2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 19, 2024  
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Special Programs


SOLE Program

Members of the YHC SOLE (Student Opportunities for Leadership through Engagement) program are a select group of students who represent Young Harris College through outreach work, building relationships, and shared experiences in learning and leadership throughout our community. YHC SOLE members currently work at a mix of on and off campus community partner sites; they may work up to ten hours per week during the academic year and receive financial compensation through the College and federal work-study programs for their time and commitment. YHC SOLE members meet weekly to discuss local and global issues and determine ways to develop leadership in those areas. Through planning, discussion and reflection SOLE members create opportunities to serve their campus and local communities throughout the year. The program began at Young Harris College in 2009 as part of the national Bonner Leader program, but in 2015, the YHC SOLE program replaced Bonner in order to meet the specific needs of our region and allow us to evolve organically in the future. The program has twelve members. Applications will be accepted in the early spring for the following year as members graduate and positions open. Please contact Bethann Bowman at brbowman@yhc.edu for an application.

 Honors Program

The Honors Program works on behalf of Young Harris College’s most intellectually-curious students by providing them with rigorous professional scholarly development, exclusive classes that specialize in experiential learning, and avenues to pursue innovative research projects.

Admissions Process

Students will apply for the YHC Honors Program at the beginning of the spring semester of their freshman year. They will be admitted in time to register for Honors classes in the fall of their sophomore year. No financial aid will be attached to admission into the Program, and all applicants must already be YHC students. Other YHC students (upperclassmen) may apply for admission into the Honors Program at any point during the academic year.

Requirements for Remaining in the Honors Program

In order to remain in the Honors Program, students must maintain a 3.5 GPA. Students must also attend monthly graduate school training sessions.

Requirements for a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors Distinction

Students must earn 10 Honors Credits by the time of graduation to earn the Honors Distinction. The successful completion of an Honors Thesis in the senior year is also required of all Honors Program members who enter the program in the spring of 2020 and beyond. Honors Credits may be earned by completing Honors Contracts, taking Honors-designated courses, and completing the Honors Thesis.

Honors Contracts

Students may earn an Honors Designation in a non‐Honors class by completing an Honors Contact (HC). The project must be designed in consultation with the instructor of record in whose class the student is enrolled during the semester the project will be completed. Substantial Honors Contracts should demonstrate a creative, learner-directed experience that is measurably broader, deeper, and/or more complex than general course requirements.

Because the HC requires the guidance and accommodation of a cooperating instructor, it should not be assumed that a HC can be completed in every course. If it is determined during advising and registration that a student cannot enroll in an Honors course for the semester, the student must seek permission from an instructor in one of the non-Honors courses in which the student registers prior to the end of registration. The HC agreement should be signed and returned to the Honors Program Director immediately.

To earn approval, the instructor of record and Honors Program Committee must agree that the project meets or exceeds expected requirements.  If the student’s work is approved by the instructor and the committee, the student will receive an Honors Designation for that course.  This will be indicated on the student’s transcript, and the course will count toward the fulfillment of a Degree with Honors distinction. Students who do not submit the required project plan on time or who do not present the project by the end of the semester will not receive an Honors Designation for the project or course.

Requirements for Honors Thesis

To earn Honors Distinction at the Bachelor level, an Honors student must complete an Honors Thesis. The Honors Thesis project should be the high point or crowning achievement of an Honors student’s academic career at Young Harris College. Since each academic discipline has its own modes of inquiry and means of presenting knowledge, Honors Theses will vary by discipline.

Honors program students must publicly present their theses in the interest of contributing to the body of knowledge of the community. Each honors program student will select the members of a faculty committee that will advise the student through the project and assess it upon completion. One of the members will be the faculty member working most closely with the student in his or her major, one member will be the honors program director, and one member will be another faculty member of the student’s own choosing.

Each student must present his or her thesis during the Undergraduate Research Day during the spring semester. The project and presentation will be assessed by the members of the student’s faculty committee. To be deemed successful, the thesis project and presentation must be deemed acceptable by all committee members in that it meets all expectations of the project and demonstrates complex processes representative of an Honors graduate. Students who make a successful thesis presentation and meet all other program and academic requirements will earn a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors Distinction from Young Harris College.

Honor Societies 

Alpha Chi National College Honor Scholarship Society   

Georgia Xi is the Young Harris College chapter of Alpha Chi, an academic honor society that recognizes and promotes excellence in scholarship among college and university students of good character.  Classified as a general honor society, meaning that it accepts members from all academic fields, Alpha Chi inducts no more than the top 10 per cent of juniors and seniors relative to grade point average.  Established in 1922, Alpha Chi has more than 300 chapters across the United States.  Additional information regarding Alpha Chi can be found at www.alphachihonor.org.

Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society

The Omega Tau chapter of the international communication studies honor society Lambda Pi Eta was founded at Young Harris College in 2011.The honor society aims to recognize, foster and reward outstanding scholastic achievement in communication studies, promote and encourage professional development among communication majors and stimulate interest in the field of communication. Election to membership in Lambda Pi Eta is open to undergraduates enrolled as communication studies majors or minors with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 with 60 credit hours completed and 3.25 for communication studies courses with 12 credit hours completed.

Mu Phi Epsilon Professional Music Fraternity 

The Zeta Kappa Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon was founded at Young Harris College in 2011. Mu Phi Epsilon is an International Professional Music Fraternity whose purposes are the recognition of scholarship and musicianship and the promotion of friendship. Its aims are the advancement of music throughout the world, the promotion of musicianship and scholarship, loyalty to the Alma Mater, and the development of a true bond of friendship. Election to membership in Mu Phi Epsilon is based upon scholarship, musicianship and character. Undergraduates must be enrolled as music majors or minors and have attained at least second term freshman standing, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in music subjects and 2.0 in academic subjects.

Sigma Tau Delta 

The Alpha Sigma Omicron chapter of the international English honor society Sigma Tau Delta was founded at Young Harris College in 2011. The primary objective of Sigma Tau Delta is to confer distinction upon students of the English language and literature in undergraduate, graduate and professional studies. The society also recognizes the accomplishments of professional writers who have contributed to the fields of language and literature. The organization strives to provide cultural stimulation on college campuses, serve society by fostering literacy and promote interest in literature and the English language in surrounding communities. Founded in 1924, the society has more than 800 active chapters. Election to membership in Sigma Tau Delta is open to undergraduates enrolled as English majors or minors with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0, at least three semesters of coursework completed and a class rank in the highest 35 percent. The Alpha Sigma Omicron chapter of Sigma Tau Delta is organized in conjunction with the English Majors Organization (EMO) at Young Harris College.   

Study‐Abroad

Information regarding international programs at Young Harris College is found at the Study Abroad Page of the College Website.   

Online Learning

Moodle

The Learning Management System used at Young Harris College is Moodle. All syllabi are posted on Moodle and many professors post course notes, calendars, projects and tests on Moodle. To ensure a secure and consistent environment, Moodle usernames and passwords will be the same as the College network username and password.

Summer Online Courses

Young Harris College offers online courses for eight weeks during the summer, and all YHC students, other than first time freshmen, are eligible to take these course offerings. Online courses primarily use Moodle for course instruction, and each online student is required to pass a Moodle Orientation before gaining access to any online course.