FAQs

How do I find a faculty colleague?

Faculty colleagues can be a professor you have in a course or a faculty member with similar interests. There are several ways to go about finding a faculty member with similar interests.

  • Schedule a meeting with the Departmental Advisor in your major. After speaking with you about your areas of interest, he or she may suggest several faculty members who may be a good "match."
  • Look at the web site of your department. Many departments have faculty pages where you can learn more about the research interests of the faculty.
  • Discuss the program with a faculty member who teaches one of your major classes.

What do I do if I change my major?

Changing your major is not a problem. Notify your Honors advisor, select a new faculty colleague, and create a new faculty colleague plan based on your new major.

What if my Faculty Colleague leaves the University?

If your faculty colleague leaves the university to teach at another school, retires, or goes on sabbatical, you should find another faculty colleague with whom to work. However, if you are a senior and have finalized your plan, finding a new faculty colleague is not necessary. You should, however, consult with an Honors advisor and your departmental advisor for assistance.

What if I want to change a class on my Faculty Colleague Plan?

If you are a freshman, sophomore, or junior and your plan has not been sent to Undergraduate Evaluations check with your faculty colleague and update the plan. If you are a senior and your plan has been sent to Evaluations, contact an Honors advisor.

When planning to register, I discovered that two classes I planned to take conflict. I had to switch the order in which I will take the classes. Do I need to submit a new faculty colleague plan?

You should change the order of the courses on your semester-by-semester plan, but it is not necessary to submit a new faculty colleague plan.

I received a copy of my Academic Progress Summary and it is wrong. What now?

The Academic Progress Summary is a computer-generated assessment of your progress toward completing your Bachelor's degree. Because you are on the Faculty Colleague plan of study and thus, individualized, the computer will not accurately audit your record. You should consult your Honors Advisor to review general education requirements and faculty colleague plan status and faculty colleague/departmental advisor regarding the major. The most important thing to keep in mind is that your faculty colleague plan will be used to evaluate your record. Therefore, your faculty colleague plan should be up to date.

I am planning to graduate and just received a deficiency statement. What should I do?

Contact the Honors Office immediately.

My faculty colleague plan is terribly out of date. Do I need to do something?

Yes…revise your plan, obtain the signature of your faculty colleague, and submit the plan to the Honors Office.

Can I avoid taking certain classes by having a faculty colleague plan?

No. The goal of the faculty colleague program is to allow a student to customize his or her academic plan under the direction of a faculty member while taking advantage of the mentoring experience. The program is not a way to avoid completing the general education program. While requirements for the major, minor, and general education may be modified, the purpose is to enhance the student's experience, not eliminate requirements that a student does not want to complete.

What happens to my plan after it has been turned in to the Honors Office?

All plans are reviewed and then approved by the Director of Honors. Students receive a copy of the approved plan in the mail. During the spring of the student's junior year, the faculty colleague plan is sent to Undergraduate Evaluations. It is important to have the most recent plan on file as this plan is what will be used to perform a graduation audit