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James Scholar Honors Program

Encouraging Academic Excellence Among Undergraduates

The James Scholar Honors Program is a universitywide honors program founded to recognize and encourage the talents of academically outstanding undergraduate students within each college. The program is named for the fourth president of the University of Illinois, Edmund J. James who believed that scholarship and research are fundamental to human progress. In the years of his presidency, from 1904-1920, he procured top scholars, developed graduate programs, and encouraged a sense of community among faculty and students. His many achievements helped to transform the University of Illinois into a university with an international reputation.

Within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the James Scholar Honors Program encourages academically gifted students to fully develop their intellectual abilities and achieve the college's highest academic recognition. Scholars are charged with the responsibility of seeking sustained intellectual achievement as undergraduates by achieving and annually maintaining certification as a James Scholar.

Being a James Scholar

Participation in the James Scholar Honors Program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences complements and enriches a student's educational experience and includes these benefits:

• greater opportunities to work closely with a professor
• the ability to transform regular courses into honors courses
• early registration privileges
• extended use of the University of Illinois Library (stacks pass)
• eligibility to apply for undergraduate research opportunities
• transcript designation as a James Scholar and a certificate of sustained intellectual achievement, awarded annually
• recognition at graduation

Nomination and Certification as a James Scholar

The James Scholar Honors Program offers a number of curricular and co-curricular opportunities to entering first-year students who are invited to participate in the honors program as James Scholar Designees. These incoming students are notified of their eligibility by a letter from the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Qualified continuing or transfer students with a 3.5 (A=4.0) cumulative grade point average and meeting honors requirements may nominate themselves as James Scholars.

Maintaining Eligibility

James Scholars must meet program requirements each academic year to remain in good standing and to continue receiving the program's benefits. To be certified as a James Scholar in LAS each year, scholars must fulfill the following criteria:

• complete at least two honors courses or Honors Credit Learning Agreements during the academic year, and
• earn a 3.5 cumulative grade point average.

At the end of each academic year, the transcripts of James Scholar Designees are examined to determine if the college's criteria have been fulfilled. Successful completion of the two requirements results in the placement of "Edmund J. James Scholar for Academic Year 200X-0X" on the transcript and nomination for the next year.

Participation in Honors Courses

James Scholar Designees are required to enroll in one honors course each semester. There are two ways of doing so:

• Enrolling in an honors course during registration-honors courses are designated in the class schedule.
• Completing an Honors Credit Learning Agreement, a special agreement between a student and instructor that permits James Scholars to transform a "regular " course into an honors course and to receive transcript notation for the effort. The student is required to complete additional, course-related assignments or projects of an enrichment nature. This work may be in addition to or in lieu of regular course work.

Graduating with Honors

Completing 25 hours of honors credit as a James Scholar is one pathway to graduating with college honors, provided that the student's grade point average is within the top 12 percent of graduating seniors.

Qualified students are invited to participate in the Honors Convocation in the spring.

Participation in Other Honors Programs

The college and departmental honors programs are complementary, and departmental honors courses can be used to maintain certification as a James Scholar. Participation in departmental honors programs occurs during upper class years. James Scholars may concurrently participate in and be recognized by other LAS and University honors programs or groups including Cohn Scholars, Rogers Scholars, and Chancellor's Scholars.