Touchstone Honors Program

WHAT IS THE TOUCHSTONE HONORS PROGRAM?

The Texas Woman’s University Honors Program provides an enhanced educational environment for talented and motivated undergraduate students designed to encourage high achievement academically and cultivate the whole person. The Honors Program provides students with extensive experiences in a broad range of scholarly and creative endeavors, and strive to develop enlightened and skilled citizens who are equipped to innovate and lead on the local, national, and global levels.

Program Emphases

Collaborative and multidisciplinary learning within a community of scholars who are dedicated to academic excellence;
Extracurricular experiences for each student that will equip the graduate to better appreciate and more effectively engage the culture at large;
Preparation for graduate and professional school through workshops, individual counseling, and Honors UNIV 1231;
Production of quality research and creative works via honors courses, honors contracts, and the honors capstone project;
Presentation and publication of scholarly research and creative works at local, regional, and national conferences and/or in quality scholarly journals;
Quality international experiences ranging from short term travel abroad programs to semester study abroad experiences, all designed to increase the skills and global awareness of participants.

The Touchstone Honors Vow

We vow to uphold the high academic and personal standards of the Touchstone Honors Program, support one another, and dedicate the skills and education to the benefit of others now and throughout our future lives.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS OVERVIEW

Academic Requirements

6SCH of Organized Honors Course

9SCH of Honors Contracts, Graduate-Level Classes, or Additional Organized Honors Courses

Maintain a 3.3 or Higher GPA

Complete 1 Scholarly Achievement Prior to Graduation

* Students Must Earn an A or B in Courses to Receive Honors Credit

Service Requirements

A central tenet of the program is that talented and well-educated individuals have a duty to share their abilities with others. In doing so, honors students develop leadership and service skills that allow them to become more sensitive to the needs of their peers, their community, and their world.

Total of 35 Service and 5 Fundraising Hours by Graduation

***There is not a specific timeline for THP service hour accumulation, but we recommend students complete around 8 service hours per semester to stay on track

Social-Cultural Requirements

The Touchstone Honors Program exists, not merely as an academic enrichment program, but also to assist students in developing culturally and civically. To that end, active participation in the program’s social and cultural programming is expected of each honors student.

Attend at Least 3 Cultural - Professional Development Events Per Semester

TOUCHSTONE HONORS PROGRAM - REQUIREMENT WORKBOOK

Students admitted to the Honors Scholar Program and Touchstone Honors Program are awarded an annual scholarship contingent upon Good Standing in their respective program. In most cases the Honors Scholarship can be stacked on other awards such as the Oakley Scholarship. In some instances, the Honors Scholarship cannot be stacked (ex. Terry Scholarship).

THP Rec. Track Booklet.pdf

ATHENIAN HONOR SOCIETY

The Athenian Honor Society (AHS) is a TWU-chartered student organization whose members consist of students within the TWU Honors Scholar Program.

Membership requirements, dues, duties, and activities are described within the constitution and bylaws of the organization. The Honors Scholar program depends upon AHS as the student “voice” within the program. As such, certain officers are asked to serve on the HAC and on certain HAC committees, and serve as student representatives to national and regional honors organizations. AHS officers also provide recordkeeping and oversight with respect to the service and participation requirements of the program.

fees & dues

New students pay one-time dues of $50 at the start of their first semester.

These dues are good for four years and entitle the students to discounted or free admission to planned events, complimentary graduation cords, and a complimentary copy of the annual honors research journal.

AHS COMMITTEES

Social Cultural

The Social/Cultural Committee is tasked with planning all social/cultural events for the Honors Scholar Program and tracking Honors' members participation each semester. This committee also organizes the annual honors banquet.

publications

The Publications Committee is responsible for publishing the research journal Off the Quill and the Athenian Newsletter. Committee members may interview students and faculty, photograph events, or design publication layouts.

Service

The Service Committee is in charge of planning all service projects and volunteer work done by Honors Scholar students, as well as tracking members' service credits.

Fundraising

The Fundraising Committee has the responsibility of planning the fundraising projects for the program and for selected charities with a goal of raising funds for the program and for organizations AHS supports financially.

outreach

The Outreach Committee is entrusted with keeping the Honors Alumni and any other non-student party connected to and informed about the Honor Scholar Program and Athenian Honor Society.

MARKETING

The Marketing Committee oversees the promotion of the program through web-based and social media content.

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