November 11, 2022

The Dorothy and Bill Cohen Honors College Weekly Update

By Kyndal Dorzweiler

Black and white graphic with college name, the date, and an image of WuShock.

Events & Deadlines

BILL’S Trip- Don’t Forget! Applications due this Sunday

Graphic with an image of Zion National Park in the background. In the middle of the image is a tan strip of paper that reads "Bill's Trip: Building Investment in Lifelong Leadership & Service. Cohen Honors College, Wichita State University. 2023 Location Announcement: Zion National Park."

Applications are currently open and due Sunday, November 13. For more information and to access the online application please visit www.wichita.edu/honorsparks.

This year BILL’S Trip (Building Investment in Lifelong Leadership & Service) has partnered with Zion National Park for a week (January 7-13, 2023) of service-learning, exploring stewardship and servant leadership in partnership with the National Park Service. Named in honor of Bill Cohen, Bill’s Trip is an academic service-learning experience in which students travel to a selected National Park Service unit and spend the week serving and learning about the National Parks. Students will enroll in HNRS398J-Leading Through Serving (1 credit or 3 credit option). All student travel is funded through a generous gift in honor of Bill Cohen. Students will only be responsible for course tuition. 

Reminder: Early Registration begins 7a.m. on Nov. 14th

Make sure to set your alarms early! Registration for honors students begins at 7 a.m. on November 14th. Wake up early and get the first pick of your classes!

College of the Game is Tonight!

Yellow graphic with white volleyballs of various sizes flying across. In big grey font it reads " Shocker Volleyball: College of the Game, Cohen Honors College" and in smaller font it reads "Vs. Tulane, Friday November 11, 7:00pm" The bottom half of the graphic reads " 50 Group tickets available. Scan the Qr code to sign up or contact jlamborski@shockers.wichita.edu. Students, Faculty, staff, alumni and friends are invited to cheer on Shocker Volleyball and be recognized as the college of the game. Meet in front of the Shocker Hall Building A- Honors Office at 6:40 or at the Koch Arena southwest entrance at 6:45."

Students, faculty, staff, alumni & friends are invited to cheer on Shocker Volleyball tonight and be recognized 
as the college of the game.

50 Group Tickets available. Scan the QR code to sign up or contact jlamborski@shockers.wichita.edu. 

Meet in front of the Shocker Hall Building A – Honors Office at 6:40 or at the Koch Arena southwest entrance at 6:45.

 

Join us For an Election Analysis!

The general public and WSU students, faculty and staff are invited to attend a Zoom Election Analysis Faculty Panel on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 11:00-12:15.   Panelists Alexandra Middlewood, Brian Amos, Chase Billingham and Neal Allen will discuss the reelection of Gov. Laura Kelly, the election of Attorney General Kris Kobach, and state legislative and local races.  Zoom link is below, and the event will be livestreamed in Lindquist Hall 500.  This event is sponsored by the Department of Political Science - contact Neal Allen, Department Chair at neal.allen@wichita.edu with any questions.

https://wichitastate.zoom.us/j/95775927721?pwd=bXB2TUxRQkgxSzk4WUttZUt5S2lIQT09
Password: 794351

 

News & Information

Congratulations Dr. Harrison!

Our very own Dr. Kevin Sylvester Harrison was awarded the H.N. Sims Excellence in Education Award for his dedication to telling the story of Black experiences in America and for his dedication to Wichita State University. Larry Burks, president of the NAACP, talked proudly of Dr. Harrison, saying:

"His is an example for emulation given his support of community youth, using a unique teaching and management style and maintaining focus on academic achievement in his role in the Honors College,” Burks says. “His talent is multi-faceted, and he is a gifted musical, cinematic and story-telling genius for our times.”

Dr. Harrison truly does more meaningful work. We are proud of his accomplishments and cannot wait to see what he does next!

To read the full story, please visit the Wichita State News website. 

Locked and Loaded

Brandy Henrickson giving shooting instructions to Dr. English. 
It goes without saying that our 700+ Cohen Honors College students remain locked and loaded for rigorous and "more meaningful" academic experiences.  Forensic Science major Brandy Henrickson and Electrical Engineering major Tyler Bayliff are no exception to the outstanding students that represent Honors across a wide range of disciplines.  However, "locked and loaded" is a mantra that goes beyond the classroom for both outstanding students.  In addition to serving as president (Brandy) and vice president (Tyler) of the Wichita State University Shooting Sports Team,  they both compete throughout the region in skeet and trap shooting competitions and perform quite well.  Pictured are photos from the Open House event hosted by the Shooting Sports team at Ark Valley Gun Club on October 28, 2022.  In addition to Chemistry Professor, Dr. Doug English (pictured below receiving shooting instructions from Brandy), Dr. Kevin Harrison was also in attendance.  Both Harrison and English agreed that this amazing event was quite the adrenaline rush and can't wait to go back again. 

On the Road Again- National Collegiate Honors Council Conference

Group of honors students in business attire standing in front of the NCHC22 banner

Image of the students in attendance of the NCHC conference standing on a flight of stairs

 Okay, so maybe this is the first time this crew has been on the road together, but you have to admit, the heading caught your attention!  The NCHC National Conference took place from Nov 2 through Nov 6 in beautiful downtown Dallas, Texas with the theme "Centering Community".  As the pictures below illustrate, both students and faculty found the trip fun, rewarding, and meaningful.  In addition to connecting with Honors students and faculty from across the country, each day consisted of workshops and activities to assist with better engaging in the idea of the inventive and experiential educational pursuits that we like to describe as "more meaningful work".  With a Wichita State student presentation on BILLS Trip and a faculty presentation on Holistic Honors admissions, it is safe to say that our university and college were well represented.  Despite taking care of business, there was still time to make room for a few shenanigans along the was as well, including a birthday prank played on Dr. Engber during dinner and an impromptu team builder which entailed walking down 37 flights of stairs together.  The best part about all of this is that we get to do it again next year in Chicago!!! 

 

New Classes in the Honors College!

We are excited to announce that there will be a new class with an honors section for the spring titled: “Negotiation and Diplomacy” POLS391AH (26745).  This class is designed to let students learn negotiating skills and the challenges of diplomacy first hand through a series of role play exercises and simulations.  Students will experience politics through the lens of elected US officials, National Security Council members, and UN Security Council members.  T/Th 11:00 – 12:15 with Prof. Carolyn Shaw.

Spring Course Schedule Available to View!

Visit the Schedule of Courses to view the current Spring 2023 course schedule. A few additional courses may be added in October. Now is the time to schedule your appointment with your first-year or major college advisor to begin planning. Remember to tell your advisor that you are an honors student! 

To see a list of department honors and honors college courses, select “Search by Term” and type “honors” in the keyword box. Questions? Stop by Shocker Hall Building A or email honors@wichita.edu 

Visit our webpage for more information!

Some common questions:

When should I take HNRS 486 Honors Collaborative Research?  

HNRS 486 is recommended to take in your 2nd or 3rd year. You also can work on individual research with a faculty member to meet the research requirement. You can register for HNRS 485 or petition to use a current research project and presentation to meet this requirement. 

How can I change my Cohen Honors College track?

You can add, remove, or change your honors track yourself in the Change of Major app in your MyWSU portal.

What do I do if I’m not able to take an honors course this year?

To maintain good standing in Honors, we ask you to keep a minimum overall GPA of 3.25 and complete at least 3 honors credits per Academic Year (Fall, Spring, Summer) or complete a 12-credit track. If you can’t take a course every year, email honors@wichita.edu and explain your plan to stay on track to complete requirements.

Can I request an exception to an Honors requirement?

Yes, we encourage you to design your honors education to challenge you and work with your major or professional goals. Complete the online petitions for exceptions form to request an exception to an Honors requirement.

What do I do if there are no courses in my major or an area that interests me?

You can request to turn a regular course into an honors course. Review the online honors option agreement form for suggestions, talk with your instructor, and turn in the form by the third week of classes. Remember that not all instructors will have time to design honors-level work for the course. Don’t be offended if your instructor says no.

What if I’m not sure which courses to take this semester?

To find a suggested sequence of honors courses, visit www.wichita.edu/honorsyearbyyear. Email honors@wichita.edu to schedule an advising appointment.

Student Spotlight

Image of Jaci Charbonneau surrounded by yellow boxes with facts about her in them.

Honors Calender