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Fredonia Honors Program: Advising Tips

Fulfilling the Requirements of the Honors Program

What am I required to do to successfully complete the Fredonia Honors Program?

Honors students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or higher. (There is a one-semester grace period if your GPA falls below this requirement.) 

In addition, depending on their point of entry to the Honors Program, students must complete a certain number of credits in the Honors Program. 

  • Students admitted to the Honors Program in their first year must complete 18 credits in Honors. 

  • Lower-level transfer students with fewer than 45 credits admitted to the Honors Program complete 15-18 credits in Honors.

  • Upper-level transfer students with more than 45 credits admitted to the Honors Program complete 12 credits in Honors.

See the Fredonia Honors Program in the most recent version of the University Catalog for more detailed information on the specific breakdown of courses and credits that must be taken.

Please see the question about Honors Program Learning Contracts below to learn of an alternative way to complete one portion of the program.

What are the privileges of successfully completing the Fredonia Honors Program?

For Honors students who entered the program Fall 2019 or later, successful completion of the Fredonia Honors Program will be noted on their official college transcript. In addition, all graduates who complete the Fredonia Honors Program will receive a gold tassel to wear with their mortarboard at Commencement. Other forms of recognition may include a dessert reception with the President or a certificate of completion signed by the Honors Program Director and the President of SUNY Fredonia.

How can I tell if I have completed all the Honors Program requirements?

All students who entered the Honors Program in Fall 2019 and later will have an Honors Program Block in Degree Works that tracks which Honors requirements are met and which remain to be completed. The Honors Program Director is also able to help you and your adviser in your academic major(s) determine what requirements are (not) met.

Where can I find an advising worksheet to help me track completion of the Honors Program?   

Below you will find worksheets for completion of the Honors Program. Be sure to select the worksheet that best matches when (before or after Fall 2019) and how you entered the Honors Program (i.e., as a brand-new, first-year college student; as a lower-level transfer student; or as an upper-level transfer student). 

Take a look! The following document offers many resources & links for Honors and Music students.

Of the five required Honors courses, students may be able to complete at least two that overlap with Music core classes and applied-learning experiences.

All first-year Honors Music majors may be enrolled in their first semester (Fall only) in MUS 115-HR: Music Appreciation--Honors. This iteration of the course counts for Honors, Fredonia Foundations, and the Musicianship Core. 

Music majors may also pursue an applied-learning experience in place of one Honors course. For example, with the agreement of Music faculty, a student may be granted the opportunity to serve as a learning assistant for a secondary instruments course or a teaching assistant for a Music Education Foundations course. See the catalog for further details.

I am a transfer student and I completed Honors courses at my prior institution. Do those courses count toward the Honors Program here?

Those courses very well may count toward the Fredonia Honors Program! Please contact the Honors Program Director to discuss possible credit. It could help to have a course syllabus and course description available.

I completed all of my Fredonia Foundations courses prior to my entry into the Fredonia Honors Program. Do I still need to complete Honors courses in Fredonia Foundations?

Please contact Honors.Program@fredonia.eduto discuss your specific circumstances with the Honors Program Director.

Registering for Courses and Taking Honors Courses

When do Honors students register for courses?

Honors students register at 8 a.m. the Friday before seniors register. In other words, Honors students register on Friday, October 28, at 8:00 a.m. for Spring 2023 courses and on Friday, March 31, at 8:00 a.m. for Fall 2023 courses.

Students who have not been advised by their adviser in their primary major will not be able to register early. Please see the next question.

What must Honors students do to be eligible for priority registration?

Honors students in good standing in the program must have been advised by the adviser in their primary major and received advisement confirmation, a pin or email that is automatically generated once their primary adviser confirms the student has completed the advising process. Please note that the director is not able to confirm advisement. Only the primary major adviser can do that. Honors students are strongly encouraged but not required to meet with the Honors Program Director prior to course registration.

How do Honors students find advising specific to the Honors Program?

The Honors Program Director is available for one-on-one advising.. To schedule an individual advising appointment, please email Honors.Program@fredonia.edu. Also, see the Honors Program Google Calendar for a variety of advising sessions each semester during Advising Week. 

During Fall 2022, there will be multiple Honors Program Advising Sessions:

Thurs., 8/25, 6:30-7:30 p.m.: Completing the Honors Program (virtual) 

Thurs., 9/1, 7:00-9:00 p.m.: Pop-Up Advising in Honors House (Grissom Hall)

Mon., 10/10, 7:00-8:00 p.m.: Pup-Up Advising in Honors House (Grissom Hall)

Plus, check the Honors Program Calendar for sessions during Advising Week, 10/24-10/28.

In addition, your primary major adviser has received resources for advising Honors students and may be able to help. 

Current Honors students are also often willing to help peers out! The director will be happy to connect you whenever possible to a junior or senior Honors student in your major. It’s always a good idea to confirm peer-to-peer advice with the appropriate adviser, whether in your major or in Honors.

How do I locate current Honors courses?

There are several ways to check which Honors courses are offered each semester.

  • Search in Your Connection for courses with the attribute type (not necessarily the prefix) of Honors. (Do not search by subject, course number, or title for Honors courses.)
  • View this brief video tutorial 

Which Fredonia Foundations courses count toward Honors?

Honors sections of Fredonia Foundations courses are identified by the section “HR,” as in ENGL 167-HR: Border Crossings.

Which upper-level courses count toward Honors?

Most upper-level Honors seminars are labeled HONR (HONR 304: Biodiversity), although there are occasional exceptions. Also, most upper-level Honors courses are 300-level, but there are a handful of 400-level Honors courses, including HONR 400: Honors Thesis and HONR 490: Honors Internship.

 

How can I tell which Honors courses I need to take?

All students who entered the Honors Program in Fall 2019 and later will have an Honors Program Block in Degree Works that tracks which Honors requirements are met and which remain to be completed. 

For reference, you may also consult the requirements for the Fredonia Honors Program in the most recent version of the University Catalog.

Which courses count in the Fredonia Honors Program?

The following courses currently count toward the Fredonia Honors Program:

  • Fredonia Foundations courses identified by the section “HR.”
  • 300-level Honors seminars (HONR 301 through HONR 306)
  • HONR 390: Advanced Learning Projects
  • HONR 400: Honors Thesis 
  • HONR 490: Honors Internship

Only courses with the attribute of Honors count toward the Fredonia Honors Program. Please note that some majors have honors courses or honors programs in the major. Neither of these typically counts toward the university-wide Honors Program.

 

What is an Honors Program Learning Contract? 

Honors students may choose to complete an applied-learning experience, a.k.a. learning contract (e.g., internship, learning assistantship, study-abroad, independent research, or thesis), in lieu of one Honors course. Students who wish to pursue this option should contact the program director the prior semester for approval. See this presentation for further information.

I am not a member of the Fredonia Honors Program, but I want to take an Honors course. May I?

The general answer to this question is no, but you are welcome to apply to the Fredonia Honors Program if your academic record satisfies the criteria for the program or demonstrates the potential for academic excellence. 

There is no single pathway through the Fredonia Honors Program, but, generally speaking, the following principles hold:

  • Plan to take a minimum of one Honors course a year. If your schedule does not permit doing so, definitely plan to meet with the Honors Program Director prior to Advising Week to get help and perhaps discover other ways to progress in Honors.
  • Many students who enter the Honors Program fresh from high school find that enrolling during their first year in Honors courses that double dip with the General Education requirements is helpful! You may take more than one Honors course a semester.
  • Take the courses that inspire you and/or that count towards requirements for graduation! You can always contact the Honors Program Director for help identifying such courses.
  • You may enroll in an upper-level Honors seminar as a first-year student. It may be wise to reach out to the instructor to inquire about the advisability of doing so.

Please contact the Honors Program director (716-673-4450, honors.program@fredonia.edu) to get help finding courses or arranging for an Honors Program learning contract that meet your needs and work with your schedule. There is usually a solution if you let us know so we can help!

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