Students get REAL education in San Jacinto College honors program
What distinguishes an honors class at San Jacinto College isn’t the degree of difficulty, it’s the style of learning, according to Eddie Weller, director of the honors program and distinguished professor of history.
“We go deeper into a subject,” Weller said. “It’s a style of learning that pushes students to use critical thinking. Rather than pure memorization, faculty are going to expect students to learn and then use the material.”
The acronym REAL (research, enrichment, academic rigor and leadership) defines the different aspects of an honors course. All honors courses have some degree of research requirement appropriate to the course of study. For example, a business course might require working with a company or a nonprofit. A speech course might require attending public speeches. Students often present their research in written or oral formats, even submitting for publication.
For enrichment, students may go on field trips to study the subject, such as visiting city council or an Austin legislative session for a government class. Weller said the program earned a grant this year that allowed 50 students to attend the opera, theater or ballet.
Leadership opportunities run through all aspects of program. Classes may use service learning, where students learn how to put into action what they learn in the classroom, he said.
The honors program at San Jacinto College is offered college-wide at no additional cost to all students who meet the requirements. Weller estimated there are currently more than 500 enrolled students taking honors classes at the college.
Academic rigor is reflected in the entrance requirements. To apply, students must meet one of the following requirements: High school GPA of 3.25 or more, score of 4 or 5 on an AP exam, a minimum SAT score of 1100, a minimum ACT score of 26, or be in the top 20 percent of graduating class. Returning or nontraditional students who have completed at least 12 college credit hours in the previous five years with a 3.25 or more cumulative GPA for the most recent 12 college credit hours are eligible. Recently, the honors council at the college voted that all student veterans who apply are given automatic admission.
“We’ve found that if a veteran wants to take an honors course, he or she does well,” he said. “We believe they’ve earned the opportunity through their service. However, they have to keep their grades up just like the other honors students.”
Honors courses are available in a wide variety of subjects and will work within the core requirements of major degrees. To graduate with honors as members of the honors program, Weller said students must earn at least 12 hours of honors classes. Because some students are going beyond that minimum, the college now offers a distinguished honors award recognizing 24 hours of honors classes.
Weller identified three advantages to students of participating in the honors program: Class size, camaraderie and transcript-building.
“The No. 1 appeal for students is the smaller classes,” Weller said, explaining that honors classes typically have a maximum of 18 students. “Faculty also love to teach honors classes.”
Coupled with the small class sizes, each San Jacinto College campus has an honors office and lounge to foster a sense of community for honors students. Students also can participate in retreats and trips together. Lastly, honors classes are a plus to have on a transcript when seeking to transfer to a university.
“When admissions officers see a student in an honors program, they know the student didn’t take the easy way,” Weller said.