Course Catalog 2007-2008
Director: Kent Maynard, Professor of Sociology/Anthropology
Director of Fellowships: Joan Krone, Benjamin Barney Chair of Mathematics and Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science
Assistant to the Program: Cookie Sunkle
Faculty Teaching in the Honors Program (Fall 2007). M. Ayala-Martinez (Modern Languages), S. Behdad (Economics), T. Carrell (Biology), G. Dow (Psychology), T. Evans (Chemistry), D. Goodwin (Geosciences), L. Gorchov (History), A. Katz (Political Science), S. Mathern-Smith (Dance), L. McDonnell (English), M. Moller (Philosophy), A. Mouton (Art), K. O'Neil (Sociology/Anthropology), P. Pauzé (Theatre), M. Singer (English), M. Tromp (English/Women's Studies).
The Honors Program is designed especially for outstanding students. The Program sponsors many different activities that promote intellectual and artistic excellence. Central to its mission is a rich array of seminars offered every semester. Course topics often vary to reflect current intellectual debate, but seminars occur across all four divisions of the college, and at both the introductory and more advanced levels. We especially encourage courses that feature multiple intellectual and/or disciplinary perspectives, and those involving more experimental topics or course designs. Many seminars fulfill General Education and/or major or minor requirements. Honors seminars ought to include a significant research component and/or artistic endeavor; they should foster a sense of intellectual intimacy and a shared delight in exploring a topic in unusual depth.
To facilitate discussion and active involvement, classes are normally limited to 16 students. Most Honors courses fulfill a General Education requirement, and many can be used toward a student's major or minor. Students with a 3.4 GPA (3.6 beginning with the Class of 2010) or above may register for Honors seminars; however, upon a faculty recommendation to the Honors Program Director, a student who excels in a particular area may also be invited to enroll in an Honors seminar. Students may enroll in one or more Honors courses per semester.
Each semester, several Honors seminars are directed solely toward highly talented first-year students. Entering students with outstanding secondary school records are invited to participate in the Honors Program immediately in the Fall semester of their first year. Following the first semester at Denison, additional first-year students with a 3.6 GPA or above receive invitations to participate. However, students may join the Honors Program at later points in their Denison career should they achieve the requisite 3.6 GPA. Please Note: All Honors seminars at the 100-level meet one First-Year Studies 102 General Education requirement.
A student may graduate with honors from Denison, as well as graduate in the Honors Program. For the requirements to graduate "with honors," (summa,magna or cum laude) please see the Special Academic Honors section of the Catalog.
To be a member of and to graduate "in the Honors Program," a student must meet the following requirements:
1. Achieve and maintain a 3.4 GPA (3.6 beginning with the Class of 2010) or above.
2. Complete the forms declaring the intention to graduate in the Honors Program no later than pre-registration time in the fall of the junior year.
3. Complete at least four Honors seminars during the Denison career (no more than one of which may be taken S/U)
4. Complete a senior Honors project in a department or program, in accordance with University policies governing such projects.
Please note that a student may enroll in Honors seminars without choosing to graduate in the Honors Program.
The Director of Fellowships assists students applying for prestigious national and international scholarships to help underwrite their education at Denison, or programs after they graduate. These include the Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, the Marshall, Fulbright, and the Harry S. Truman Scholarships, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship in Science and Mathematics, the Morris K. Udall Scholarship in National Environmental Policy, National Science Foundation Fellowships, and other major grants. Denison is proud of its many students and alumni who have won such awards, and the Honors Program is dedicated to working with students throughout their Denison careers to facilitate their applications.
The Honors Program wishes to promote intellectual, artistic and social excellence in all areas of the University, for students, faculty and staff alike. Each semester the Program hosts four Chowder Hours, where guests from across the campus are treated to a presentation on a special topic over a luncheon prepared by a member of the staff or faculty. Two other series, Musings and Faculty Fridays, celebrate the significant scholarly and artistic accomplishments of Denison faculty. Visiting scholars and artists meet regularly with students in the Honors Program. Recent guests include the incomparable musician Bobby McFerrin, the feminist theorist Judith Butler, and the actor and Denison alumnus John Schuck '62, starring in "Annie."
Gilpatrick House, the home of the Honors Center, is a lovely Victorian house, centrally located on the campus. The ground floor features a well-appointed seminar room, a Commons for discussion groups and informal seminars, and the administrative offices of the Honors Program. The upstairs provides a residence area for ten students in the Honors Program. The Gilpatrick Fellow assists in planning extracurricular events for Honors students, including trips to theatre and arts venues in Columbus, and a variety of sports and social service activities.
Honors courses are integrated with the wider curriculum and do not constitute a distinct track. Most seminars meet General Education requirements, and/or may be used toward majors or minors. Both seminar topics and faculty members teaching in the Honors Program vary continually. Each semester, the Honors Program prepares a list of detailed course descriptions. If you would like this publication, please contact: The Honors Program, Denison University, P.O. Box M, Granville, Ohio 43023 or email sunkle@denison.edu.
Although the curriculum differs each semester, the following are examples of Honors seminars offered on a fairly regular basis:
| HNRS 127: The Actor's Art: Transforming the Printed Word into Live Action |
| HNRS 131: Cryptology and Number Theory |
| HNRS 132: The Art of Mathematical Thinking |
| HNRS 135: Physics and the Sound of Music |
| HNRS 141: The Scientific Psychology of Addiction: Drugs, Food, Love, Sex, Sports and More |
| HNRS 166: Plagues and Peoples: The Role of Disease in History |
| HNRS 167: The Literature of Exploration and Travel |
| HNRS 168: Shakespeare: A Textual, Cultural and Theatrical Inquiry |
| HNRS 168: American Ethnic Literature: New Problems, Challenges, and Advantages |
| HNRS 174: The Myth of the Hero: The Individual and Society |
| HNRS 175: Philosophical Inquiry: Making Sense of the World, Others, and Ourselves |
| HNRS 176: Biomedical Ethics |
| HNRS 181: Women and the US Economy: The Case of the Economics Profession |
| HNRS 185: Democracy and Foreign Affairs: America in Vietnam |
| HNRS 188: Sexual Inequality: Work, Sex, Politics, and Power |
| HNRS 190: The Person in Literature: The Interplay Between Narrative and Identity |
| HNRS 196: Varieties of Environmentalism |
| HNRS 227: Vaudeville and American Culture: 1875-1935 |
| HNRS 229: Women and the Arts |
| HNRS 265: The Holocaust in History: Confronting Evil |
| HNRS 268: James Joyce's Ulysses |
| HNRS 278: Family (Values) in the New Testament |
| HNRS 282: The Political Economy of Social Security Reform: Will You Still Feed Me When I'm 64? |
| HNRS 288: Comparative Therapeutic Systems |
| HNRS 288: Non-Governmental Organizations, Development, and Human Rights |
| HNRS 298: Archaeoastronomy and Greek Temples: Gods in the Light of the Sun |