Honors by Contract
Purpose and Description
Honors by Contract gives Honors Program students additional opportunities to enrich course experiences and earn credits toward Honors Program requirements. In this option, students enroll in a non-Honors section of a course and earn Honors credit by completing additional Honors-level assignment(s) related to the course as outlined in a contract between the student and the faculty member of the non-Honors course.
Courses eligible for an Honors by Contract
Only certain courses are available for Honors by Contract. Courses that are offered in Honors format are not options for Honors by Contract. In general, courses that are available for Honors by Contract are courses that are not offered in Honors Format in the following areas: Math, Science, second-level Foreign Language, and AS program-specific courses.
Student Eligibility and Responsibilities
- To earn Honors-by-Contract credit, the student must
– be a member of the Polk State College Honors Program,
– have completed at least one Honors Program course with a B or higher
– not have received a grade lower than a B in the discipline of the Honors by Contract course.
– work with a willing faculty member to complete the Honors by Contract Agreement and a project proposal by the deadlines listed below.
2. A student may earn credit for up to two courses through Honors-by-Contract.
3. To receive Honors-by-Contract credit, a student must not only complete the project outlined in the contract but also must earn an overall grade of B or higher in the regular course material.
4. Except with special approval by the Campus Honors coordinator, each student may only apply for one Honors-by-Contract course during a semester.
5. The student must complete and submit the agreement form and proposal to the faculty member for signature. The contract must be signed by both the student and the faculty member who has agreed to the Honors by Contract project.
6. In addition to attending the regular class, the student must meet with the faculty member at least twice during the course to discuss the student’s progress.
7. The student must present his project to the rest of the students in the course and is encouraged to present at the Honors Program Showcase if the final project is endorsed by the faculty member.
Note: Honors-by-Contract is not available over the summer.
Deadlines to Submit Proposal
- The student submits the proposal which has been signed by the faculty member to the appropriate Campus Honors Program Coordinator by August 31 for Fall courses and January 31 for Spring courses.
Lakeland Honors Coordinator: Kim Hess
Winter Haven Honors Coordinator: Katrina Smith
