses are
sent for binding in June of each year.
12. The student who successfully
completes an honors project will graduate “with honors” in his or
her major, and With Honors will be designated on his or her permanent record and
diploma. A student who graduates with a double major or a paired major and who
completes an interdepartmental honors project involving the departments of those
two majors will be awarded honors in both majors. Graduation with honors in a
major is distinct from graduation with academic honors specified by Latin praise
(“cum laude”), which is based on a student’s overall grade
point average. A student may earn both types of honors.
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS
Southwestern University believes that cross-cultural awareness is an integral
part of a liberal arts education. It therefore strongly encourages students to
study abroad, in the belief that foreign study fosters cross-cultural awareness
by permitting students to live in and experience other cultures. Students may
choose from a variety of options for study abroad, all of which offer rigorous
academic programs coupled with international experience. Additionally, these
programs take advantage of subjects and facilities not normally available on
Southwestern’s campus in Georgetown. Southwestern University sponsors two
types of study abroad programs. A regular semester program in London, England,
is offered each fall; the current program enables up to 30 students and
Southwestern faculty member(s) to live and study together in the Kensington
district of London. In addition to courses taught by Southwestern faculty, a
British Life and Culture course is taught by visiting lecturers from British
academic, governmental, and social institutions; the course includes field trips
in London and southern England. Southwestern undergraduates are eligible to
apply for the Semester in London Program provided they are in good academic
standing. Applications are evaluated on the basis of the student’s
academic record and potential, the way in which the program relates to the
student’s overall educational objectives, and the student’s maturity
and ability to be a good representative of Southwestern University.
Southwestern University professors also lead summer programs in various
parts of the world. Language and culture programs in recent years have gone to
France, Jamaica, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Spain, and Turkey. In addition, a
program focusing on the fine arts and humanities is usually offered in London in
the summer.
As a member of the International Student Exchange Program
(ISEP), Southwestern University is able to exchange several students annually
with more than 100 universities in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.
Southwestern also has established cooperative relationships with universities
overseas. As a result of these connections, Southwestern students and faculty
members have the opportunity to study or do research in several countries. The
institutions involved are the Universität Osnabrück in Germany, and
Kansai Gaidai University in Japan.
For those selected to participate, the
cost of the London Semester, ISEP, Osnabrück, and Kansai Gaidai programs is
included in regular University charges, except for the cost of airfare. Modest
scholarships are available for all other programs.
In order to ensure that
students choose an appropriate program, study abroad participants are required
to work through the Office of International Programs (OIP) to complete the
application and cross-cultural preparation for a study abroad experience. The
OIP acts as liaison to all other administrative offices on campus, and students
must communicate with the OIP in order to facilitate credit transfer and
financial aid distribution. Students should begin working with the OIP at least
one semester before the planned period abroad.
When possible, a foreign
study program in which a student expects to receive and transfer credit from
another institution requires previous approval by the appropriate department
chair and the Registrar. In cases where students do not register for courses
until arrival at the study abroad site, students must complete the credit
transfer process within three weeks of their return to Southwestern University.
In addition, Southwestern must receive official transcripts from the institution
awarding the credit. For determining transfer credits for participation in the
foreign study programs of other universities, Southwestern adheres in general to
the “Policy Statement on Study Abroad Programs” approved by the
Federation of Regional Accrediting Commissions of Higher Education (FRACHE). The
acceptance of credit from foreign study programs sponsored by other American
institutions of higher learning will be judged on an individual basis according
to the following standards: 1) the program has been approved by the appropriate
department chair and the Registrar at Southwestern; 2) the program was
supervised by a regionally accredited institution; 3) the student was regularly
matriculated in an institution of higher learning during participation in the
program; and 4) the program was primarily a college program and not a mixed high
school-college program.
NEW YORK ARTS PROGRAM
This program is designed to provide those students seriously interested in
the performing, visual, and communication arts with an opportunity to serve as
apprentices and to experience the world of the established professional artist.
The cultural resources of New York City are well known. Less familiar is the
artist’s milieu—that mix of people, places, and events which
constitute the artist’s environment, world, and immediate audience.
Qualified students accepted into the program spend a semester or term sharing
this milieu with professionals representing all professional arts fields: visual
artist, designers, museum curators, performing artists, authors, publishers,
film makers, people in theatre and communication arts, etc. Each student is
assigned a faculty advisor who teaches a seminar and works closely with the
student and his or her apprenticeship sponsor. Students also participate in a
specially designed program of seminars conducted by arts professionals,
including GLCA (Great Lakes College Association) staff members, on various
topics. Applicants should plan to visit New York City for an interview to seek
an apprenticeship. Program offices are housed in a midtown Manhattan townhouse.
Four floors are for housing with common kitchens and lounge/meeting rooms.
No Southwestern University funding is available for this program.
Entitlement funds (Stafford Loan and Pell Grant) are available to qualified
students. Other outside loan options may be available.
WASHINGTON SEMESTER
Southwestern also has established cooperative relations with the Washington
Semester Program at American University in Washington, D.C. This internship and
academic program offers opportunities for course work and internships in
politics, economics, and foreign policy as well as journalism, fine arts, and
architecture. Depending upon the specific program, students work as interns at
the White House, on Capitol Hill, in the courts, or in public interest groups.
Fifteen to 17 credit semester hours would be transferable to Southwestern.
Students live in American University residence halls.
No Southwestern
University funding is available for this program. Entitlement funds (Stafford
Loan and Pell Grant) are available to qualified students. The Washington
Semester Program also provides financial grants. Other outside loan options may
be available.
SUMMER SCHOOL
Southwestern University offers three summer sessions, providing a balanced
selection of introductory and advanced courses. Specific courses offered each
summer will vary, depending on faculty and student interest. The University
cannot guarantee that any specific course a student might need for a degree plan
will be taught in the summer, so students should plan their regular fall and
spring term schedules carefully.
A total of 12 academic semester hours may
be earned in summer sessions: three hours during a three-week session in May;
six hours during a six-week session in June and July; and three hours during a
nonresidential session or “abroad” program. Students may take one
additional hour of Fitness and Recreational Activity (if offered) at each
session. No overloads are permitted in Summer School.
Summer School tuition
and room and board charges are due and payable at the time of registration and
confirmation for each summer session. All fees must be paid before students may
attend classes.