Office of Academic Affairs - Hostos Community College

COLLEGE-WIDE HONORS PROGRAM

• The Hostos Community College Honors Program provides an enriched academic, cultural and social experience to intellectually inquisitive and motivated students. The program offers students an academic environment that values and promotes critical thinking, analytical writing, and research and information competency skills through an innovative and challenging curriculum. Attendance at cultural events, conferences, honors seminars and an Honors Institute provide an intellectual community that encourages and supports students in pursuing their goals.
  
  The program will offer greater academic opportunities to a previously underserved population, to prepare talented and ambitious students for the challenges of higher education, and to support a successful transition to senior colleges and expanded career options. A fundamental program goal is to promote self-confidence and increase self-esteem in students who need the encouragement to excel and the courage to continue their education and fulfill their life goals and dreams.
  
  
  HONORS PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
  
  In order to graduate with honors, students will be required to complete an honors option, consisting of a minimum of 3 Honors Courses or Honors Contracts. Students will ordinarily work on only one Honors Course or Contract per semester.
  
  Honors students will participate in an Honors Colloquium every semester. Students will also perform fifteen (15) hours of voluntary community service per semester as a means of underscoring the importance of civic responsibility.
  
  Attendance at cultural events, academic seminars, and conferences will foster a multicultural academic environment in which all students will learn to appreciate the many cultures which they represent as well as prepare students to participate fully in a diverse global environment. The Honors Student, therefore, will participate in at least two (2) such extracurricular activities per semester. While in the program, students will receive incentives and privileges associated with the Honors Program. All successfully completed honors contracts and honors courses will be indicated on the student’s transcript by an “H” designation.  Students who complete all Honors Program requirements will receive a transcript stating that they graduated with Honors.
  
  The number of students accepted into the Honors Program is predicated on financial ability and will be determined each academic year.
  
  
  ELIGIBILITY
  
  Full-time and part-time students may be considered for the Honors Program upon entering Hostos, as continuing Hostos students with no more than 30 hours of completed coursework, or as transfer students at the beginning of the second year. Successful completion of the CUNY basic skills assessment tests are required for application to the program.
  
  First year admission
• A minimum of an 85 or better high school average;
• Combined SAT score of 1100 (pre-2004) or 1700 (post-2004);
  
• An essay describing educational goals and the importance of the Honors Program in achieving those goals; and Two letters of reference.
  
  
Second year admission
• 3.2 cumulative G.P.A.;
  
• An essay describing educational goals and the importance of the Honors Program in achieving those goals; and
  
• Two letters of reference from Hostos Community College faculty.
  
  
Retention in the Program
• 3.2 cumulative G.P.A.;
  
• Satisfactory progress toward completion of all program requirements; and
• Completion of at least six credits per semester without any grades below “B-”.
  

HONORS BENEFITS

Advantages of being an honors student include:

• Use of the study room
• Small honors classes
  
• Help with registration
  
• Tutoring
  
• Personal advisors
  
• Participation in Summer Institute
  
• H on the transcript, recognition at graduation
  
• Laptop loan program
  


Program Funding
No financial assistance is available through the program. Students in the Honors Program are responsible for all costs normally associated with college matriculation.


For information contact:
Dr. Carl James Grindley,
Honors Program Director
Office of Academic Affairs
Eugenio Marķa de Hostos Community College of The City University of New York
500 Grand Concourse, B-442
The Bronx, NY 10451
cgrindley@hostos.cuny.edu
(718) 319-7907