Academic Programs

Associate Professor James B. Williams, Executive Director; Professor Jennifer Camden, Associate Director

The Ron and Laura Strain Honors College was established at the University of Indianapolis to promote academic excellence throughout the University. It is designed to provide academically challenging opportunities to all students who wish to strengthen their University education.

Honors Degree Requirements

To receive a baccalaureate degree “with distinction,” students must:

1. Complete 12-15 credit hours of honors coursework (at least 3 honors credits per academic year) in honors designated classes or honors options of regular classes.
2. Complete .5 credit HON 400 “Scholarly Exploration,” a course designed to help students understand the research process and to create their own honors project idea.
3. Complete .5 credit HON 410 “Honors Proposal,” a course to enable student creation of a formal proposal for an honors project that will be reviewed by a faculty committee for approval.
4. Complete 2-5 credit hours of HON 490 “Honors Project,” an independent course under a faculty mentor to launch and report on the student’s honors project.
5. Earn an overall GPA of 3.3 or higher.
6. Successfully complete  at least 18.5 total hours of Honors College credit.

 

Contact the executive director of the Ron and Laura Strain Honors College to obtain detailed information regarding Honors Project requirements and the proposal process. Students are encouraged to begin thinking about their Honors projects early in their college career. Note: Students may register for HON-490 only after the Honors College Committee has approved the Honors project proposal.

Honors Courses

Please check the current class schedules for the availability of Honors courses. In addition, any course can be taken for honors credit (as an Honors Option) with the approval of the Honors College Committee.  Alternate ways of accruing honors credit include:

• Participate in Honors Service Learning
• Travel abroad (approval required for credit)
• Participate in National Collegiate Honors Council Honors Semester
• Successfully complete an approved graduate course (approval required for credit)
• Earn a grade of B (3.0) or above in designated interinstitutional events (lectures, conferences, field trips, or research opportunities available through other campuses or organizations)

The mission of the Lantz Center for Christian Vocations and Formation is to foster a curriculum that sustains a community of Christian Formation, vocational exploration, mentoring relationships, and Christian service. Named after the sixth president of the University of Indianapolis, G. Benjamin Lantz, Jr., the Center was started in 1998 with his encouragement.

The CVOC curriculum is an integral part of the Lantz Center. The curriculum introduces the student into a spiral of learning as each course takes the student deeper and deeper into the Christian journey of vocational exploration and formation. Not unlike a potter who takes time to center the clay on the spinning wheel, the CVOC courses serve to center the students in Christ. In the context of a community, the students have the opportunity to envision new possibilities for themselves.

• During the first year of courses (CVOC-110 and 111), students have the opportunity for vocational exploration while becoming more familiar with the practices of Christian spiritual formation.
• In the second year (CVOC-210 and 211), students build on the foundation of exploration and formation they began in the first year by incorporating the practices they have learned into a Rule of Life. As they live their Rule in the company of their classmates, students have the opportunity to reflect on their practice of the Christian faith. They also have the opportunity to develop mentoring skills.
• In CVOC-105-01 and CVOC-105-50 ASP, students have the opportunity to volunteer hours of community service and reflect on their experience in light of their Christian faith, such as an alternative Spring Break experience which takes place in a part of the southeastern United States.
• An opportunity for students who want to work in a closely supervised context of practical experience in a particular field of Christian service is offered in an internship (CVOC-406).

These courses may be taken at any point in a student’s career provided that this sequence is followed: CVOC-110, followed by (or taken in conjunction with) CVOC-111, then CVOC-210 followed by (or in conjunction with) CVOC-211. Students who participate in all four courses in their career will be invited to participate in the Christian Vocations Commissioning Service to occur each spring. CVOC-105-01 Service Learning has no prerequisite. CVOC-406 has a prerequisite of CVOC-210. Students also will be encouraged to participate in various noncredit retreats, programs, and lectures offered through the Lantz Center. All courses through the center are graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis.