Honors Options
The Emory Lindquist Honors Program allows students to work with their instructors to earn Honors credit for most regular WSU classes.
Because the Honors Option requires additional instructor time, the course instructor should be a full-time employee of Wichita State (not an adjunct or Graduate Teaching Assistant). Exceptions may be granted only with the permission of the instructor’s department chair and the director of the Honors Program.
For Students: If you are interested in negotiating an Honors Option:
- Talk to the instructor teaching that course no later than the second week of class.
- Identify yourself as a student enrolled in the Emory Lindquist Honors Program.
- Ask if the instructor would be willing to adapt the course curriculum to provide you with a project or experience to earn Honors credit for the course.
Do not be offended if your instructor is unable or unwilling to negotiate an Honors option. Many instructors are happy to accommodate Honors students, so do not be afraid to ask.
Procedure: If your instructor is willing to design an Honors option:
- Please have him/her fill out the Honors Option Contract , also available in the Emory Lindquist Honors Program office.
- Return the contract to the Honors Program director in 115A Neff Hall, campus box 102, as soon as possible and no later than the 3rd week of classes.
At the end of the semester, the Honors director will contact your instructor to verify that you have successfully completed the Honors work in the course. The Honors director will then contact the Registrar’s Office to have the Honors designation added to that course on your transcript.
For Instructors: Honors Options follow the philosophy of the Honors Program: “not more work, more significant work.” While it is acceptable to construct an Honors Option that consists of extra homework or extra readings, ideally we would like for you to consider ways that an Honors student can engage with the course material at a more complex or experiential level. Honors Options can also give students the opportunity to engage in research, exploration, or investigation that goes beyond the boundaries of what can often be covered in the regular classroom environment.
At the end of the semester, please submit the Honors student’s final letter grade as you would normally do for non-Honors students enrolled in the class. Then, send an e-mail to the Honors Program Director at honors@wichita.edu to confirm that the Honors student has successfully completed the Honors Option for the class. The Honors Program Director will notify the Registrar’s Office, and an Honors designation will be added to the course on the student’s transcript.
Questions about an Honors Option? Email: honors@wichita.edu or call X3375