While honors programs have made notable advancements in diversity and inclusion, the issue of educational equity remains unresolved. Tensions between providing special opportunities for high-achieving students and adhering to principles of social justice continue to shape the "neighborhood of honors." This essay seeks to address…

This study explores the effect of preexisting mental health issues on college students' academic performance. Using unique data from the honors college at a medium-sized urban private university, authors examine college entry essays (N = 1062) in five classes (two pre-pandemic and three post-pandemic), as well as advisors' (N = 7) notes. Mental…

Student wellness is a growing concern among educators. Previous studies on the well-being of honors students as compared to other undergraduates result in mixed findings. This study examines the trajectory of gifted programming in education and specific challenges to the collegiate experience, presenting differences between honors students (N =…

This paper explores the complexities of co-authorship involving generative AI in academic contexts, focusing on an honors English class where students engaged with AI tools like ChatGPT. It critiques the boundaries of authorship as defined by COPE, which argues AI cannot be an author due to its lack of accountability. The study explores the…

When a campus welcomes hundreds--and more likely thousands--of new students to campus each year, it is easy for those on the front lines to lose sight of how radical and novel this change is for our students. Many students experience significant transitions before college as they navigate identity formation and grapple with unforeseen disruptions…

We report an intervention, performed during the Fall of 2024, in which a large language model artificial intelligence chatbot was introduced as a tool for pre-exam study and postexam reflection within an honors general chemistry course (CHEM 110H) at Penn State University. Through a combination of a structured 75 min instructional session and…

Previous research has suggested mixed results concerning gifted populations and achievement goal orientation. This study investigated achievement goal orientation in honors and general education undergraduate students, exploring the factor structure of a commonly used assessment and looking at ability level differences using two types of…

Amid social distancing restrictions, community gardening becomes a focal point of one honors program. While providing fresh produce to the campus food pantry, this student-run initiative generates a new setting for experiential and service learning.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of phenomena-based inquiry on students' engagement levels in my science classroom. This action research study took place in the fall of 2021 with six student participants. Participants were enrolled in an 8th grade honors science course in a middle school in South Carolina. The research was…

Female student engagement in the STEM fields does not currently match the level at which male students are engaged. Whether it is in high school course enrollment, college, or careers, males outnumber females in terms of enrollment and study of advanced physics and engineering. The purpose of this mixed-methods, phenomenological action research…

It is widely acknowledged that there is an awarding gap in higher education, with proportionally more White students achieving a good honours degree compared to their minoritized ethnic counterparts. Furthermore, the gap is largest between Black and White students, hence necessitating initiatives to understand the perspectives of Black students on…

Dr. Ada Long (1945-2024) advocated for equal access to quality education. Authors suggest that her reflections on neighborhoods, community, and intentional inclusion were not one-off musings but rather indicative of how she saw her responsibility as an educator. Drawing on Long's establishment of a lecture series that brought faculty into a local…

Feminists have long critiqued an overreliance on traditional assessment practices such as the essay or exam, highlighting that these can reinforce gendered or other hierarchies in education. Feminists have supported calls for a greater diversity of assessment in general, while valorizing reflective forms of assessment in particular. We identify…

Honors is unusual not because it is elitist or exclusionary but because it responds directly, thoughtfully, and creatively to the needs and concerns of each new cohort of students. The present generation of college students expects their institutions to deliver clear value, rich diversity, and positive career outcomes; and these changes demand a…

A simulated conference in first-year curriculum reinforces undergraduate research as beneficial to both honors and campus communities while fostering scholarly development and campus engagement among honors freshmen during the coronavirus crisis.