Engaging Beyond the Honors Requirement

About the School

The University of Wyoming Honors College stands out as a beacon of intellectual curiosity and innovative education.This university is dedicated to creating a unique learning environment where exploration and discovery are at the forefront.

The Honors College is renowned for its vibrant and inclusive community, blending a diverse student body with an exceptional faculty. This dynamic mix is facilitated through small, engaging classes that foster close interactions between students and professors, enhancing the overall educational experience.

Students at the Honors College benefit from a stimulating environment that encourages both academic excellence and personal growth. They are not just learning from textbooks but further engaging in meaningful discussions, conducting innovative research, and developing critical thinking skills that set them apart.

Beyond academics, the college provides a supportive atmosphere where students build strong, lasting relationships and become part of a close-knit community. This enriching experience extends into their professional lives, equipping them with the skills and connections needed for success.

Graduates leave the Honors College with a distinct advantage: they receive either a minor degree or a concurrent major degree, signifying their exceptional achievements and preparation. This comprehensive and stimulating educational journey makes the University of Wyoming Honors College a remarkable place for those who are eager to explore their full potential.

Challenges before Suitable

At the University of Wyoming Honors College, students have the opportunity to earn either a minor degree or a concurrent major degree upon graduation, each with its distinct set of requirements.

For the minor degree, students must complete 15 core credits, two co-curricular badges, and a capstone project. Alternatively, the concurrent major degree requires 18 core credits, 15 concentration credits, 2 co-curricular badges, and a capstone project.

A cornerstone of the Honors College experience is the SOAR program, a competency-based initiative designed to immerse students in transformative learning experiences. SOAR encompasses a wide array of activities that challenge, engage, and prepare students for the complexities of the future. Participants engage in high-impact learning opportunities such as research, entrepreneurship, leadership development, community service, cross-cultural and international perspectives, and internships. This program is integral to the Honors curriculum, promoting experiential learning and meaningful connections.

Students work towards earning their first-year badge as part of their initial year, which is integrated into a two-semester colloquium. This sequence of courses introduces new students to the resources, experiences, and community at the University of Wyoming. To achieve this badge, students must complete activities in the Building Honors Community and Intellectual and Creative Engagement competencies, perform three hours of service with a reflective component, and finish the Honors capstone project training module.

The advanced badge, also a requirement, can be pursued at any time after the first year but must be completed before graduation. To earn this badge, students must engage in activities across several competencies: Building Honors Community, Global and Cultural Perspectives, Arts and Humanities Integration, Social Justice Engagement, STEM Investigation, and Leadership and Teamwork Readiness, along with the advanced capstone training module.

In addition to these structured components, the University of Wyoming Honors College is committed to enhancing student engagement beyond the established requirements. They wanted to strengthen community support, offer greater flexibility, and provide individualized paths for completing their requirements, ensuring a richer and more personalized educational journey for every student.

Life with Suitable

To enhance flexibility and individualized pathways for fulfilling program requirements, strengthen community foundations, and provide meaningful milestones, the SOAR program has introduced several impactful changes through Suitable.

A key objective was to broaden students' access to activities. To achieve this, the program now offers both in-person and virtual opportunities, as well as "submit your own" competency criteria. This approach allows students to tailor their engagement to their interests and participate in a wider array of events, thus maintaining high levels of involvement. In the fall of 2023 alone, SOAR facilitated an impressive range of competency-based activities, including: 102 in Arts and Humanities Integration, 59 in Building Honors Community, 18 in Civic and Community Engagement, 73 in Global and Cultural Perspectives, 457 in Intellectual and Creative Engagement, 107 in Leadership and Teamwork Readiness, 95 in Social Justice Engagement, 101 in STEM Investigation, and 555 unique activities.

The program also introduced a Colloquium Competition to further boost engagement. This competition encouraged students to earn points by attending events and participating in activities, leading to a significant increase in attendance at Honors capstone presentations. The competitive element fostered a sense of camaraderie and collaboration among students. As one mentor, Haley Purify, noted, "The competition between classes really motivated students to attend events with their peers. The winning class quickly realized that by attending events together, they could accumulate hundreds of points at once. They consistently encouraged each other to participate, which built a stronger community within their classes. The competition provided a compelling incentive for engaging with SOAR alongside their classmates."

To ensure students fully understand the value of SOAR and remain engaged beyond the basic requirements, the program has made concerted efforts to communicate its mission and benefits. Administration, faculty, staff, advisors, and SOAR mentors have utilized a variety of channels to reach students, including in-person campus tours, recruitment brochures, the program's website, the Suitable platform, emails, informational luncheons, capstone watch parties, group events, and more. These efforts aim to provide comprehensive information about SOAR and its advantages, ensuring that students are well-informed and motivated to participate actively.

Outcomes Achieved

By developing contextual language for each competency, the Honors College successfully aligned its goals with the professional and academic aspirations of its students. They achieved this by encouraging students to engage in reflective practices through thoughtfully designed prompts that foster metacognitive growth.

These prompts were meticulously crafted to be clear, engaging, and accessible, helping students understand expectations and coordinate their efforts effectively. This strategic approach significantly enhanced the students' ability to connect their activities with their personal and professional development.

The impact of these improvements was substantial. Within just one year of implementing these changes, engagement surged dramatically. The number of activities rose from 1,000 in the Fall of 2022 to over 2,750 in the Fall of 2023. Additionally, 311 milestones were achieved by 237 students. The average number of activities completed per student increased from 3.8 to 6.5, and there was an impressive 157% rise in unique student participation. These results underscore the effectiveness of the new strategies in enhancing student engagement and achievement.