THE BARRETT HONORS COLLEGE - ASU



The Barrett Honors College

At Arizona State University

Honors Parents

November 15, 2003, Meeting

Honors Parents President Michele "Mike" Wieczorek began the meeting at 9:30 a.m. She said the general meeting would be short, just some announcements. The Andersons brought a coffee cake for all to share.

Dr. Charles Johnson, noted African American writer and humorist, will speak at the Centennial Lecture on Wednesday, November 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Old Main. The Centennial Colloquium will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 20, in the Agriculture Building. Honors Parents are not needed to usher this year.

Smoothies Saturday will be from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on December 13. Parents can arrive at noon to help with set-up. Quite a few parents have already signed up to make smoothies, which is great because the students really appreciate it. Parents need to bring blenders, wooden spoons, fruit, juice, and extension cords. The college will provide paper towels, frozen yogurt, and power strips. HP will also sell merchandise to students who wish to shop for gifts.

The December BHC graduation reception will take place at Monti's, like last year. Volunteers are also needed to check in students at the BHC Convocation from 11:30 to 1:00 on Thursday, December 18, at Galvin Playhouse. Volunteers may stay to watch the graduation, if they like.

Parents who like to be involved are invited to join the Honors Parents Leadership Council next year. Mike said that most students really like to see their parents get involved with Honors Parents.

Christy Southergill next introduced Janey Swanz, Academic Advisor Senior, and the Timely Topic of "The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project -- A Who, What, When, Where, and How Workshop for Parents." The Thesis/Creative Project provides an opportunity to work one on one with faculty and to use the thesis as preparation for graduate school. It is the culmination of the student's BHC experience. It counts as an upper division literacy course. The thesis/creative project may be in the student's major study area, an area of interest to the student, or may be interdisciplinary.

Janey began by asking parents what departments their students were in and what year they were, as there are some differences in the honors thesis requirements between departments. She said that she does Thesis/Creative Project Workshops for students several times a semester to let them know about the thesis requirements and to encourage them to begin thinking about a topic that would interest them. Janey sends out e-mails each semester to let students know about the workshops. When Janey is not available, Eric Amadon fills in for her.

Janey next passed around sample theses from a variety of departments. A science thesis is relatively short, as most of the work is done in the lab, and it describes the research the student has done. A thesis can involve a group project. The business college offers students opportunities to work in groups to develop business plans. Engineering students use the capstone or senior design project for their thesis with some additional written work. One of the creative projects was on Chinese calligraphy. Another student used a Circumnavigators Scholarship experience as the basis for his thesis. An ESPN internship led to a thesis/creative project on what it takes to be a sports caster. A thesis/creative project can also be interdisciplinary.

The advising office can help students think through topic ideas. There is a thesis database of all titles done since 1988. Students can review the professor bios online in the department web sites to decide who is working on topics that may interest them. There is also a database of faculty members who are doing research and who are looking for students to help with that research.

Students who complete a thesis can qualify for a Thesis of Distinction. The professors nominate students they work with and in the spring during Celebrating Honors, the students make a poster with a graphics designer, and faculty and parents are invited to view their work. This year Celebrating Honors will be in the early evening indoors, rather than outside in the courtyard in the afternoon.

Janey next spoke about the recommended timeline for the thesis/creative project. During the freshman and sophomore years, students do not have enough upper division courses to begin the research, but they can take classes of interest, meet professors, and think about possible topics. The Thesis/Creative Project Workshop can acquaint them with resources. Janey recommends taking two semesters for six honors credits when actually beginning to work on the thesis. The 492 class, honors directed research, can be completed the spring semester of the junior year. The 493 class, which is the only required class and includes writing and defending the thesis, can then be completed the fall semester of the senior year. Students can then spend the spring semester of the senior year planning to move on to a job or graduate school. The actual registration (line number) is done through the individual departments. The thesis director must be a faculty member and he or she sets the guidelines and requirements. The thesis director usually chooses the second reader. The third readers can be members of the community, parents, and alumni and are assigned by the BHC. The third reader reads the final draft of the thesis, attends the defense, and does not need to be an expert in the field. The third reader does need to have an interest in the subject, and honors parents who would like to volunteer may contact Christy Southergill. Dr. Jacobs would ultimately like to use outside examiners for the thesis defense.

The BHC paperwork for the thesis is available on the BHC web site at . The Thesis Prospectus form is turned in to the college during the semester that the student begins writing the thesis. There is also a Thesis Prospectus Revision form, since ninety-five percent of all students change the title, the director, or the entire topic prior to completion. The Thesis and Creative Project Handbook and Thesis/Creative Project Director Guidelines give more information on the thesis process. In addition, students need specific guidelines from the department, which means that they need to meet frequently with the thesis directors. Students may also request reimbursement for expenses such as supplies, copies, lab fees, and books using the Thesis Reimbursement Application.

The defense is scheduled when the student has completed writing the thesis. There are dates scheduled each semester, so that students can complete the defense on time to be included in the BHC graduation. The defense is an opportunity to show what the student has learned and should not be intimidating. It takes approximately one hour and students should dress professionally. Students can do a Power Point presentation, show slides, or do some other presentation. They can practice with family and friends beforehand. They may also get permission to sit in on another student's defense, so they know what to expect. The director usually decides how formal the defense is, but students may invite guests for the presentation part of the defense. After the defense, the committee signs off on the Thesis Signature Page from the BHC web site. There will be time between the defense date and the scheduled submission date to make any minor revisions that are required. Students who meet frequently with their director and follow any advice given will complete the defense successfully.

The BHC expects that the Thesis Signature Page be turned in prior to participating in the BHC graduation. This fall graduates need to defend the thesis by November 20 and turn in the signed off thesis by December 5. Students who do not turn in their signature page on time are still allowed to graduate through ASU, but they only receive the honors credit after final completion of the thesis.

The psychology department requirements were specifically addressed at the request of a parent. This department allows only fifteen honors theses per year. The department requirements are quite competitive and students who are interested need to begin planning their freshman year. Psychology majors who are not able to complete an honors thesis/creative project through the psychology department are encouraged to work on an interdisciplinary thesis through another department.

The next HP meeting will be Saturday, January 24, at 10:00 a.m. in Best C and will feature Juan Gonzalez, Vice President, Student Affairs, who oversees all of student life. All parents of honors students are invited to attend.

Mike thanked parents for coming and for bringing snacks for the starving students and the meeting ended at 11:00 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Marcy Díaz

HP Secretary

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