Graphic Design: Sandy Plunkett, 2007
Ohio University’s
Honors Tutorial College The Honors Tutorial College (HTC) is based on the centuriesold tutorial system of undergraduate education developed at Oxford and Cambridge universities in England. Ohio University is the only institution in the United States with a degree-granting college incorporating all the essential features of the traditional tutorial system. The chief distinguishing characteristics of the Honors Tutorial College are the focus on the development of independent research skills and the public communication of one’s work through presentations or publications. An HTC degree is an undergraduate research degree. The academic expectations for students in the College reside between those of a traditional undergraduate honors program and a graduate program.
The Tutorial A tutorial consists of either one student and one professor or a very small group of students and a professor. Instruction is undertaken through dialogue rather than lecture. HTC students are required to take a substantial portion of their academic work through tutorials although they also enroll every academic term in traditional courses. A tutorial-based education lays the foundation for success in graduate and professional school and career opportunities. It also sets the stage for life-long intellectual engagement. The best way to describe the tutorial experience is “education without a safety net.” In other educational settings, you can be anonymous; you can be passive; you can insist on staying in a comfort zone. HTC students do not have these alternatives. Because of the individualized nature of the tutorial, tutees are front and center. It is an exciting way to acquire an undergraduate education, but a high level of preparation and engagement are obligatory at every tutorial meeting. In describing the tutorial program to prospective students we use certain adjectives to identify the type of student we want to attract— self-motivated, mature, inquisitive, flexible, creative, disciplined, etc. In the Honors Tutorial College these words are not used idly; they are used vitally. Individuals who thrive in HTC possess unique personal characteristics (which we happily celebrate and encourage), but they also share the following attributes: • A deep-seated passion for learning There can’t be any compromise here. Take a minute to look up the word “passion” in the dictionary. It is a complicated word that encompasses exultation and struggle. Naturally we hope that your experiences will always tilt toward the uplifting end, but there is no getting around the fact that passion requires true commitment, and that true commitment often results in a tribulation or two. • An ability to concentrate The ability to focus mental attention on a particular problem or task is essential. There are many distractions in the life of a college student. HTC students should take advantage of the personal enrichment these opportunities offer, but they must also know when to step back and get down to business.
• A willingness to begin with basics Implicit in this characteristic is a recognition that academic prowess cannot substitute for a thorough grounding in fundamentals. • The capacity to be a fearless questioner equipped with the understanding that answers are rarely simple One of the advantages of studying in a tutorial setting is the ability to ask questions. In fact, tutors rightly expect their HTC students to come prepared with questions. Questions function as the grist of the tutorial mill. Likewise, tutors anticipate that HTC students will recognize that often there is not a “right” answer to a question. In fact, the better the question, the less likely you are to find a clear-cut, unambiguous answer. • An energy (both mental and physical) that finds its source in intellectual growth • An understanding that true learning never takes place within a comfort zone You will be supported as an HTC student in your academic endeavors, but you will also be challenged. • A keenness for reading that cannot be deterred • A sense of humor A robust wit and an inclination to see the absurd side of life not only provides the best of all possible coping mechanisms, but it is intimately connected to creativity, integrity, and the type of community we aspire to have in the Honors Tutorial College.
Faculty Tutorial professors are active, award-winning scholars who enjoy the challenges and intellectual stimulation of working with academically talented students. Teaching tutorial students allows them to move out from behind the lectern and into a setting where mutual learning can take place. This individualized attention translates into a richer and more rewarding academic experience. It also encourages the establishment of invaluable mentoring relationships that make all the difference in preparing for, applying for, and succeeding in graduate or professional schools.
The Community Compared to most colleges, the Honors Tutorial College is small—with a student population of about 230. Being small presents a variety of important advantages. In HTC you are known and valued for your personality, your interests, and your skills. Assisting you in achieving your ambitions is much easier in a small college where particular attention can be paid to finding ways to help you succeed. While it sounds massively corny, HTC prides itself on its familial approach to its students. We care about our students and want you to amuse us, amaze us, teach us, and make us proud. Small does not, however, preclude also being mighty. The Honors Tutorial College is decidedly mighty in that it provides an enriched learning environment to the extent that it is almost a university in and of itself. The College encompasses a significant number of areas of study including fine arts, natural sciences, business, communication, humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and some professional disciplines. Having a college made up of so many different pursuits means that as a student you will not be isolated in your particular area. While you may be an HTC Physics student, you will be well acquainted with HTC Philosophy students, HTC Theater students, and HTC Anthropology students. There is no denying the fact that so much of what truly constitutes an “education” takes place outside the classroom. Honors Tutorial College students do not interact with only Honors Tutorial College students. There are 16,000 other undergraduates at Ohio University, making the Athens campus a lively and interesting place to study. HTC students, however, do find significant affinities with each other. When we are building an incoming class, we look for diversity in the broadest sense of the word. Difference—be it based in ethnicity or geography—brings new perspectives and insights. But we also are looking for common ties in our students. We want to have a cohort of people who value knowledge and challenge. We also prefer to bring in students who have gotten past the reductionism so prevalent in American high schools that people with agile intellects cannot be cool. HTC students are very cool.
Resources for Students Being an HTC student also means you’ll be given opportunities from your freshman year onward that are generally reserved for graduate students at most universities. Our students are contributing members of research teams across campus in natural sciences, social sciences, arts, business, communication, and the humanities. Their work gets published in respected journals, and they present their findings at national and international conferences. In order to facilitate the type of work that HTC students engage in, Ohio University provides a set of resources that are not offered to other undergraduates. The things listed below are truly resources; they are not provided as “privileges” connected to your status as an HTC student. They are tools to allow you to fulfill the academic expectations of the College. • Priority scheduling. HTC students select classes first even before athletes and graduate students. • The only general education requirements that HTC students are required to fulfill are the two university English composition courses. (Due to a variety of circumstances, however, such as high AP English scores and individual program requirements, many HTC students get waivers for one or both of the courses.) • There are no credit hour requirements for graduation. You must complete the course work required for your program of study and your thesis. • HTC students are given the same library borrowing privileges as graduate students. • Members of the College are given first preference for scholars housing. • HTC students may enroll in graduate courses.
How to Apply The deadline for application to the Honors Tutorial College is December 1st, earlier than regular Ohio University applications. In addition to the regular Ohio University application form, there is a supplemental HTC application that includes essay questions. Letters of recommendation highlighting your special skills are also required, as are an official transcript from your high school and your official ACT and/or SAT reports, either on your transcript or sent directly to the University. All application materials must be received in the College office on or before December 1st. While test scores and class standing play a role in admission (1300 SAT, 30 ACT, top 10% of class are general benchmarks), substantial weight is given to demonstrated creativity, integrity, and genuine love of learning. A final group of applicants will be invited to visit in January for personal interviews with the Director of Studies in their chosen majors. Complete directions are included within the Ohio University application form, which can be downloaded from the OU web site: http://www.ohio. edu/admissions. In addition, we suggest you see the College web site for application information: http://www.honors.ohio.edu.
Don’t miss our application deadline. All application materials must be received in the College on or before December 1st.
Please direct any questions to the College office 740.593.2723 or email honors.college@ohio.edu.
Our Alumni Honors Tutorial College graduates have gone on to significant success in the realms of academia, medicine, communication, business, and the arts. Among the ranks of our alumni are Pulitzer, Emmy, Clio, and Grammy award winners along with a host of people who have been recognized for their work in international relief, high finance, universities, hospitals, courtrooms, social service agencies, dance troupes, corporate boardrooms and film companies (just to name a few).
Graduate and Professional School Placement The Honors Tutorial College has earned a reputation for graduate and professional school placement. To date, most students wishing to continue their educations have been placed in noted master’s programs, doctoral programs, law schools, and medical schools. In the past decade, HTC graduates were offered admission to, are currently attending, or have received graduate or professional degrees from the following institutions. American University University of Arizona Baylor University University of Bonn, Germany Boston College Boston University Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University University of California - Berkeley University of California - Davis University of California – San Francisco University of California - Irvine University of California – Los Angeles University of California – Santa Cruz University of Chicago University of Cincinnati University College, Dublin, Ireland University of Colorado – Boulder University of Connecticut Cornell University DePaul University Duke University University of Edinburgh, Scotland George Mason University George Washington University Georgetown University University of Georgia Harvard University University of Illinois Imperial College, London Indiana University
Johns Hopkins University Kent State University London School of Economics University of Maryland Miami University of Ohio University of Miami, Florida University of Michigan Michigan State University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Northern Illinois University Northwestern University Notre Dame University New York University Ohio State University Oxford University, England Penn State Pepperdine University University of Pittsburgh Princeton University Purdue University University of Southern California Stony Brook University Temple University Tulane University University of Texas University of Virginia Washington University, St. Louis University of Wisconsin – Madison Yale University
Honors Tutorial College
Ohio University is the only institution in the United States with a degreegranting college incorporating all the essential features of the traditional tutorial system developed at Oxford and Cambridge universities in England.
Honors Tutorial College 35 Park Place 1 Ohio University Athens Ohio 45701 740.593.2723 www.ohio.edu/honors Ohio University is an affirmative action institution. Copyright Ohio University Printing Services • 74284 • 8-12