Senior Honors Program

E N G L I S H M A J O R I N W R I T I N G

In the spring of junior year, eligible Writing Majors may apply to the Honors Program for the opportunity to spend two quarters of senior year immersed in a challenging writing project of their own design. The Senior Honors Program consists of two course enrollments:

a 398 Senior Honors Seminar in fall quarter, followed by a 399 Independent Study in winter quarter

During these two quarters, admitted students will complete an ambitious creative manuscript. At the conclusion of the two-quarter enrollment, the final project of work produced may be submitted for consideration for Departmental Honors. Each of these courses is 1 credit, for a combined total of 2 credits. The Honors Seminar and the Independent Study are in addition to the 15 courses required for the major, and cannot be used in place of any of those requirements.

Eligibility Requirements:

a 3.5 minimum GPA in English department coursework
a demonstrated potential to produce a creative manuscript worthy of honors consideration
the demonstrated seriousness, dedication, and discipline necessary to complete an ambitious and sustained project

Further, successful candidates for the Honors Program will have proposed a project deemed by the faculty committee to be suitably ambitious, feasible, compelling, and otherwise appropriate.

Project Requirements
The final project must be a finished, polished manuscript of original work. The final manuscript may be new work or a combination of new work and revised work from the year-long sequence. The coherence and arrangement of the whole manuscript will be evaluated in addition to the merit of the individual parts. The maximum and minimum page lengths indicated will be enforced. Finished manuscripts must comply with the following guidelines:

Poetry: One long poem or coherent group of two or more poems totaling 15–20 pages of verse.

Fiction: One story or a coherent group of two or more stories, totaling 30–45 pages; or a novella, totaling no more than 60 pages.

Creative Nonfiction: One piece or a coherent group of two or more pieces, totaling 30–45 pages; or one long creative nonfiction piece totaling no more than 60 pages.

Translation: Students with a knowledge of another language may propose a project in translating poems, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Final manuscript length may depend on genre, but should minimally comprise 15–20 pages of finished translation.

Students who did the year-long sequence in one genre may apply to do a manuscript project in a different genre.

ABOUT THE HONORS PROGRAM SEQUENCE OF COURSES AND HONORS DECISIONS

The fall-quarter 398 is a seminar comprising all Writing Majors accepted to the Honors Program. The seminar is convened by the Honors Director and meets generally once a week at a set time for two hours. During the fall, students enrolled in the 398 meet with their faculty adviser at least twice: once during the first two weeks of the quarter to discuss the project focus and scope, and to refine the reading list; and once during Reading Week to discuss progress and set up a meeting time for the winter. One or two additional meetings may be requested by the faculty adviser. At the end of the 398 quarter, the Honors Director confers with each faculty adviser to assess the student's ability to continue with the project into the 399. In extreme cases, some students may not be allowed to continue the Honors Program, and will not enroll in a 399. They will still receive a final grade and (if passing) a credit for 398, but they will no longer be eligible for honors. A final grade for the 398 will be assigned by the Honors Coordinator.

During the winter-quarter 399 Independent Study, students meet individually with their assigned faculty adviser for approximately one hour each week. At the half-way point in winter quarter, each student's manuscript in progress will be reviewed by a second faculty reader, who will discuss the emerging shape of the project with the student and/or the faculty adviser.

Deadline: The final project is due on the first day of Exam Week in winter quarter, no later than 4 PM. The student attaches a Defense of Thesis statement, giving the history and scope of his or her submitted project; describing the readings, any research, and what use was made of them; and defending the manuscript's accomplishments. The 399 faculty adviser assigns a final grade for the quarter.

Conferring of Honors: After reviewing submitted final projects, the Writing Major Faculty Honors Committee convenes in spring quarter and determines which projects are meritorious of nomination for Departmental Honors. These decisions are final. Nominations are forwarded to the College's Committee on Superior Students, which makes the final honors determination. The Committee's determinations are final.

Faculty Assignments: Owing to the limited number of Writing Major faculty, and the need to limit each faculty member's total of 399s, students will be assigned by the Program to a particular faculty adviser. Students may be working with the faculty member for the first time. Every effort is made to match students with the best adviser for the project. Students may not request particular faculty.

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