Honors Augmentation Contracts (HACs)
What is an Honors Augmentation Contract?
Honors Augmentations Contracts (HACs) are designed to allow MHC scholars to earn honors credit in non-honors upper-division courses. Working closely with a course’s instructor, the student develops and engages in a creative and rigorous “honors experience” to enhance the learning outcomes.
- Ideally a HAC incorporates course learning objectives and personal interests. Therefore, students are encouraged to brainstorm ideas before approaching faculty. Nevertheless, students generally need faculty guidance to design appropriate projects/assignments.
- The HAC can be an extension of a current class assignment, can replace an existing assignment or can be an additional assignment.
- A HAC could provide students the opportunity to explore an idea to be developed into a Capstone Experience/Thesis (CE/T). Students who already have a CE/T in mind might use the HAC to complete the preliminary steps (HSRB/CITI training, a literature review, or their CE/T proposal).
- A HAC may be an opportunity to synthesize concepts from multiple disciplines, according to the student’s declared major(s) and/or minor.
- The HAC project could be used to better prepare a student for graduate-level work.
- MHC scholars are eligible to apply for an Honors Development Grant (HDG) of up to $500 to offset the cost of special materials or travel associated with the HAC.
- Scholars are encouraged to approach their professor during the first week of classes to discuss the options for a HAC.
- Scholar starts the MHC HAC Application (and obtains all signatures) and if the HAC application is acceptable, the faculty member sends the form to their department head for approval.
- Once approved by the department head, the scholar sends the approved HAC application to The MHC by the third week of classes.
- Members of the Honors Development Board will review the applications and communicate with faculty if there are any concerns. Otherwise, students will be notified by email that the HAC has been approved.
- At the end of the semester, the instructor will be prompted to acknowledge the successful completion of the HAC on the final grade sheet within TopNet.
- The HAC project can be evaluated to be included within the final grade, or it can be a non-graded component that when complete merits honors credits.
- Honors credit can only be received for courses in which students receive an A or a B.
- Field-based projects including observations and field research
- Pedagogical material design (lesson plans, learning tool, etc.)
- Presentations (to class, at a conference, to the community, etc.)
- Lab research projects
- Community engagement projects
- Multimedia project
- Supplemental reading projects (articles, novels on a related topic, etc.)
- Writing projects (literature review, blog posts, reflective essays, etc.)
MHC Scholars: If you are interested in developing an Honors Augmentation Contract
(HAC) for this course to earn honors credit, please make an appointment or come by
office hours to discuss options for enhancing the course.
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