{"id":4358,"date":"2019-11-04T19:55:25","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T19:55:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/?p=4358"},"modified":"2023-05-24T12:39:50","modified_gmt":"2023-05-24T19:39:50","slug":"access-is-central-to-the-mission-of-oregon-state-and-the-honors-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/2019\/11\/04\/access-is-central-to-the-mission-of-oregon-state-and-the-honors-college\/","title":{"rendered":"Access is Central to the Mission of Oregon State – and the Honors College"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Honors College is proving that exclusivity doesn\u2019t produce excellence, inclusion does. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Oregon State University was established in 1868, higher education was a privilege only for the well-to-do. At the time, the of education for all people was a revolutionary concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 150 years later, that mission of access, along with a stronger commitment to equity and inclusion, is guiding the Honors College, removing unnecessary barriers and proactively recruiting and supporting students who might otherwise never apply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“What our students have in common \u2500 more than great grades or test scores \u2500 is a commitment to getting as much as possible out of their college experience.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have so many students who, at one time, felt like they\nweren\u2019t \u2018Honors College material,\u2019\u201d says Associate Dean Tara Williams. \u201cBut the\ntruth is, there is no such thing as a typical honors student. What our students\nhave in common \u2500 more than great grades or test scores \u2500 is a commitment to\ngetting as much as possible out of their college experience.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Esther Vega<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Esther Vega<\/span><\/a> definitely has. Admitted on the strength of her application and a solid high school GPA, she discovered an affinity for engineering through her own classes and classes her friends in the Honors College residence hall were taking. She then applied engineering principles of optimization and efficiency for her honors thesis, examining relationships between teachers and Latinx parents in K-12 schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selection criteria still includes elements such as\ncumulative high school GPA and SAT or ACT scores. However, the application essay\nis critical to understanding an applicant as a complete person, Williams says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe use the essay as a place for prospective students to\nshow us strengths that might not be apparent from their transcripts, or even\nfrom their extracurricular activities. It\u2019s our most direct insight into the\nway they think.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Mohammed Shakibnia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

But requiring students to demonstrate that they are original, analytical thinkers isn\u2019t just about asking them to prove they can succeed in a rigorous academic environment. It also gives the Honors College an opportunity to select the students they believe have the greatest capacity to benefit from this environment and, ultimately, become change-makers down the line. Mohammed Shakibnia<\/span><\/a> has examined critical race theory and social justice issues in his coursework, honors thesis and through a research internship, all experiences that will prepare him for his intended career as an immigration lawyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe challenges the world is facing today cannot possibly be\nsolved by a single approach or a single worldview,\u201d Williams says. \u201cWe need\nstudents from different disciplines and diverse backgrounds who can come\ntogether to collaborate and innovate effectively.\u201d As Honors College Dean Toni\nDoolen puts it, \u201cWe need to develop a diverse academic community that mirrors\nthe one that our students will eventually be working and living in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A great deal of time and energy has gone into developing an\nadmissions process that seeks to understand a student\u2019s potential. A similar\nlevel of thought has gone into addressing the financial challenge some Honors\nCollege students face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As in some other academic programs at Oregon State, the\nHonors College charges differential tuition, an additional $500 per term that\nenables the college to provide intimate seminar-style classes, individualized\nacademic advising and support in completing an undergraduate thesis. Based on\ndiscussions with students, the Honors College established a differential\ntuition scholarship, with the application and selection criteria designed by a\nsmall group of students to allow for a more personalized look at a student\u2019s\nfinancial situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe FAFSA doesn\u2019t tell the whole story,\u201d Doolen says. \u201cOur\napplication gives students the freedom to explain nuances like family dynamics,\npersonal financial commitments, whether siblings will be attending college down\nthe line. Any student who has the qualifications to be a part of the Honors\nCollege shouldn\u2019t be denied the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“Any student who has the qualifications to be a part of the Honors College shouldn\u2019t be denied the opportunity.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Helping to close the gap for students that otherwise would\nbe unable to participate is just one of the ways the Honors College is putting\na welcoming community first. Scholarships have made the honors experience\npossible for Vega, Shakibnia and many others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want all our students to feel like they are completely safe, that their worldview will be respected, that they fit in and that they\u2019re adding value,\u201d explains Doolen. \u201cWhat we hear a lot from prospective students when they visit campus is \u2018I\u2019ve found my people.\u2019 So for students who really are thrilled about higher ed as the place to expand their learning, we’re the place for you.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Gary Dulude: Senior Editor, University Marketing<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Honors College is proving that exclusivity doesn\u2019t produce excellence, inclusion does. When Oregon State University was established in 1868, higher education was a privilege only for the well-to-do. At the time, the of education for all people was a revolutionary concept. More than 150 years later, that mission of access, along with a stronger […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9319,"featured_media":7438,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1205,82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","category-features"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9319"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4358"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4358\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8729,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4358\/revisions\/8729"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/honorslink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}