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Show Monday, August 8, 2005 Are you Honors material? U program provides an environment for high-achieving students Maria Murguia Chronicle Writer The Honors Program at the U helps accelerated students to obtain a higher quality education. The program yearly recruits the top 10 percent of high school students in the region, Honors Program Director Martha Bradley said. Honors students' GPAs are typically higher than others in their high school graduating class. "We have our own recruitment program called Honors United or Honors U Day," she said. Tristen Nordfelt, a junior in the nursing program, was one of those recruits, though she did not think it would benefit her. "I was offered to be in the program, but I said no, because I did not want to retake classes that I had already gotten AP credit for," Nordfelt said. Those who are not personally recruited still have the opportunity to apply for acceptance into the program. Students with a minimum GPA of 3.4 and index score of 120 qualify for acceptance in the program, Bradley said. "It's not difficult, just different," said Ashley Brown, a first-year Honors student. In the Honors Program, students may take seven classes over the course of four years. Honors courses are smaller than 35 students per class and are taught by distinguished professors, Bradley said. "I enjoy having the smaller classes and that one-on-one Honors Program Requirements and Application Procedure • Students graduating from high school who have an admissions index of 120 or higher and a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher are invited to join the program. »All other students who have a 3.4 university GPA or higher are also invited to join. • The Honors Program encourages students to use the online application and to apply only after they have decided to attend the University of Utah. However, application forms may be obtained upon request from the Hono5 Office, 134 Sill Center. An application can be processed only after the applicant has been admitted to the U, A5 ™ DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE Freshmen take the big LEAP A smaller college experience can happen at a large university through orientation, considered the LEAP program but chose not to participate. "I heard it was a high school The freshmen-based academic program LEAP pro- atmosphere, and I wasn't vides an opportunity for in- sure if I wanted that," he coming freshmen to have a said. Many freshmen choose more intimate college expe- to participate in the program because LEAP fulfills several rience. LEAP, one of the most general education requirepopular student-academic ments. Fulfilling general requireprograms at the U, gives freshmen the opportunity to ments was Taryn Precce's fulfill many of their general motivation to join LEAP. "It education requirements with gave me two (requirements) the same people, instead of for graduation—humanities having to meet new people and diversity—in one semester," Preece said. in every class they take. There are several divisions 'About 650 students a year do it, which is about a quarter of the LEAP program. The of the freshman class," said main LEAP program is the Edward Barbanell, associate general explorations LEAP, dean of undergraduate stud- which focuses on a more comprehensive curriculum. ies and LEAP instructor. LEAP is open to incoming But there are also departfreshmen who want a smooth ment-specific LEAP protransition from high school grams in business, engineering, health and architecture. to college. Currently, there are about "We're trying to create a small college experience 25 sections of the explorawithin a larger university," tions LEAP seminar and writBarbanell said. Most fresh- ing classes, Barbanell said. men enroll in LEAP through The core of the program their orientation. is the two LEAP seminars, Kira Ayish, an orientation one in the fall and one in the leader, called LEAP one of spring, consisting of the same the most emphasized pro- instructors and students in a small classroom setting. grams at orientation. "We have representatives LEAP students are expectcome to our overnight orien- ed to participate for their full tations as well as doing one- freshman years. on-one sessions at the oneThe integration of writing day orientations," Ayish said. skills into the program is cruJosh Willette, an incoming cial. freshman, who had just been "(The program) is very Maria Murguia Chronicle Writer Mark Matheson, an English professor who has been teaching Honors for 12 years, lectures about Sigmund Freud with his Intellectual Traditions III core honors class July 21 at the Honors Center In Fort Douglas. interaction with professors," Brown said. Honors students complete an Honors Certificate with the first five courses, then may take two more and complete an Honors Thesis to receive an Honors Degree at the end of their undergraduate studies, Bradley said. An Honors Degree is a way to add distinction to a bachelor's degree, Bradley added. The Honors Program also offers some of the best faculty on campus. James Svendsen, a professor of classics in the department of languages and literature, has been teaching at the U for more than 35 years. "The first class I taught was an Honors class," Svendsen said. With the Honors Program, Svendsen studied abroad in Greece, attended the Utah Shakespearean Festival, and he currently teaches the Intellectual Traditions course, which is mostly for freshmen. Svendsen uses the Socratic method to teach his honors students—he relies on question and answer discussions. "These are smart students. There is no sense in lecturing on what they already know," he said. "They are the most satisfying classes because of the quality of the students and their commitment to the class and willingness to learn different approaches," he said. For more information and to apply to the Honors Program, visit their Web site at www. honors.utah.edu. Students don't have to earn an Honors Degree or even an Honors Certificate, though. Students can take as few classes as they want just to experience the different style of learning that goes on in the Honors Program. mmurguia@ chronicle.utah.edu writing-intensive," Barbanell said. "Students are expected to engage texts, not simply to read them but to question them." Preece also recalls the emphasis on reading and writing. "I read a lot of books and analyzed them. It was a lot like AP English," he said. If the reading becomes too intense, each class has a peer adviser. "Students who participated in LEAP their freshman yc.-ir can return as peer advisers and mentor the incoming freshmen," Barbanell said. Henry Trim, a chemistry major, participated in Health LEAP as a freshman and later as a peer adviser. "It was almost like a TA job," Tran said. Incoming freshmen will benefit from some of the new changes being made to LEAP this upcoming year. LEAP has a new director, Carolyn Bliss. There are also new faculty members of various backgrounds and a new film scries. "The idea is to give students the foundation they need to be active in a college environment," Barbanell said. For more information about LEAP, visit its Web site at wivvv. ugs.utah.eduAeap/ Indexes/index.html. mmurguia@ chronkle.utah.edu to spzak to-, araciaws Wmmmm The Legendary Bleu Bacon Burger 25 years later, still a Utah Original. "Utah's Best Burger" Utah Holiday/Salt Lake Magazine -1978 "Best Holy Trinity of Burgers in Utah" Salt Lake Magazine - 2003 Award-winning Gourmet Burgers, Cheese Fries, Delectable Sandwiches, Salads and More! 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