2003-04 Undergraduate Catalog
Indiana, Pennsylvania 15705
 

Director: Janet E. Goebel

Website: www.iup.edu/honors

The Robert E. Cook Honors College is IUP’s universitywide honors program for undergraduate students of all majors who are accepted into the program. Its goal is to provide a unique educational environment in which students of high ability and motivation can achieve their potential in a nurturing learning community of fellow students and professors. The Honors College makes an intentional effort to see that students and faculty are provided with integrated courses, an appreciation for multiple perspectives on important issues, and common learning experiences wherever possible; it strives to see that the learning community remains cohesive with both academic and cocurricular components throughout the four years of the student’s honors experience.

The Robert E. Cook Honors College provides a challenging opportunity for academic and personal development through an integrated program of curriculum, residence, and cocurricular activities. Whitmyre Hall has been renovated into a combined honors residential/academic facility which includes classrooms and program offices as well as student rooms and cocurricular spaces.

Students in any academic major may apply for admission to the Honors College. Students may enter the program as freshmen or later as sophomore “transfer” students from either another university or from IUP. An application is required and is evaluated by the Honors College Admissions Board.

Requirements of the Program

Students accepted into the Robert E. Cook Honors College as freshmen are required to live in Whitmyre Hall during the freshman year and are encouraged to remain in the honors residence hall throughout their undergraduate career as space permits. Exceptions to the freshman residency requirements will be made only for nontraditional students (students twenty-five or older or students who are married and/or have children) or for students who reside at home with their legal guardians in the Indiana area while at IUP. Application for exemption from the freshman residency requirement should be made in the form of a letter to the Honors College Director at the time of application to the program.

Students in the Honors College are required to maintain an overall 3.25 GPA. A student who falls below the 3.25 GPA will have one semester of Honors College probation during which he/she may attempt to raise the GPA to 3.25 and remain in good standing. Students who are dismissed from the Honors College due to GPA may apply for readmission after having raised the GPA to acceptable honors standards.

Course Requirements for Students Admitted as Freshmen

Students admitted as freshmen are required to complete 24 credits of honors work including: 

Students are encouraged to complete at least one honors course during every academic year, although it is recognized that this might not be possible for students participating in study abroad or off-campus internships.

Students are also encouraged to complete an undergraduate thesis for graduation from the Honors College with distinction. Students may enroll for thesis credit by completing the necessary approval forms and scheduling HNRC 483 Honors Thesis/Independent Study or, in some departments, by scheduling a departmental honors thesis course.

Applicants who may be interested in further information are invited to contact the university Admissions Office at 724-357-2230 or 1-800-442-6830 or the office of the Honors College in Whitmyre Hall at 724-357-4971.