1. HONORS 106
Spring 2015
Kaelyn Friese
Office: Wick Science Building 164
Phone: (320) 308.2192 to schedule an appointment
Email: kjfriese@stcloudstate.edu
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 – 4:30 (Appointments are necessary)
Honors website: www.stcloudstate.edu/honors
Textbooks/Readings: The Norton Field Guide to Writing: other readings as assigned
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/write/fieldguide/index.asp
Course Description: HONS 100/106 is a 3-credit sequence that introduces the academically accomplished student
to the academic life of the university, adjustment to learning at the university level, use of campus and community
resources, service learning, leadership development, and community building in Honors and in the university. HONS
106 builds upon what has been established in HONS 100, culminating in a critical thinking and research project.
Course Objectives:
1. Develop an understanding of integrated thinking and the value of a liberal arts education (research
project)
2. Increase critical thinking skills
3. Improve research skills – how to utilize campus resources
4. Develop student connections and identification with the Honors’ community
5. Provide experience in public speaking and an opportunity to develop presentation skills
6. Increase communication skills and confidence approaching professors
7. Provide experiences that will help students be successful in larger programs or graduate study
Instructional Methods/Course Format: We will utilize participatory exercises, classroom discussions, lectures, guest
speakers/facilitators, group and individual assignments, and the opportunity to develop a research project
throughout this course. This class will be different from some of the lecture-style courses in which you may be
enrolled. YOU are an integral part of accomplishing the objectives of this course. Although there may be some
lectures, much of the class time will require active participation, such as small group activities or general class
discussion.
Purpose of this Course: Create opportunities for personal growth and responsibility and develop the knowledge,
skills, and attitudes which contribute to successful college and life experiences. Instill in first year students the value
of research and its components: strong public speaking skills, defining and accessing good research/sources, and
enhancing the student’s critical thinking skills.
Content of Course:
The primary assignment for this course is a research paper documenting the wholeness/integration of knowledge by
examining and comparing concepts from two SCSU courses. You will also be responsible for condensing this
information into a conference-style poster presentation. This project will result in knowledge that would not be
learned from either course individually. Your research will be presented at the Honors Research Colloquium at the
end of the semester. This will be an open forum so you will be responsible for explaining your project to visitors
attending the colloquium.
Honors seminar instructors will more fully explain this project and will act as consultants. You will be required to
speak with professors from the subjects that you are comparing to obtain their ideas and assistance and will meet
with a staff member at the Write Place before submitting your final paper.

2. In addition to gaining research skills, this course will include classroom discussions regarding topics which are of
interest and relevance to students. Examples might be college substance abuse, racism, college and personal
safety/sexual assault, paid and volunteer opportunities, stress management, and understanding and respecting
gender differences.
Class Dates and Deadlines:
Week
Date Activity
Assignment
Week 1
1/12 Syllabus Overview & Topic Selection Connections Article – D2L
Week 2
1/19 No Class - Martin Luther King Holiday
Topic selection research
Norton text – Research Documentation
- Developing a plan
- Synthesizing Ideas
Week 3
1/26 Library Information w/ Jennifer Quinlan
Norton Text – Research Documentation
- Finding Sources
- Evaluating Sources
Week 4
2/2
Research Topics Discussion
Panel of former 106 students
Topic Identification Presentation
including Identification of Faculty
Mentors
Week 5
2/9 Presentation on Research findings Topic Approval Form Due
Week 6
2/16 Presentation on Research findings Outline/Bibliography Due
Week 7
2/23 APA format Review
Norton Text – Research Documentation
- APA Style
- Quoting, Paraphrasing,
Summarizing
- Avoiding Plagiarism
Week 8
3/2 Portfolio Development
Draft of paper due along with
Faculty Mentor Interview form
Week 9
3/9 No Class - Spring Break
Week
10 3/16 Present your board ideas Board Idea/Draft
Week
11 3/23 Present your board ideas Write place form due
Week
12 3/30 Poster Presentations in Class Paper Due
Week
13 4/6 Poster Presentations in Class Poster due
Week
14 4/13 University Honors Program First-Year Seminar Research Colloquium is Friday 4/17
Week
15 4/20 Colloquium and Class Wrap up
Week
16 4/27 Portfolio Wrap-up
Week
17 5/3 No class Portfolio due

3. Class Assignments
Final Paper
This is a traditional research paper (introduction, body, and conclusion), 10 pages (title and reference pages do
not count), double spaced, 12 pt, Times New Roman font, APA writing style is required. All aspects of writing,
including grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, conciseness, references, etc. will be graded. Must have at
least 8 sources: only two can be online sources (no Wikipedia). All Sources (excluding the online sources) must
be scholarly sources. In Week 12, your final paper is due. You will take the draft of your paper along with
instructor feedback and a consultation with the Write Place, the university Writing Center and submit a final
document complete with Bibliography and Title page, all done in APA format. With your final paper, you will
include a form from the Write Place indicating that you attended an appointment.
Topic Approval Form
Students must have their topic approved by the instructor. See syllabus for due date for submitting the Topic
Approval form. Forms are due early in the semester and if substantive changes are made to the topic, students
must seek re-approval from their instructor.
Faculty Mentor Interview Form
In Week 4 you will be asked to identify faculty that might be able to help you with your selected topic. When
you submit the draft of your paper in Week 8 you must include the Faculty Mentor Interview form. You are
encouraged to identify and setup meetings with your faculty mentors as soon as possible. They can help you
shape the topic if consulted early.
Presentation of Research Findings to the Class
In Week 5 & 6, you will present the findings of your initial research to the class. You will come to class
prepared to talk with classmates about the topic you selected, the research process that you have used so far,
what preliminary research you have located, and how it connects to the topic that you chose. Your classmates
will be expected to make suggestions for broadening/narrowing your research topic, adding key words and data
bases for you to search, suggesting ways you might want to consider organizing the paper and providing other
helpful feedback.
Paper Outline and Bibliography
The paper outline is due in Week 6. This outline should be typed and should provide you with sufficient detail
to understand the logical flow of the paper as well as an indication of how your Bibliography (also due this
week) is used throughout the paper. In other words, indicate in your outline where your identified sources will
be used. This is also a check for you to see if there are gaps in your paper where you do not have literature to
support your positions. Remember, this is a Research Paper, not a position paper where you are just giving
your opinion - unless you can support your positions with evidence from the literature. The outline does not
have to be in a formal structure (like I. A, 1, a, etc…), however, it should be organized in a way that
demonstrates the overall flow of the paper.
The Bibliography is a list of all of the sources that you have identified – both those that you plan to cite in the
paper and those that you have just used for background information. Those citations should be in APA format.
There is a program through the library called REFWORKS that can help you organize your citations in this
way.
Draft of Paper
In Week 8, a draft of your paper is due along with the Faculty Mentor Interview Form (see above). The draft
of your paper should be just that – the draft of a substantial piece of your paper. The overall paper will be 10
pages in length and so your draft should be no fewer than 6 pages (of content). Your instructor will read the
draft and provide you with feedback on the direction you are going, indicate if significant additions or
subtractions are necessary, and provide other editing suggestions.

4. Poster Presentation
This process involves condensing the information from your research paper into a Poster presentation. Your
task is convey the major elements of your work in a visually-attractive and comprehensive poster-sized
presentation. You will also develop a 2-3 minute oral presentation where you walk through the points of your
poster with guests at our research colloquium. We will spend significant time both in and out of class guiding
you through this process, but the creativity and work are up to you. In Week 10 you will present a drawing,
rough sketch, or some other visual draft of your poster. Both the class and the instructor will provide you with
feedback. In Week 13, your completed poster is due. You will bring it to class and we will do a dress rehearsal
for the colloquium. I will be grading your posters at that time, however, participation in the colloquium is
required.
Portfolio
Throughout the semester, your Peer Mentors and your graduate student advisors will assist you in the
continuing development of your Honors Portfolio. At the end of spring semester, your portfolios need to
include entries from the class project (in the Student Engagement Activities Section) as well as reflections from
one additional Honors or non-honors course. The focus this semester will be on crafting meaningful reflections
that capture knowledge gained, skills acquired, implications for your future, and a description of what the
event/course/project means to you.
GRADING:
Research Paper total 60% 120 pts
Final Paper 30%
Topic Identification approval 5%
Presentation of Research to class 5%
Paper outline and bibliography 5%
Draft of Paper & Faculty form 15%
60%
Poster Presentation 30% 60 pts
Portfolio 10% 20 pts
Total 100% 200 pts
“Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought”
- Albert Szent-Gyorgyi , 1937 Nobel Prize for Medicine
Quality of Work:
Your work should reflect college standards. All assignments must be typed, double-spaced, pages numbered,
and utilize standard margin/font sizes (i.e. 1 – 1 ¼ inch margins, 10-12 point font size in a standard font such as
Times New Roman). Please staple your papers together and make sure your name appears on each sheet.
College quality work is grammatically correct and free of typographical errors. Please be sure to thoroughly
proofread your work; failure to do so will impact your grade on assignments.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students
who have disabilities that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course
requirements. Any students with a documented disability condition (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric,
systematic, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations should contact the instructor
within the first two weeks of the semester, as well as Student Disability Services (SDS) at the beginning of the
semester. SDS is located in Centennial Hall. Staff can be reached by calling 320.308.4080 voice or TTY.

5. Academic Integrity:
Please be aware that your work is expected to be your own, unless appropriately referenced. Be sure to cite
any sources you utilize for class papers and do not falsify information on assignments. For information
regarding how to properly cite works, visit http://libdata.stcloudstate.edu/page.phtml?page_id=150. For
information regarding plagiarism, visit http://bulletin.stcloudstate.edu/ugb/academic/default.asp.
Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism,
misrepresentation of student status, and resume falsification. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use by
paraphrase or direct quotation, the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear
acknowledgement; unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in selling or
otherwise providing term papers or other academic materials. (SCSU Code of Conduct)
Diversity: The Instructor believes that knowledge is acquired and transmitted in a variety of ways, and that
students possess a multitude of learning styles. Materials, activities, and assignments used in this course were
developed with that in mind. In addition, materials, activities, and assignments used in this course will aid
students in understanding biases and stereotypes related to race, class, gender, disability, and sexual orientation
and the impact of these on teaching, learning, and leadership. Students from all backgrounds and perspectives are
welcome in this class and are encouraged to share their personal perspectives and experiences.
Late Assignments:
Students are responsible for turning in completed assignments at the beginning of class on the day the
assignments are due. Work is considered late if it is handed in after the beginning of class and late work is not
accepted. Should you have problems getting to class or printing your assignment, it is expected that you will
email your assignment to me on time. If you have missed a class where assignments were handed out/discussed,
it is your responsibility to get the assignment information, and you are still expected to get the work done on time.
Computer or printing problems are not acceptable excuses for late work. If you have questions or concerns, speak
with the instructor prior to the assignment due date.
Classroom Environment & Expectations:
1. This course is based on a foundation of respect, openness, and honesty. Each student will respect
the right of fellow students to voice personal opinions regarding topics discussed in class. In
addition, each student will respect the confidentiality of personal self-disclosure shared during
classroom discussion.
2. It is the student’s responsibility to be in class each day, assignments prepared, and ready to
participate in classroom discussions and activities. Please e-mail me as a courtesy if you are unable
to attend. Unforeseen circumstances can occur such as family or health issues. I am willing to work
with every student to help them be successful. Notification of a pending absence must be
communicated to the instructor. This course is structured as a discussion-oriented course; therefore,
active and engaged participation is expected. Students are expected to complete all assigned
assignments prior to each scheduled meeting.
3. Our environment will be characterized by cooperation and collaboration focusing on a shared
purpose.
4. Acceptable behavior is that which promotes the learning process and displays respect for the
instructor, speakers, and fellow students. Examples of disruptions include cell phones ringing, text
messaging, conversing while others are speaking, walking in late, and doing homework for other
classes.
5. It is my goal to utilize this course to encourage you to become active and engaged learners – both
within your courses and your overall University experience.