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Faculty and Staff

E. Dale Kennedy, director, Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program; professor of Biology.
B.A., College of Wooster; M.A., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Ph.D., Rutgers University.

Carrie Booth Walling, associate director, Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program; professor of Political Science.
B.A., Michigan State University; MScEcon, University of Wales, Aberystwyth; M.A, University of Minnesota; Ph.D., University of Minnesota.

Renee Kreger, assistant director, Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program and Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity.

Introduction

Although they are not separated from the campus at large, students in the Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program do enroll in four unique Honors seminar courses in their first three years. Great Issues in Science, Humanities, Social Science and Fine Arts all explore topics of current interest through the use of classical and contemporary readings. Through their small size, discussion format and emphasis on critical thinking and writing, these special courses encourage students to value ideas and to play active roles in their own intellectual development. They also fulfill the special core curriculum for Honors students.

Admission—Students must be admitted to the Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program. Visit the program’s website for admission requirements and information on the application process.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Creative Thinking:  Connecting, Synthesizing, Transforming
    Objective: Students are challenged to think beyond the normal bounds of disciplinary study and to see the interconnections between different disciplines
    Outcome: Student is able to connect ideas

2.  Critical Thinking: Student’s position (perspective, thesis/hypothesis)
     Objective:  Students are encouraged to think for themselves, to formulate their own ideas about the material, and to stand ready to defend and modify their ideas
     Outcome:  Student shows the ability to think for themselves

Program Requirements

In the “Academic at Albion” section of this catalog, the College’s core curriculum is described. Parts II and III of this curriculum requires that all students take a course that will introduce them to each of the following five Modes of Inquiry and four Categories:

Modes of Inquiry:

1. Textual Analysis
2. Artistic Creation and Analysis
3. Scientific Analysis
4. Modeling and Analysis
5. Historical and Cultural Analysis

Categories:

1. Environmental Studies
2. Ethnicity Studies
3. Gender Studies
4. Global Studies

Since each Honors course fulfills a Modes of Inquiry or Category requirement of the College’s core curriculum, Honors students can satisfy as many as four of this nine-course requirement with Honors classes. Additionally, Honors students can satisfy part of the College’s distribution requirement (one fine arts course, two humanities courses, two science courses and two social science courses) by taking Honors seminars.

Students take four Honors courses, one from each of the four divisions of the College.

All courses to meet the Honors core must be taken for a numerical grade.

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