The Honors Learning Community
...for students admitted to the JMU Honors Program
The JMU Honors Program vision is a vibrant and diverse community of students and faculty excited to be engaged in intellectual discovery. The Honors Learning Community strongly complements the Program’s mission to develop and enrich this community. The Honors Leaning Community provides experiences and facilities for high achieving, highly motivated, and intellectually curious students to live and work together with one another, with other Honors students, and with faculty members to explore their mutual interests in learning and discovery, promoting the intellectual culture that is at the core of the Honors Program’s vision and mission. Intellectual engagement is the primary driving forces in programming for the Honors Learning Community. In addition, the Honors Learning Community requires its members to participate in leadership and service activities.
The 2008-2009 Honors Learning Community will include 60 (and, possibly, more if demand is sufficiently strong and resources permit) Honors Scholars, who will live and room together in Hoffman Hall. Hoffman Hall, ideally located in the Bluestone section of campus, is newly renovated, air-conditioned, and wireless. It has classroom space, numerous study areas, a full kitchen, game tables and a plasma television.
Fall Semester
Honors Learning Community students will enroll in one of three honors sections of GCOM: GCOMH 121, GCOMH122, GCOMH123. Enrollment in each of these sections will be capped at 20 and limited to Honors Learning Community students. In addition, the Honors Learning Community students will be expected to actively participate in a number of activities and events that the Honors Program will provide in Hoffman Hall for the campus-wide Honors community. These will include, but are not limited to,
- A weekly film series, including opportunities to discuss the films following each screening.
- Get-acquainted sessions with faculty members will be organized, in which faculty members selected by the students will be invited to meet with students for casual conversation and refreshments.
- Early afternoon “brown bag” talks in Hoffman’s program room will be led by faculty members to discuss their research, topics of current interest, or topics of more permanent interest.
Spring Semester
The academic focus of the Spring Semester for the Honors Learning Community will be on teamwork, leadership and service. Students in the Honors Learning Community will enroll in a one-credit honors course.
Contact the Honors Program Office 540-568-6953 or honors@jmu.edu for more information.
