Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Foundations of Honors (Face-to-Face)

HONR 1040-H03

Course: HONR 1040-H03
Credits: 1
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Library & Information Science
CRN: 31899

Course Description

Students will be introduced to and explore the fundamental skillsets required to succeed as students at Southern Utah University and in the SUU Honors Program by developing an understanding of the complete student experience at college and the interdisciplinary nature of an Honors education. The class will emphasize seminar-style discussions and teamwork, develop students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and explore issues related to holistic student health and wellbeing. This one-credit seminar course is required of all new Honors students. (Fall, Spring) [Pass/Fail] Registration Restriction(s): Acceptance into Honors Program; Intensive English Program majors may not enroll

Required Texts

There are no required texts for this section. 

Learning Outcomes

  1. Critical Thinking: You will develop intellectually disciplined processes of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. Over the course of the semester, you will prepare for and participate in class seminars, explore Big Questions, and work as part of a team to present your answers and findings. You will be assessed via your participation in and leadership of class seminars discussion and your efforts as part of a class presentation.
  2. Problem Solving: You will design, evaluate, and implement strategies to answer open-ended questions or achieve a desired goal. You will prepare for and participate in class seminars, explore Big Questions, and work as part of a team to present your answers and findings. You will be assessed via your participation in and leadership of class seminars discussion and your efforts as part of a class presentation.
  3. Communication: You will communicate appropriately and effectively to peers, the instructor, and others throughout the numerous activities and assignments in this course. You will interact with your peers as you research and prepare for the Big Question seminars, participate with others during in-class activities, and you may write online discussion reflections and other course assignments. 
  4. Teamwork: You will interact productively with others (in and out of class) to complete assignments, tasks, and projects. Working in an interdisciplinary team, you will identify and define the course Big Question, investigate relevant credible resources, and prepare an in-class team seminar. You will be assessed via your research sources, your interactions in discussions (possibly by reflection and otherwise), and your group seminar.

Course Requirements

ACTIVITIES & ASSIGNMENTS: You will help determine the kinds of assignments we complete in this class (e.g. quizzes, preparing discussion questions, reading summaries, reading reflections, podcasts, journal articles, etc.). However, there are five required assignments, in addition to regular participation in class:
  • Seminar: You are expected to come to each class period prepared and willing to engage in seminar-style discussion. In addition, you will take a turn facilitating a seminar, having selected seminar materials and prepared discussion questions in advance. Seminar “assignments” are as follows:
    • Each meeting, all students will share a thought on or impression of the assigned reading or other discussion material.
    • Students are expected to participate meaningfully. Meaningful participation means contributing to the discussion with relevant, thoughtful comments; respectfully engaging in debates and conversations; and being attentive and respectful during class by listening to classmates, refraining from distracting cell phone use (texting, Snap chatting, Instagram, FaceBook, Twitter, games, etc.), only having class-related materials displayed on laptops/tablets/cell phones.
    • The seminar team participants are responsible for locating reading/discussion materials for their assigned class period and sending them to your instructor by 5pm one week prior to their assigned day. Your professor will post the materials and any special instructions to Canvas. The seminar team participants are also responsible for preparing 3-5 discussion questions for their assigned class period and topic.
  • Academic Plan: After meeting with your university assigned advisor AND the Honors Administrative Assistant/Advisor, you will submit a proposed academic plan that includes the coursework required for your major and the coursework required to graduate with Honors. 
  • Mock Honors Contract Proposal: After viewing the assigned contract videos and attending class to learn more about honors contracts, you will design a Mock Honors Contract based on a course you are planning to take next semester. You will acquire the required paperwork, fill it out properly, and submit it for feedback. 
  • Comprehensive Project: You will incorporate information from the “Big Question” project into a final assignment to be presented at the final meeting. All students must participate in the creation of this project which should be at least 10 minutes long and completely determined by the class as a whole. This is a great opportunity to be creative with your classmates and bring the key points of the Big Question project together into one final presentation. 
  • Course Reflection: The last week of the semester, you will respond to a series of reflection questions to explore what you have learned over the course of the semester and how well you have acclimatized to the Honors Program. During the final exam period, you will complete a kind of reflective “exit interview” with the instructor and a member of the Honors administration. 

Course Outline

Week 1: Disequilibrium - introductions, expectations, and overview of the class
Week 2: Honors Mentors Visit
Week 3: Points of View Exercise
Week 4: Academic Plan
Week 5: Contracts/Experience Waivers
Week 6: Setting the Big Question
Week 7: Fall Break
Week 8: Seminar 1
Week 9: Seminar 2
Week 10: Seminar 3
Week 11: Seminar 4
Week 12: Thanksgiving Break
Week 13: Seminar 5
Week 14: Final Reflection Activity 
Week 15: Finals Week - One-on-One Meetings

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late work will only be allowed with prior permission from the instructor before the due date.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is mandatory. With prior approval, students may be allowed to miss class for an acceptable reason.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.