Community College Honors Programs:

What’s the Deal?

Community College Honors Programs

Of 800 schools in the National Collegiate Honors Council, 20% are community colleges

One-third of the 2-year colleges that offer honors programs are comparable to those found at smaller universities

Difference Between High School Honors and College Honors

The general distinction between high school and college honors courses:

High School Classes Are Distinguished from Non-Honors

Greater amount of work required

The faster “accelerated” speed at which they progress.

College Honors Classes Are Designed to Develop Critical Thinking Skills

student-centered education help students develop their

own ideas encourage innovation in an

atmosphere of open exchange, where students’ views are solicited and respected.

more opportunities for contacts outside of the traditional classroom setting – more instructor contact, research, etc.

Transfer appropriate curriculum Enrollment priority Smaller classes Great and dedicated instructors Find hidden scholars

and……

Focus of the Community College Honors Program

Prepare students to continue studies at a four-year school by offering more personalized services:

Focus of the Community College Honors Program

Maintain transfer “priority agreements with colleges and universities

Honors students can seamlessly transition from a two-year school to university life.

Save Money!

Second chance - didn’t get the offer from high school try as a transfer and plan to use one or multiple contracts, TAP, TAG (in CA)

Don’t want to bother with all the high school college prep – SAT/ACT, college applications, stress, etc.

Not ready for university (or the parents aren’t ready)

Why Students Use Community College Honors Programs as a Strategy

Honors Transfer Council of California (HTCC) – Over 60 CCC memberships Negotiates special transfer agreements linking

community college honors/scholars’ programs to specific universities, large or small, public and private.

Students enjoy enhanced transfer consideration at the partner campus: priority acceptance consideration special scholarships housing priority and a range of other academic and social benefits

such as library privileges even before transfer

Resource for California Community College Honors Programs

Students are well-prepared for the university experience. Honors courses encourage analytical/critical thinking.

Students are motivated and driven (many are top students academically—but not all)

Allows community colleges to recruit and encourages students non-traditional populations to prepare and apply to elite universities (UCLA TAP agreement seeks underrepresented, non-traditional, first generation).

Benefits for Transfer Schools

Sample of How this WorksSanta Monica College Scholars Program

Students submit Scholars Application Must have English 1 eligibility 3.0 high school or college GPA No more than 30 college units

completed Essay/writing sample

At SMC we have decided to cast a wide net and capture many groups, including those that are targeted by UCLA – keep the GPA criteria low {Some community colleges want

to have a program that highlights the high achieving student (higher GPA criteria) more “elite” type program}

Completion of SMC Scholars Program

Students complete 15 semester units of honors courses

Must meet target GPA

SMC certifies completion Universities give priority

consideration (SMC’s largest honors transfer schools are UCLA, UCI, Loyola Marymount University)

Transfer Year

UCLA Transfer Students From SMC

Scholars Certified (TAP)

UCI Transfer Students from SMC

UCI Scholars Certified (TAP)

UC Berkeley Transfer Students from SMC

UC Berkeley Scholars (No TAP/Scholars Agreement)

Fall 2008 1547 applied650 admitted

190 certified178 admitted

131 N/A N/A N/A

Fall 2009 1765 applied600 admitted

200 certified182 admitted

93 44 N/A N/A

Fall 2010 1875 applied663 admitted

223 certified203 admitted

103 55 N/A N/A

Fall 2011 1947 applied???? admitted

219 certified192 admitted

N/A 44 N/A N/A

Fall 2012 1881 applied726 admitted

232 certified211 admitted

553 applied114 admitted

51 certified49 admitted

N/A N/A

Fall 2013 1790 applied592 admitted

205 certified182 admitted

1053 applied551 admitted

96 certified84 admitted

1027 applied237 admitted (23%)

174 applied 73 admitted (41%)

Transfer Statistics for SMC Scholars Program