BYU Honors Program
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Established | 1960 |
| Affiliation | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| Location | Provo, Utah, United States |
| Director | Spencer Magelby |
| Affiliations | Brigham Young University |
| Website | honors.byu.edu |
The BYU Honors Program is a department within the College of Undergraduate Education at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The program awards the distinction of University Honors, the highest distinction BYU awards its graduates,[1] which requires students to complete an honors curriculum requirement, a Great Questions requirement, an Experiential Learning requirement, an honors thesis requirement, and a graduation portfolio that summarizes the student's honors experiences.
History[edit]
The BYU Honors Program began in 1960 with just 100 students in order "to provide capable and motivated students with an enriched education." Another 50 students joined them in the spring semester. Its goal, according to university president Ernest L. Wilkinson, was nothing less than to "cultivate the best young brainpower in the nation." The Honors Program's first home was in the Harold B. Lee Library, where it functioned for many years before moving temporarily to the Heber J. Grant Building. During this time, the program adopted an "open door" policy for Honors participation, making it possible for any capable student to take Honors classes and become involved in honors activities, with formal membership no longer required.[2]
Organization[edit]
The program is overseen by a director who typically serves as an associate dean to the College of Undergraduate Education concurrently. The Honors program at BYU is open-enrollment, meaning that any student can commit to graduate with university honors and join the honors program. Honors students have certain privileges, such as discounted tickets to arts events (to help offset the cost of the Great Works requirement) and the opportunity to pre-register for honors classes. Because of the its emphasis on well-rounded education, the program is described as a liberal arts college within the wider university.[3]
University Honors[edit]
The designation University Honors on some Brigham Young University transcripts and diplomas is not to be confused with the variant forms of Latin honors (e.g., "cum laude") that BYU, like other universities, uses to recognize graduates with only high grade point averages. This designation is the highest distinction BYU awards its graduates and is sometimes referred to as "highest honors."[1]. Prior to June 2013, the distinction required students to complete an honors curriculum requirement, a Great Works requirement, an Advanced Languages requirement, a service requirement, an honors thesis requirement, a graduation portfolio that summarizes the student's honors experiences—all while maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA.[4] In June 2013, BYU modified the program, removing the GPA and Advanced Languages requirements, and changing other aspects of the Great Works (now "Great Questions") and service (now "Experiential Learning") requirements.[5]
About 4,100 young men and women have earned that recognition in the past 47 years. Recipients of this designation receive a medal to wear at graduation and their diplomas display "University Honors."
Famous graduates[edit]
- Clayton Christensen ('75)[6]
- Mitt Romney ('71)[3]
- Brandon Sanderson ('00)[7]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Honors". Brigham Young University. Archived from the original on August 8, 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ↑ Mosher, Brent (10 March 1996). "Don't Dilute BYU Honors Program". Deseret News. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Horowitz, Jason (February 18, 2012). "Mitt Romney, as a student at a chaotic time for BYU, focused on family, church". The Washington Post.
- ↑ "BYU Graduation Honors". Brigham Young University. Archived from the original on 2010-02-04. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ↑ "New Program Requirements" (PDF). BYU Honors Program. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- ↑ "HBR Profile". Retrieved 16 February 2013.
- ↑ "Dragonsteel | BYU Honors". honors.byu.edu. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
External links[edit]
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