WHAT IS THE HONORS COLLEGE ? THE HONORS COLLEGE SEAL

Curriculum, Culture, and Community in the Nation’s Capital. That is the WAU Honors College in a nutshell. It is designed to serve high-achieving students who are excited to be in school, who are intellectually curious, and who want more out of their university experience.

We know that students are individuals and are not defined by their majors. Honors students often have multiple curricular and co-curricular interests that can be customized into unique, individual academic pathways. Most Honors students combine various academic programs. For example: Biology + Honors Interdisciplinary Studies, Music Performance + PreMedicine, Psychology + Pre-Law, English + History, Health Business + Honors Interdisciplinary Studies and so on. Honors students study topics in more breadth AND depth, and are encouraged to think outside of academic silos to prepare them to be full participants in the ever-changing professional world. In addition to specialized major areas of study, all Honors College students share a core curriculum that ensures a common base of knowledge and that requires all Honors students to hone leadership and service skills.

The Honors College is also a place to explore culture in all its guises, whether in trips to museums and theatres, through Model United Nations, through Study-onLocation opportunities in the United Kingdom, in our local community, or even on campus. WAU is perfectly situated for a rich and diverse cultural experience, and this helps our students to understand and appreciate perspectives other than their own, which is key to being a competent moral leader of the future.

Each one of our students is unique and contributes to our community. Students often tell us the number one benefit of the Honors College is meeting people that often become friends for life, often from disciplines unrelated to what they are studying. The Honors College is also fully integrated into WAU as a whole and mirrors the welcoming spirit of all God’s children embodied by the university. The Honors College is wellrepresented in student leadership positions across campus, and our students make a large impact on the WAU campus, the local community and beyond.

The Honors College is extremely fortunate to be part of the only Adventist university in the Nation’s Capital. Washington, D.C., provides unparalleled opportunities for Honors College students in terms of cultural experiences, leadership and service initiatives, internships and professional networking. Fifteen minutes from both the United States Capitol and the world headquarters for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Honors College is THE home for high achievers in Adventist higher education.

The Honors College seal was developed in 2008 to reflect the mission and goals of the Honors College. The seal is in the shape of an arch, mirroring the WAU Gateway to Service, as the Honors College affirms leadership and service as core attributes.

In the arch itself is a Latin phrase that might roughly be translated as “so that others are better served,” confirming the idea that all activities within the Honors College are to serve others or to prepare for greater service to others.

Inside the arch are two symbols: the bell and the pomegranate. The bell symbolizes creativity and has a red ribbon with the date, in Roman numerals, that Honors education started on our campus (MMIV, or 2004). The bell also represents the dome of heaven, and it sits above the pomegranate, representing the world (the spiritual and the mundane). The pomegranate is a traditional symbol that represents unity (the whole fruit) in diversity (the individual seeds). Several Renaissance paintings (such as “The Madonna of the Pomegranate” by Botticelli) feature Mary with the infant Christ on her lap, holding a pomegranate, illustrating that Christ is the master of unity in diversity.

Detail of Botticelli’s “Madonna of the Pomegranate”

The Bible recounts in the Old Testament that the hem of the high priest’s robes featured bells and pomegranates. Ellen White also says that Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary wears the high priest’s robes and that the robe’s hem is lined with “a bell and a pomegranate.”

In the WAU Honors College, we prepare students for a vocation akin to a priesthood that emphasizes thinking that is as high as the heavens, yet connected to the world around us, “so that others are better served.”

WHAT DOES THE HONORS COLLEGE MEAN TO STUDENTS?

What do we mean when we say efficient curriculum?

Allison Sierra: “I never thought that I would be able to be in the Honors College and finish my Psychology degree early, but I did. The Honors College core general education curriculum streamlined my Gen Ed requirements, leaving more time for my Psychology class and my Honors Elective class. By mapping out my requirements early, I was able to graduate in three years, and that included participating in activities such as soccer, Model United Nations, Mock Trial and a study-on-location program in the United Kingdom.”

What do we mean when we say customized curriculum?

Gopi Sunkara: “I entered the WAU Honors College as a Biology Pre-Med major. After engaging in the MUN and Mock Trial programs and after taking a few Political Studies courses, I decided to change my focus during my Junior year. I’m still a Biology major, but I’m also pursuing a degree in Political Studies, and I’ve changed from a Pre-Med track to a Pre-Law track. The Honors College’s flexible curriculum allowed me to take classes like Model United Nations, Mock Trial, and a variety of Legal Seminar courses that worked for my schedule. It was exactly what I needed to make the change I wanted to make.”

What do we mean when we say interdisciplinary curriculum?

Tiara Best: “The interdisciplinary approach in the Honors College allows me to take a wider range of classes with a wider range of students. It’s the best of both worlds, really: I get to focus on my major—like in any traditional program—and explore other interests I have, all while engaging with friends I have from other majors across campus. When you have Biology majors and Music majors and Business majors and Psychology majors and Political Studies majors all taking the same class, it leads to a rich and diverse educational experience.”