Earl Lester Cole Honors College
Program Thrust
The program plan and diverse, unique academic activities provided in the
Honors College are designed to increase the knowledge base, strengthen skills
in speaking, discussion, writing, critical thinking, improve basic knowledge
of self/diplomacy, and provide a national/international perspective. Students
become more sensitive to the importance of their chosen majors as areas,
which provide needed service in the national and international work place.
The Honors College ensures prospective students, parents, companies and
members of various organizations that Grambling State University is committed
to providing added academic enrichment program thrust to meet the diverse
needs and interests of students, as well as offering a variety of degree-granting
programs. Existence of the Honors College indicates that Grambling State
University is in step, academically and otherwise, with major colleges and
universities in the State of Louisiana and throughout the Nation, in providing
basic challenges to satisfy the intellectual and other needs and desires
of students who are academically talented and highly motivated.
In the Honors College highly motivated students pursue a degree in a chosen
major and are involved in diverse academic and creative activities. Along
with a variety of challenges, students have the option of earning Honors
Points of Service (HPOS) through University and community outreach endeavors.
Various outreach projects provide opportunities to earn HPOS. The activities
focus on projects which foster Pride, Promise and Progress and provide service
throughout the college and the community.
The goal is toward the end of developing a deep sense of personal worth,
intrinsic satisfaction as students participate in the Honors College to
strengthen themselves academically, personally and socially for greater
service to mankind as well as enhance their skills as workers and leaders.
Thus, they reason that "making a buck" is easier than "making
a difference." They envision a "College –Wide Community-Honors
Corps" to effect EXCELLENCE in every aspect of college and community
life at GSU. While preparing for a specific job, Honors College students
learn to serve as well as to work toward earning a degree.
At Grambling State University, during activities in the Freshmen Honors
Sequence, and while involved in various seminars, students are challenged
to think about this reality – "Where they will be as competent,
productive citizens and leaders at the end of four years." Based on
choices made, they ask themselves such questions as: "What kinds of
persons will they be when they get their degrees? Will they be well prepared,
concerned, service oriented graduates?"
Honors College participants learn that making choices is basic for education,
work and life. During their college careers, they make choices: about majors,
about the number of semester hours to take, about entering and continuing
in the Honors College, about Honors Courses, about Interdisciplinary Seminars,
about activities/experiences, about learning to be scholars, about learning
to be leaders and learning to serve. Choices made as a student, as an Honor
student, determine where one is when he/she gets there; and what has been
gained or lost by virtue of the choices made. Honors students recognize
the importance of choices, of attitudes, of affirmations, and of visions
in MAKING THE JOURNEY IN COLLEGE toward the end of a productive life of
work and service.
