While Honors students receive encouragement to form their own tribe of special learners, they are very much a part of all the communities that make up Western.
The Western Colorado University Honors Program provides enhanced and challenging academic programming to a carefully selected group of highly motivated and accomplished students from all disciplines who have performed well academically in high school or at Western Colorado University.
Small class size, extensive interaction among peers and teachers, experiences outside the traditional classroom, and interdisciplinary approaches to education are all features of the program.
Honors Program Goals
"The Good"
While scholars may debate the "Form of the Good", the Honors Program at Western sees it as deeply connected to the purpose and values of a Liberal Arts and Science education. We seek to create opportunities for our students to develop into virtuous, knowledgeable and articulate citizens for whom the pursuit of knowledge is integral to human development.
Citizenship and Community
We seek to create elite learners without elitism and a cohort of students who learn to develop the deep connection between higher education and citizenship within a supportive academic community. Our community members are highly motivated students, faculty and staff who share an intellectual curiosity about the world around them.
Interdisciplinarity
Honors courses are designed to promote cross discipline exploration and discovery. You will find students and faculty of a multitude of majors and interests in Honors classes providing an extremely fertile and complex environment for discussion and analysis.
Risk Taking and Autonomy
While our program demands high academic achievement, it does not mean that our students play it safe academically. Honors at Western encourages students to take the initiative in the ownership of their educational experience. Honors courses present students with opportunities to think for themselves free from internal or external constraints on intellectual inquiry. We encourage students to take the initiative in their own education and support them in developing the resiliency needed when stepping out of one's academic comfort zone.
Social Intelligence
It is not enough to be the "smartest one in the room" if you lack the intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence to communicate your ideas and listen to the ideas of others. Our program and its educational opportunities encourages students to develop the capacity to negotiate and navigate complex social and intellectual environments so Honors students are not just "the smartest ones in the room' but the most effective communicators and collaborators in the room.
Program Benefits
Honors students have the opportunity to become a part of a scholarly community consisting of faculty and students committed to the pursuit of intellectual inquiry, creativity, and academic excellence. Benefits of membership in the Western Colorado University Honors Program also include automatic eligibility for Honors classes, use of the Honors Center and Computer Lab in Taylor Hall, participation in activities organized by the Honors Student Advisory Board, priority registration and special recognition at graduation. Have questions? Contact a student currently in the Honors Program.
National Organizations
Western Colorado University is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council, the Western Regional Honors Council and the Rocky Mountain Honors Council.
