What brings ‘honor’?

We consistently judge that going above and beyond normal responsibilities brings ‘honor’. Yet, the current honors curriculum does not go above the current CORE requirements.

I think the current honors curriculum does injustice to all students. The curriculum of the Honors Program is inefficient and ineffective.

The disregard for prerequisites inhibits academics in the honors curriculum. The honors curriculum starts off with the three course foundational sequence. In addition, all honors students are required to take five SAM (Sources and Methods Courses) courses. For example, the SAM course titled Green Chemistry is being offered this next fall. The only prerequisite for this course is the first class of the foundational sequence. Now, I ask, how can students with no background in chemistry appreciate this course? Instead, honors courses must start assuming the students have no prior knowledge of the topic.

I ask why Green Chemistry is offered to a select group of students while ignoring the larger Creighton student population of whom many are science majors. It seems to be a logistical error to offer such a course in the honors curriculum when the class Environmental Chemistry and Natural Resources could be offered to a much larger, more academically prepared audience. If Creighton truly wants to make the most of its offered classes, this is an unwise choice.

The honors students should go above and beyond the traditional Creighton students in coursework. Traditional Creighton students already take an extensive CORE filled with classes that come from numerous disciplines.

How can honors students who have a minimal liberal arts education be ‘honored’ if they do not fulfill the numerous classes the CORE requires?

I fail to see how someone performing less coursework, with less academic rigor from lack of prerequisites is ‘honored’.

Honors students receive special privileges that are wholly inconsistent with their curriculum and the regular CORE. Honors students have a registration time that allows them to register before any students of similar class standing. It seems to me that traditional Creighton students, who must take more classes thereby most likely to have more scheduling conflicts, should register first.

Honors students do not have to pay any fee when going over the 18 credit limit. A $1000 fee is required for any traditional Creighton student. Since it is traditional Creighton students who have to take more classes thus having larger course loads, it seems we should all have a tuition waiver. This extra fee keeps traditional students from pursuing extra coursework towards a double major or multiple minors. I feel giving unfair privileges to certain students a ‘dishonorable’ act.

The Honors Program needs to revise its curriculum and reinvestigate what it wants its students to experience academically at Creighton.

The current curriculum is inefficient, ineffective and I believe downright unjust towards honors students and traditional Creighton students.

Instead of focusing on the title ‘honors’, perhaps it would be better for students to endure a difficult education thereby being truly ‘honored’.

Chris Randall

Arts & Sciences sophomore