DuBois Scholars Program
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The W. E. B. DuBois Scholars Program (DBSP) is designed to nurture and develop promising young scholars at LeMoyne-Owen College. More specifically, the goal is to produce students who are committed to academic and personal excellence, oriented toward pursuing graduate and professional degrees, and dedicated to serving their communities. In addition, DBSP provides a forum where faculty and students develop new ideas and innovations that will ultimately benefit the campus as a whole. In short, the DBSP promotes the ideal of a liberal arts education and serves as an intellectual and academic laboratory for the campus at large. The DuBois Scholars Program is designed to address the entire four to five year experience of a LeMoyne-Owen College student. As such, a student's admission to the program will generally be considered for his or her freshman or sophomore year (although juniors and occasionally seniors may be considered under special circumstances). Membership in the honors program is offered to students who have demonstrated academic achievement and intellectual curiosity. To assess this the DBSP advisory committee will review a student's academic record, a personal statement, and recommendations. Incoming Students Prospective students will have the opportunity to indicate their interest in the DBSP when they apply for admission to LeMoyne-Owen College. Freshman and transfer students will be invited to enroll on the basis of the following criteria. 3.2 or higher grade point average a personal statement extracurricular activities faculty/guidance counselor recommendation an interview with the DBSP Director and members of the Advisory Committee Current Students Students beyond their first semester at LeMoyne-Owen College may apply for admission to the program. These students will be evaluated using the following criteria. 3.2 or higher grade point average a personal statement extracurricular activities two letters of recommendation (at least one from a LeMoyne-Owen College faculty member who has taught the student) an interview with the DBSP Director and members of the Advisory Committee Program Standards A student must maintain a 3.2 or higher cumulate GPA and must make satisfactory academic progress in the DBSP to remain in good standing. Students who fall below that standard are subject to removal from the program and loss of related scholarships. DuBois Scholars' Program Curriculum W.E.B. DuBois Scholars will be asked to complete approximately 18 credit hours of course work to receive W.E.B. DuBois Scholar designation upon graduation,. Much of this honors coursework will overlap with other college academic requirements. The following general outline for a DuBois Scholar's course of study assumes a four-year college experience. However, the course of study can accommodate students who need up to five years to complete their degree. Freshman DuBois scholars will register for the Freshman DuBois Scholars Colloquium in the fall and spring semesters. These students will also have the option to register for an honors core course in the spring of their freshman year. By the end of their sophomore year, DuBois Scholars will be required to have completed at least two honors core courses. Sophomore DuBois scholars will also have the option to complete their "Semester of Service" project in the spring of their sophomore year. In their junior year, DuBois scholars must complete their "Semester of Service" project and one semester of the upper level DuBois Scholars Colloquium (or one semester of directed reading or study abroad). Senior DuBois scholars must complete an honors project/thesis. Students will complete this requirement in conjunction with their senior capstone project. DBSP 110/111 Freshman DuBois Scholars Colloquium (2) This course is an academically rigorous course based on class readings, class discussion, and written projects. The overarching focus of the course is an exploration of what it means to be an educated person. Honors Core II (Credits are equivalent to the corresponding Core II course. NOTE: Honors Contract Core Courses can be substituted for an Honors II class). Sections of certain Core II courses are reserved for DBSP students and any other student who has a GPA of 3.2 or better. Course offerings will vary each semester. DuBois Scholars must take at least two of these courses during their LeMoyne-Owen college career. The director of the DBSP will work with division chairs to develop Honors Core II offerings. Honors Contract Core II (Credits are equivalent to the corresponding Core II course). In lieu of taking an Honors Core II course, a DBSP student may contract with a faculty member to do honors level work within a regular Core II class for honors credit. The student and faculty member will negotiate the honors contract, defining the scope of work to be completed, before the first class meeting. The director must approve honors contracts. DBSP 399 Semester of Service (1) LeMoyne-Owen College has a deep commitment and long tradition of service to the community. DuBois scholars are asked to embrace this responsibility and to share their time and talents with others in a "Semester of Service" project during their junior year. This one credit course is a self-designed service project. DuBois scholars may choose to submit a proposal based on service to the college community or one founded upon service to the surrounding community. All service project proposals must be submitted to the director of the DBSP not later than the end of the first semester of a student's junior year. The proposal must outline the goals of the project and the steps to be undertaken to achieve the goals. The proposal must also identify the particular agency, organization, or group under which the project will be conducted and the individual from that organization who has agreed to serve as project supervisor. [NOTE: Project supervisors must agree in writing to serve in this capacity]. Students must file two interim reports during the semester describing their progress in carrying out the project and submit a final paper relating the results of the service project to their entire liberal arts experience to date. DuBois scholars are encouraged to keep a journal of service activities both for their own personal reflection and to facilitate the writing of the required final paper. DBSP 310/311 Upper Level DuBois Scholars Colloquium (2) This is an academic rigorous course based on class readings, class discussions, and written projects. The titles and content of these courses will vary from semester to semester. These courses are restricted to DBSP students in their junior and senior years. DuBois scholars must take at least one semester of the upper level DuBois Scholars Colloquiumm. (NOTE: A directed reading or semester of study abroad may be substituted for this requirement). DBSP 350 Directed Readings (2) These are two credit tutorial offerings taken outside of a student's chosen major to further emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of a true liberal arts ideal. A directed reading may be either faculty designed or student designed under a faculty member's supervision. A directed reading tutorial consists of the compilation of a semester-long reading list relative to a chosen interdisciplinary topic and at least bi-weekly faculty member(s)/student discussions of these readings during the course of the tutorial. The director of the DBSP must approve directed reading proposals. DBSP 402 Study Abroad (2) DuBois scholars may substitute a semester or year of study abroad for the upper level DBSP colloquium requirement. Students choosing this option will be required to keep a journal of their experience and complete a short paper about the experience upon their return. DuBois Scholars Senior Honors Project/Thesis (Students will complete this requirement in conjunction with their Capstone requirement). Senior DuBois scholars must choose a faculty mentor for their honors project/thesis. The student and mentor together will select two faculty readers one of which must be from outside the student's major discipline. Readers should be from disciplines appropriate to the nature of the project/thesis. Students embarking on an honors project/thesis must also fulfill all requirements of their capstone. Students must submit a one page description of the project to the DBSP director. To receive Honors credit, this description must be approved by the DBSP director, the faculty mentor, and both faculty readers before the student registers for the capstone course. Although most majors only require one semester to the capstone course, it is recommended that students plan to spend at least two semester working on their honors projects/thesis. Upon completion, the student will present his or her project/thesis before an open forum of faculty and students. If the senior honors student receives a grade of B or above on the completed project/thesis, and provided all other DBSP requirements have been met, the student will be eligible for graduation with Honors as a DuBois Scholar. Graduation DuBois Scholars Program students who have completed all DBSP requirements will receive a special notation on their transcript and on their LeMoyne-Owen College degree. DuBois scholars will be regularly exposed to a diverse series of visitors and speakers. In addition, DuBois scholars will take advantage of museums, historical organizations and events, and cultural organizations and events in the mid-south area to enhance and enrich their educational experience. The advisory committee will be made up of one faculty member from each division of the college and three students. The director of the DBSP will chair the committee. |
