Before submitting an Honors Course Proposal, faculty should consult the description of the Three Pillars of the Honors Program.
Submissions
For new courses submit:
- Completed Course Approval/Change Form (N.B. Section IIA. Liberal Learning Designations must be completed before submission to the Honors & Scholars Council.)
- Course syllabus: Must include the course description, required materials, course requirements, course learning outcomes, general topics covered, and a general breakdown of assignment types and their weighting for final grades.
- Rationale for Honors: Make a clear case that the course aligns with at least two of the three Honors Pillars by listing each Pillar separately and describing how specific course materials and content will help students experience Depth, Integration, and/or Purpose. Include examples of how daily topics, course materials, readings, projects, assignments, and assessments support the learning of the outcome.
- Email from Department Chair indicating awareness of Course Proposal submission.
For existing courses (i.e., previously approved courses that may or may not have been cross-listed as HON270 or HON370), submit:
- Copy of Original Course Approval/Change Form (as submitted when course was first approved)
- New Course Approval/Change Form: Complete first portion of Section I. (Course Information) and Section IIB. (Honors Designation Sought)
- Email from Department Chair indicating awareness of Course Proposal submission.
- Course syllabus: Must include the course description, required materials, course requirements, course learning outcomes, general topics covered, and a general breakdown of assignment types and their weighting for final grades.
- Rationale for Honors: Make a clear case that the course aligns with at least two of the three Honors Pillars by listing each Pillar separately and describing how specific course materials and content will help students experience Depth, Integration, and/or Purpose. Include examples of how daily topics, course materials, readings, projects, assignments, and assessments support the learning of the outcome.
Questions about the submission process should be directed to the current Honors & Scholars Program Director at honors@tcnj.edu
Timeline
Proposals for HON designation should be submitted six months before the registration period of the semester in which the course will be first taught (if approved). For example, faculty seeking a HON designation for a course to be offered in Spring 2025 should submit a proposal no later than the beginning of March 2024. Doing so will allow faculty ample time to revise and resubmit a proposal, if necessary, will enable Records & Registration to enter new HON designation into PAWS prior to student registration, and will ensure that students and their advisors have sufficient time to plan appropriate course schedules.
The Honors & Scholars Council strives to review proposals as soon as possible after their submission, but the time until review will depend on the number of other proposals submitted and other tasks and charges in front of the Council. The Chair of the Honors & Scholars will notify faculty of the decision regarding Honors & Scholars Course Designation Proposals typically within a week of proposal review.
Decisions
Honors Course Proposals will be evaluated by the Honors & Scholars Council. Faculty members who submit a Course Designation Proposal while serving on the Honors & Scholars Council must recuse themselves from all discussions of their course.
HSC decisions will be based on the extent to which, as evidenced in the course syllabus and Rationale, specific course materials (readings, assignments) indicated on the course syllabus support at least two of the three Pillars of the Honors Program.
The HSC Council reviews and decides whether an Honors Course Proposal is to be:
- Approved: The faculty member, department chair, Records & Registration, and the Associate Provost for Curriculum and Liberal Learning are notified by the Chair of the Honors & Scholars Council that the Honors Course Proposal has been approved. Records & Registration will add the course in PAWS.
- Approved, with Minor Revisions: The faculty member and department chair are notified by the Chair of the Honors & Scholars Council that the Honors Course Proposal has been provisionally approved, pending minor revisions. In accordance with TCNJ’s Course Approval Policy, Honors Course Proposals that are approved pending minor revisions will be given written feedback specifically identifying the minor revision that must be made. Faculty must complete these revisions and resubmit their proposal to the Chair of the Honors & Scholars Council no later than December 15th (for Fall submissions) or May 15th (for Spring submissions). The Honors & Scholars Council will review the revised proposal to ensure that the suggested minor revisions have been completed.
- Revise & Resubmit: The faculty member and department chair are notified by the Chair of the Honors & Scholars Council that the Honors Course Proposal must be revised and resubmitted. In accordance with TCNJ’s Course Approval Policy, Honors Course Proposals that receive a “revise & resubmit” decision will be given “written feedback specifically identifying deficiencies” that must be revised and/or remedied prior to resubmission. Proposals receiving a “revise & resubmit” decision should be resubmitted in accordance with the submission deadlines indicated under “Timeline.”
- Declined: The faculty member and department chair are notified by the Chair of the Honors & Scholars Council that the Council has declined the Honors Course Proposal. In accordance with TCNJ’s Course Approval Policy, Honors Course Proposals that are declined will be given “written feedback specifically identifying deficiencies.” The faculty member and department chair may appeal the decision of the Honors & Scholars Council.
Honors Course Proposals that have been declined by Council may be appealed; a Proposal that has received a “revise & resubmit” decision may not be appealed unless and until it is declined. If the Honors & Scholars Council determines that the Honors Course Proposal remains insufficient after it has been revised and resubmitted, the Proposal must be declined.