Washington State University faculty from all disciplines are invited by the Honors College to submit proposals by Nov. 1 for engaging courses to be taught to honors students starting in fall 2023.
“This is the first time we have sought new course ideas with a general call to faculty,” said Dean M. Grant Norton. “We anticipate that we will receive a wealth of innovative proposals that will enrich the depth and breadth of course offerings available to our students.”
“Honors courses present wonderful opportunities for faculty to experiment with innovative content, subject matter, and/or pedagogy that you may have been thinking about but have not had space or time to develop in your regular teaching load,” said Associate Dean David Shier.
Teaching for Honors, he said, means “joining a community that brings together students and faculty from every corner of campus for original learning opportunities focused on a cross-disciplinary curriculum, experiential learning, research, and critical reflection.”
The Honors curriculum
The college’s core curriculum consists of six courses in three broad areas: the social sciences, arts and humanities, and the sciences. Lower division courses at the 200 level introduce scholarly inquiry into the humanities and arts, social sciences, mathematics, and physical and biological sciences. Upper division courses at the 300 level employ an interdisciplinary approach to the study of civilization, arts, and sciences with a global focus.
Honors courses span a wealth of topics. Shier said that recent course titles from faculty across the university include such studies as “Tracing your family history,” “Technology, crime, and public safety,” “The global food system,” and “Why does poverty exist and what can be done about it?”
A listing of all Honors College courses offered from spring 2016 to fall 2022 indicates the range of subjects.
Teaching for Honors
Shier said that Honors teaching assignments are made with approval from the faculty member’s home unit and college. Honors provides compensation to colleges through either replacement instructor funds or direct compensation to faculty.
Proposals must be submitted by Nov. 1 to honors@wsu.edu. Questions about proposals should be directed to Shier.
