Honors Program
Advisor: Joseph McDowell, Professor (English)
Augustana’s integrated, interdisciplinary set of honors courses begins with either of two first-year honors program tracks, Foundations or Logos. Admission to Foundations or Logos is by invitation, after application and a faculty interview. Then, if they choose, students from either first-year program may enroll in a team-taught honors course in the winter term of their second year. Finally, students who wish to complete the honors cycle may propose a Capstone Tutorial project under the supervision of a faculty mentor.
All honors courses except the Capstone Tutorial fulfill specified general education requirements. Completion of first year honors courses (Foundations or Logos) fulfills the requirement for the Liberal Studies First-Year (LSFY) Program; in addition, as long as one of the courses is taught by a professor of religion, the first-year programs also fulfill the Christian Traditions requirement. Completion of the second-year course satisfies the Learning Community requirement. Finally, students who complete the full cycle of honors coursework earn Honors Program designation on their college record.
Foundations
Foundations is an interdisciplinary honors program organized around some of the basic issues that have concerned and perplexed thoughtful people for millennia. Three consecutive 4-credit courses are planned by the team of teachers to be complementary and integrated, a whole that is more than the sum of its parts. Reading of classic texts and writing to develop integrative and critical thinking skills are central in each course. Completion of the program completes the requirement for the First-Year Liberal Studies Program; if one of the three courses is taught by a professor of religion, the program also fulfills the Christian Traditions requirement.
COURSES (HONR): 101 Self and Other; 102 Community and Faith; 103 Vision and Visionaries
Logos: Discourse and Discovery in the Sciences
Logos is an integrated program of first-year courses focusing on how science has developed through history, how science has been understood and practiced in particular historical moments, and how we are affected today by the achievements of science. The nurturing of writing and critical thinking skills is integral to the program. The program begins with HONR 121. In most years, the Logos series will include three 4-credit courses, including a section taught by a professor of religion; in this case, completion of the program fulfills both the First-Year Liberal Studies requirement and the Christian Traditions requirement.
