Honors College

For studentswho want more.

find your edgesm

More community.

More perspectivesand new ideas.

More activities that engage andchallenge you.

The opportunity toexcel in all you do.

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Honors College

A Quality Education

Since Hofstra University’s founding in 1935, three qualities have been consistently evident –vision, commitment to academic excellence and the capacity to change.

In fall 2001 the University re-articulated its commitment to these qualities with the opening of Hofstra University Honors College, a unique program designed to provide an enriched educational experience to our high-achieving andmotivated students. At Honors College, we buildupon Hofstra’s superb resources and reputation.

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What is Honors College?

It’s about conversation.

Honors College is a community of students and faculty

committed to academic excellence and critical engagement.

We embark on life’s great questions in conversations that

begin in our classrooms and carry forward to our lounges,

our dinner tables, and our residence halls. Through these

conversations, we learn to see ourselves and the world

through the eyes of others and open ourselves to new

possibilities. We also enjoy spending time together and

sharing our ideas.2

Honors College Dean Warren G. Frisina at Café Bistro.

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Cassandra Austin, a first-year Honors College student from Pennsylvania, said, “I definitely feel like I have a place at Hofstra because of Honors College.”

“It’s been great both socially and academically,” she continued. “There’s always an opportunity to connect with people and to have fun; and even if I can’t make one event, Honors College is always sending out an e-mail for another.”

Like all first-year Honors College students, Cassandra is enrolled in Culture & Expression, a series of multidisciplinary courses designed to explore the connections among disciplines. “It’s like looking at a painting in a museum,” she said, “and then having each professor come up and turn it another way or point out another aspect, and then you have an ‘oh’ moment.”

“I always walk out of class with new ideas buzzing in my head about the texts, or sometimes with an idea for a story I want to write,” she continued. “There’s always something entertaining about each lecture, and the nature of the program allows me to get a taste of different fields of study.”

Cassandra is planning to major in English with a concentration in creative writing and literature.

“I definitely feel like I have a place at Hofstra because of Honors College.”

— Cassandra Austin

Cassandra Austin (Class of 2011)

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The profile of Honors College students is impressive. Most entering students come from the top 10 percent of their high school classes. For the most recent class, SAT scores for the middle 50 percent of the class ranged from 1280 to 1360 and the average GPA was 3.95. But Honors College students are much more than statistics. They come from across the United States and several countries. They are student leaders who invent and build new programs. They are athletes and musicians, scientists, philosophers and poets in the making. They come to study business, education or filmmaking. In short, the diversity of Honors College students is a perfect match for the diversity of Hofstra’s 145 undergraduate majors.

Who are Honors College students?

They’re diverse in interestsand backgrounds.

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Alex Moore, a first-year Honors College student from Ohio, chose Hofstra “because I was so impressed with the personal attention I received from Honors College.” From her first visit to campus, she said, “I saw a stark contrast between the atmosphere of warmth, organization and commitment to personal attention created by Hofstra’s Honors College, and the atmosphere at larger universities and even others of comparable size.”

Of the first-year honors curriculum, Culture & Expression, Alex said, “It’s intense. But the amount that you learn through the lecture/discussion combo and the enthusiasm and accessibility of the professors both in and out of the classroom make the courses very rewarding.”

“We have so much to take advantage of out of the classroom as well,” she continued. “I have already been on numerous honors-organized trips into the city. And they certainly cover the spectrum, from museums to Broadway shows to seeing the Dalai Lama!”

Alex chose to live in honors housing, which she says seems the right size. It is difficult not to meet and interact with everyone in both Liberty and Republic Halls, and because of that, everything is very relaxed and personal, and it is easy to form strong friendships.

Still undecided about her major, Alex is leaning toward photography and global studies.

Alex Moore (Class of 2011)

“We have so much to take advantage of out of the classroom … from museums to Broadway shows to seeing the Dalai Lama!”

— Alex Moore5

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What’s different about an Honors College education?

It’s a way to enrich any major, and it can be tailored to your interests.

Each entering class enjoys a common first-year curriculum

called Culture & Expression. In this four-course, yearlong

sequence (two courses in fall, two courses in spring)

distinguished faculty introduce students to the big questions

that are addressed in classic texts. In the second through

fourth years, students tailor their honors education to their

own goals by pursuing individualized enrichment opportunities

with faculty in any regular Hofstra course. This way, students

chart their own paths and enrich courses they choose for

major or minor requirements or as free electives.

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Brian Shoicket, a second-year Honors College student from Massachusetts, found the challenge he was looking for at Honors College. “The professors that I have encountered through Honors College have been amazing,” he said. “Their lectures are interesting, they encourage discussion, and they push you to think beyond what you’re used to.”

With the first-year curriculum behind him, Brian is starting to chart his own path as an Honors College student and a religion major. He is currently enrolled in his first honors option course. “It’s definitely more work – more reading, writing, time and thinking,” he said, “but it allows me to focus on areas of interest in greater depth and form a closer relationship with my professor.”

He has also started to build his electronic portfolio, an innovative feature of the honors curriculum that allows students to capture their work electronically. “At the end of a semester,” he said, “it is amazing to look back and see how much work you accomplished in a few short months.”

For Brian, one of the best things about Honors College has been “the sense of community – both in Culture & Expression and honors housing. It is a very positive experience.”

Brian Shoicket (Class of 2010)

“The professors that I have encountered through Honors College have been amazing.”

— Brian Shoicket

What other advantages does Honors College offer?

The best of two worlds.

Honors College students benefit from the best of two worlds. They belong to a nurturing and close-knit student community that enjoys the challenges and stimulation of performing at the highest levels, as though they are at a small liberal arts college. Yet they also have access to the complete range of curricular and extracurricular opportunities offered by a university of Hofstra’s size and scope. Our community is tight (we support one another) but inclusive (we’re always forming partnerships with students and faculty across the campus). Honors College students participate in a variety of social service programs on campus and in the community. They also enjoy regular trips to theaters, museums, cultural sites and events in New York City; up-close encounters with visiting lecturers and dignitaries; and a host of social and intellectual activities throughout the year.

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Two Honors College students volunteering at a local food pantry.

Saundra Dobbs Bishop and Tom Bishop, members of the first graduating class of Honors College, had a number of life-shaping experiences as Hofstra University Honors College students. Saundra, a California native, says, “Without Honors College, I probably would not have come to Hofstra, and, as a result, would not have realized how much I love traveling.”

Without Honors College, Saundra also would not have met Tom Bishop, a fellow Honors College student, who became her husband in September 2005. The two discovered their mutual love of traveling and volunteering and have incorporated both into their life’s work.

“I loved Honors College,” Saundra recalled. “It was great having the open door access to the deans. I always had a place I could go when I needed assistance. Also, it was incredible having such respected scholars constantly available to discuss ideas, problems, and any other topic that was relevant.”

Since graduating, the Bishops have traveled to Ghana, Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica, Rwanda, India and Egypt as goodwill ambassadors. In Ghana, they coordinated malaria education programs, taught English, worked in orphanages and helped construct a building. They worked at an animal rehabilitation center in Guatemala, a soup kitchen in Mexico, orphanages in Costa Rica and Rwanda, an English program in Egypt, and with Tibetan refugees in India. They also run Sungsim Women’s Organization, a community-based organization headquartered in Ghana.

Saundra is currently teaching special education, developing curriculum and working toward a master’s degree in public policy. She plans to start a doctoral program in psychology next fall. She even wrote a book based on their experiences, titled Don’t Sleep Near the Manzanillo Tree: How to Volunteer Abroad Independently and Survive. Tom teaches high school English and is working toward a master’s degree in international education policy. He plans to pursue a doctorate in philosophy.

“I loved Honors College. It was great having the open door access to the deans. I always had a place I could go when I needed assistance.” — Saundra Dobbs Bishop

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Saundra Dobbs Bishop (B.A., 2005)

and Tom Bishop (B.A., 2005)

Is there an honorshousing option?

Yes, Liberty and Republic Halls.

Many Honors College students opt to live in honors housing

(Liberty/Republic Halls), where they enjoy an even greater

sense of community and an exceptional level of support from

a professional staff and specially selected student leaders.

Life in the Liberty/Republic complex is spirited and inspiring.

There’s always someone around, whether you’re in the mood to

play foosball or discuss Plato. Faculty mentors participate in

and help plan open-mic nights, poetry readings, and film series,

and lead discussions on topics such as civic engagement and

current social issues. 10

Amy Ginther, who was in Honors College’s first graduating class, has always been ready to explore new options and embrace new challenges. “I chose Honors College because I wanted an alternative university experience,” she said. “I wanted to be challenged in specific ways that catered to my intelligence and potential.”

Amy, who graduated with a B.F.A. in dramatic performance and minors in English and photography, wrote a one-woman show for her honors thesis. After graduating, she took the show on the road, performing at the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. “Your honors thesis depends a lot on your advisers,” she said. “My thesis adviser was Jean Giebel [associate professor of drama], and she was absolutely wonderful. But Eduardo Duarte [associate professor of foundations, leadership and policy studies] was also one of my mentors from the get-go, and he continues to be a friend to this day. He has inspired me and given me resources for some of my ongoing projects.”

After Edinburgh, Amy returned to the States and became company manager for the Aquila Theatre Company, coordinating a four-month, 26-state theater tour. Amy is currently in Prague, where she is studying for the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification, and plans to teach in Argentina and study South American theater.

“There were many things at Honors College that provided me with opportunities to grow, not just as a student but as a young person,” Amy recalled. “All the affordable ventures, such as trips to the opera, allowed me to find new passions and interests.”

“There were many things at Honors College that provided me with opportunities to grow, not just as a student but as a young person ...”

— Amy Ginther

Amy Ginther (B.F.A., 2005)

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How do I apply to Honors College?

Check the box.

To be considered for admission to Honors College, new

students need only check the interest box on the Hofstra

application. Decisions are based on a careful review of

achievements, including extracurricular activities, high school

GPA, writing ability and standardized test scores. Students

who are not invited to join Honors College in the fall of their

first year may be invited to apply after completing their first

semester at Hofstra. In such cases, admission decisions are

based on the student’s performance at Hofstra.

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Hofstraat a

Glance

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A Look at the UndergraduateClass of 2011Average HS GPA: 3.37Students With GPA of 3.0 or Higher: 74%Average SAT: 1179Students From Outside New York State: 50%Students Who Live on Campus: 79%

Costs and Financial AidTuition and Fees: $26,730Housing and Meals: $10,300Average Financial Aid Package: $11,270Students Receiving Financial Aid: 89%

Geographic ProfileU.S. States and Territories: 51Countries: 65

Academic ProfileAreas of Undergraduate Study: 145Full-time Faculty Holding Advanced Degree: 90%Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 14-to-1Average Undergraduate Class Size: 22

Facilities and ResourcesLibrary Holdings: 1.2 million print volumesResidence Halls: 37Student Clubs and Organizations: 150

Varsity AthleticsNCAA Division 1 Baseball (M)Basketball (M/W)Cross-Country (M/W)Field Hockey (W)Football (M)Golf (M/W)Lacrosse (M/W)Soccer (M/W)Softball (W)Tennis (M/W)Volleyball (W)Wrestling (M)

Hofstra University continues its commitment to extending equal opportunity to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, marital or veteran status in the conduct and operation of its educational programs and activities, including admission and employment.

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1-800-HOFSTRAhofstra.edu/HonorsCollege

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