Honors program offered to excelling students

by Alex Serna
Staff Writer

The University of La Verne offers the Honors Program for students interested in being academically challenged. This program is for students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and motivation.

Andrea Labinger, founding director of the honors program, started it in 1988 with only 12 students.

Now more than 70 are involved and leaders hope more students will join. Labinger believes that students in honors classes benefit by being involved in classes where discussions delve more deeply into the material.

"Classes are taught by two faculty members to give students a broader perspective of the material," Labinger said.

The program requires its students to enroll in four interdisciplinary seminars that are usually completed by the students' freshman and sophomore years.

The seminar-style classes replace students' general education courses.

Honors students must take a minimum of three honors colloquia, activity-based classes that explore contemporary issues in the arts, ecology, economics, ethics, international relations and other areas through participation in events on and off campus.

Some of the topics that have been explored are apocalypse and art and a century of hype and stereotype.

"Only students in the program can take honors classes," said Alfred Clark associate vice president of academic affairs.

He also said that honor students must attend 10 different events on and off campus and write reports on them, as well as discuss them in mini-seminars.

During interterm, the students take a college connection class, which provides the students the opportunity to develop mini seminars to teach at elementary schools to Gifted and Talented (GATE) students.

Honors student Nancy Gonzalez explained why this is one of the best perks of being in the program.

"The service learning was a great tool because it taught us organizational skills and how to communicate with children and the patience that is needed for them. It was mutual learning experience between us and the elementary students," Gonzalez said.

To qualify for the Honors program, first-year students must have a high school grade point average of 3.5 or above and a combined SAT score of 1100.

For students, who are currently enrolled at ULV or transfer students, a minimum of 3.3 GPA or above and the recommendation of two instructors are also required.

The program offers its students access to the Honors House, which is new this year on campus, on 1860 Third Street.

This is a place where students can hang out and relax with peers. The house has a computer lab, seminar room and faculty offices.

For more information about the Honors program call Labinger at extension 4357.