THE GREAT BOOKS “Some books are to be tasted, others are to be swallowed, and some few are to be chewed and digested.” —Sir Francis Bacon STUDENT QUOTES “Your class has changed lots of things in me. I think it is the most effective class I’ve studied. It truly changed my view of the world, and I feel lucky to have had this opportunity.” “There are many pluses to the Honors Program, including early registration, that you’ll learn to appreciate.” “The books I’ve read in the Honors Program have been great works that have helped me relate to other classes.” “I like it when I recognize allusions in other classes. It opens my eyes to everyday life.” “Even if this were a club, where you wouldn’t get credit, I would still be in it.” “I like the challenge.” “It’s a perk to be surrounded by hard-working, intelligent students.”
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” Aristotle CONTACT INFORMATION DR. JENNIFER ROHRER–WALSH Honors Program Director jwalsh@methodist.edu 910.630.7076 Methodist University 5400 Ramsey Street Fayetteville NC 28311-1498 methodist.edu
“I graduated from Methodist in May 2007 with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Legal Studies, so I entered Law School well-prepared for heavy reading and critical thinking. Additionally, the Honors Program really trained my mind to tackle tough material.” –Rhyan Breen ‘07
Methodist University does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation or disability for otherwise qualified persons in the administration of its admissions, educational policies, scholarships, loan programs, athletics, employment, or any other university-sponsored or advertised program.
HONORS PROGRAM
VISION The Methodist University Honors Program has a two-fold vision: to enhance the students’ liberal arts education by immersing them in “The Great Books” and to correlate this classical education with their majors.
WELCOME FROM THE DIRECTORS Our program offers you the chance to distinguish yourself, as a student and as a person, by studying the Great Books of literature and philosophy. If admitted to the program, you will gather with fellow students and a professor on a weekly basis to discuss various readings in The Great Books. The program’s students are an eclectic group of traditional and nontraditional students from many majors, including business and science, and from many countries. We stress appropriate decorum in order to foster a culture of respect for diversity and industry. Honors Program students learn how to reflect upon the books’ cultures, their cultures, and their fellow classmates’ cultures. Typically, our students are proud that they have read these works and can relate to them critically in their other classes. Current students say that the program helps them understand other disciplines. You will be encouraged to think for yourself and learn the tools needed to improve your reading, discussion and critical thinking skills. Such skills will distinguish you and serve you well in undergraduate and graduate school, as well as your career. Other benefits of the program are more immediate and include study abroad opportunities and advising and registration perks. You will also have the chance to participate in various social and cultural activities throughout the year. We hope that the challenge of our Honors Program attracts you. We look forward to welcoming you to the program. Sincerely, Dr. Richard Walsh and Dr. Jennifer Rohrer-Walsh Honors Program Co-Directors
THE PROGRAM The Honors Program consists of five semesters of seminars in which students read selections from the classics. There is no set order to the courses as they are all taught at the same level. This is designed to afford you maximum scheduling opportunities. Our grades are “A,” “P,” and “F.” The “P” does not impact your GPA but contributes to your graduation hours. After the successful completion of the fifth seminar, students receive six credit hours toward their core as designated in The Academic Catalogue. During a sixth semester, students may choose to pursue a project tailored for their own educational goals. BENEFITS ◆ Early registration ◆ Small seminar classes ◆ Directed reading and research ◆ Community service ◆ Cultural events ◆ Foreign travel ◆ Enhanced, enriched liberal arts education ◆ Graduation recognition ◆ Preparation for graduate study and/or career. STUDY ABROAD To enhance understanding of and appreciation for the Great Books, the University will offer travel abroad opportunities to eligible Honors Program students. Students may choose to enrich their travel with an academic component. ADMISSION Admission to the program is selective. Students who have a minimum 3.2 high school GPA and a minimum SAT score of 1100 (Critical Reading and Math combined) are eligible. UWC students are also eligible. Other students with strong academic credentials may be admitted upon faculty, staff, administrative, and Honors Program student recommendations. CURRICULUM The complete program includes the five reading seminars and a capstone project. Those who complete only the seminars will also be recognized upon graduation.
HON 101 Ancient World (Non-Roman) Introduction to genre, cultural context, and critical reading methods. Readings in antiquity and in Greek civilization texts to include the Bible, Homer, Sophocles, Aristotle, Aeschylus, Euripides, Aristophanes, Plato and other selections. HON 102 Ancient World (Roman) & Medieval Texts Introduction to genre, literary theory, and cultural context. Readings in Roman, Medieval, and early Renaissance texts to include Lucretius, Virgil, Ovid, Aurelius, Augustine, Boethius, The Qur’an, Beowulf, Gardiner, The Ramayana, Chaucer, Dante, and other selections. HON 200 Special Topics An elective course enriching the five-semester reading seminar program through selected events or additional readings. The precise content varies. HON 201 Renaissance & Enlightenment Texts Introduction to modernity. Readings in Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment texts to include Luther, Erasmus, Marlowe, Shakespeare, Molière, Descartes, Montaigne, Milton, Cervantes, Swift, Voltaire, and other selections. HON 202 Nineteenth–Century Texts Introduction to reception history. Readings in late eighteenth and nineteenth-century texts to include Kant, Whitman, Shelley, Goethe, Marx & Engels, Melville, Darwin, Flaubert, Mill, Thoreau, Twain, Dostoevsky, James, Du Bois, Douglass, Jacobs and other selections. HON 301 Twentieth–Century Texts Introduction to ideological and de-centering readings. Readings in twentieth-century texts to include Nietzsche, Conrad, Achebe, Kafka, Eliot, Woolf, Freud, Foucault, Wittgenstein, Camus, Borges, Faulkner, de Beauvoir, Said, Fanon, Havel, Pynchon, Vonnegut, Pirandello, Miller and other selections. HON 401: Honors Project Capstone project in which student pursues a research project integrating the Honors Program, core, and major.