Honors College Distinction in Leadership

The Honors College Distinction in Leadership seeks to encourage and recognize the values and objectives outlined within our mission and objectives.

At the BGSU Commencement ceremony, students who have completed the academic requirements for the Honors College will graduate with University Honors and wear an Honors College medallion to signify this distinction. For those who also wish to highlight their work inside or outside of the classroom, they may also earn recognition towards an Honors College Distinction in Leadership.

Mission

The Bowling Green State University Honors College supports the BGSU mission by fostering a community of scholars. Through an emphasis on personal and intellectual development, members are challenged to identify their values and broaden their worldview.

Honors College Objectives

• The Honors curriculum promotes collaborative work, creativity, and interdisciplinary studies that culminate in an Honors capstone project and original scholarship.

• Honors College members enjoy a lifelong commitment to create public good through engaged citizenship. (Recognition #1)

• Honors College students work with faculty and staff mentors who encourage their involvement within the Honors College as they prepare to become leaders in their professions and communities. (Recognition #2) 

• Honors College students can expect to participate in leadership and professional development opportunities which lead to self-authorship. (Recognition #3)

• Honors College members sharpen their critical thinking skills, allowing them to attain comfort with ambiguity, inspire innovation, and explore personal values to cultivate a culture of inclusion, respect, and curiosity.  (Recognition #4)

To earn each or any of the four recognitions (public good through engaged citizenship; involvement; self-authorship; and inclusivity), students must submit an artifact and reflection that will be reviewed by a panel of Honors faculty and staff. Artifacts might include completed assignments, digital images of you completing an activity, or mementos acquired during an experience. As you reflect on your experience, you are using metacognition skills. These skills allow you to gain a better understanding of how you think and feel about what you are learning in and outside of the classroom. This insight is measured in relation to your previous experiences.

Reflections and artifacts can be uploaded into the Honors College Canvas shell (navigate to either “Assignments” or “Modules”). Students who successfully earn all four recognitions with also be awarded the Honors College Distinction in Leadership.

Students should discuss questions with their Honors advisor. 

Definitions:

Public Good through Engaged Citizenship can take on many forms: learning about public policies and voter issues; partnering with community members to address an issue or problem; traveling to a new community or country to broaden your worldview, etc.

Involvement at BGSU and in the surrounding community might include many of the thousands of opportunities for involvement in research, student activities, service, and undergraduate research. Each can be valuable, but for the purposes of this recognition, only Honors College and Honors Learning Community involvements will be eligible. These include serving as a Peer Facilitator, an Ambassador, an Opening Weekend Group Leader, an Honors Fellow, or an Honors Undergraduate Intern; facilitating a Collective Dialogues discussion or HLC book discussion; or participating in Honors Students of Color or an Honors-sponsored education abroad experience. Students may also work with their Honors advisor to explore self-designed experiences.

Self-authorship is “the capacity to internally define a coherent belief system and identity that coordinates engagement in mutual relations with the larger world” (Baxter Magolda in Baxter Magolda & King, 2004, p. xxii). We seek to recognize students who have thoughtfully developed such a congruent belief system and identity.

Inclusion requires our community to cultivate an environment that sustains and affirms all members, particularly those from historically marginalized or minoritized groups. Our role activates a commitment to distribute privilege and influence across differences and a willingness to act on this commitment (adapted from definitions found here).