Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates: Honors Program

On, Together: UConn Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

UConn has always been a university propelled by momentum as we seek to create a better world. This spirit will continue to fuel our progress as we adjust to our changing reality, all doing our part to ensure the health of our community. With our comprehensive plans in place, all new and returning students will experience the inspiring academics, vibrant student life, and rich support that are the hallmarks of a UConn education while keeping health and safety at the forefront.

The latest official guidance and updates on UConn’s response to COVID-19 and its impact on the university community may be found at https://covid.uconn.edu/.

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The Honors Program is committed to supporting our students, faculty, and staff during this difficult and unusual situation.

UConn Nation: Physically distant, socially & globally connected

Useful Links

This page contains information specific to the Honors Program.

Spring 2023

Updated on 1/13/2023.

Honors and Enrichment Programs staff are working hybrid remote/campus schedules. See the applicable section below for details, or email honors@uconn.edu to be directed to the appropriate staff member.

The Honors and Enrichment Programs Main Office (Rowe 419) will be open during the following hours: Monday through Friday: 9am-4pm.

Honors and Enrichment Programs Main Office (Rowe 419)

The Spring 2023 office hours of the Honors and Enrichment Programs Main Office (Rowe 419) will be:

Monday            9am-4pm
Tuesday            9am-4pm
Wednesday      9am-4pm
Thursday          9am-4pm
Friday               9am-4pm

How to reach us:
Call - 860-486-4223
Email - honors@uconn.edu

Honors Staff Advisors

Honors staff advisors are meeting with students both virtually and in person.

Kaitlin Heenehan (Stamford): please see "Honors at UConn Stamford and Regional Campuses" below
Dr. Anne Kim (Storrs): General advising
Jennifer Oliveira (Storrs): ACES students, general advising

Make an appointment: Click Here to select an advisor through Nexus.

Or visit drop-in advising: Click Here to check in.

Spring 2023 Weekly Drop-in Hours

  • Tuesdays, 2 - 3:30 pm (Storrs Rowe 413 or virtual)

    Honors Buckley Office (Buckley 117)

    The office hours of the Honors Buckley Office are typically 9am-4:30pm Monday-Friday. Feel free to email us anytime at honors@uconn.edu.

    Honors Guides for Peer Success (GPS)

    The Honors Guides for Peer Success (GPS) will be offering office hours in the Honors Buckley Office (Buckley 117) throughout the Spring 2023 semester.

    Additionally, Stamford GPSs are available throughout the Spring 2023 semester in Room 3.46 on the Stamford Campus on Mondays from 9:00am-2pm (except 11am-12pm they will be at a table in the concourse on the Washington street side) and back in 3.46 on Thursdays from 9:00am-2pm. Students on all campuses have the option to meet with GPSs virtually. Students on all campuses have the option to meet with GPSs virtually.

    If you need to contact the GPS team, please email honorsgps@uconn.edu or set up an appointment with a GPS on Nexus.

    Honors at UConn Stamford and Regional Campuses

    Assistant Director Kaitlin Heenehan's Spring 2023 schedule for the UConn Stamford campus will be as follows:

    Monday – Remote from 8:30-4:30
    Tuesday – On campus from 8-3:30 (room 3.46)
    Wednesday – On campus from 8-3:30 (room 3.46)
    Thursday – Remote from 8:30-4:30
    Friday – Remote from 8:30-4:30

    All appointments with Kaitlin should be scheduled through Nexus: 

    • To meet in person on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, choose “all modality meeting.”
    • To meet via WebEx on any day, you may choose either “all modality” or remote modality.”

    For students on other regional campuses looking to meet with an Honors staff member, feel free to sign up for a remote modality meeting with Kaitlin, or see the information on Honors Staff Advisors above.

    In addition, Honors GPS and student employees will be in the Stamford Honors & Enrichment office (room 3.46) on Mondays (9am-2pm and 2:30-5pm), and Thursdays (9am-4:30pm).

    Fall 2020

    Last updated 12/10/2020.

    Canceling Honors conversions

    If you wish to withdraw an approved Honors conversion request email honors@uconn.edu and include the course number. (Please communicate with your instructor as well!) There is never a penalty for canceling a conversion request.

    Honors Plans of Study (extended deadlines)

    Deadlines have been extended for both the Honors Final Plan of Study (seniors) and the Honors Preliminary Plan of Study (juniors).

    Students who are planning to graduate in May or August 2021 should submit their Honors Final Plan of Study  by December 21, 2020.

    Students who are planning to graduate in December 2021, May 2022, or August 2022 should submit their Honors Preliminary Plan of Study by January 22, 2021.

    If you run into issues meeting these deadlines, email honors@uconn.edu as soon as possible to discuss next steps.

    December Honors thesis deadline

    If you are graduating in December 2020, your thesis is due through the online thesis submission process by December 21.

    If you, your thesis supervisor, and Honors advisor agree to an extension beyond that date, email honors@uconn.edu. The final deadline for thesis submission is dependent on the Registrar’s deadline for degree audit, which the Registrar has set as January 20.

    Timeline for Graduation

    Honors housing

    All housing assignments, including those in Honors Learning Communities, are made by Residential Life. Please review the Reopening UConn - Living on Campus site and the Fall 2020 Housing FAQ for details on processes and timelines.

    First-Year Students at Storrs: In addition to Buckley/Shippee, our first-year students will also live in McMahon Hall. McMahon was already slated to be an Honors community, meaning their staff were prepared to work with the Honors Program this year and many of their Resident Assistants are Honors students. First-year Honors students will be randomly assigned to spaces in Buckley, Shippee, or McMahon. Our Honors Resident Assistants, continued partnerships with Residential Life, and online program offerings will help us approach this fall with the spirit of "two complexes, one Honors community."

    Upper-Division Students at Storrs: If you were originally slated for Honors housing and will be receiving housing for fall, Residential Life is planning to place you in McMahon, Snow, or (for H20 Learning Community) Werth.

    Residency Requirement:The requirement for first-year students—including those in Honors—to live on campus has been suspended for the fall semester. You may choose to commute without affecting your Honors status. If you are living on campus, your membership in Honors will be including in the housing assignment process. All first-year Honors students at Storrs or Stamford will be treated as members of their first-year Honors communities whether they are living on campus or off campus and whether they are taking classes in person or completely online.

    Honors community & events

    Regardless of where you live in the fall, whether it's on campus in any residence hall or off campus, you are still a member of the Honors community.  We are committed to providing a rich Honors co-curricular experience while protecting the safety of our students, staff, and other community members.

    Online programming and events will continue to play a role in the Fall 2020 semester. Students who opt for a completely online semester and remain off campus will be able to participate in our community--including the various Honors student organizations--and make progress toward their co-curricular requirements for the University Honors Laureate award.

    Planning in this space is still ongoing, and all activities will be conducted in compliance with university policies and the state of Connecticut health guidelines, both of which may change over the course of the semester. We may add in-person offerings as guidelines permit.

    During the semester, you'll receive the Honors Weekly and Updates in Honors. Look there for information about Honors Events and other ways to get involved.

    Honors advising

    All UConn advising is still occurring remotely. Advisors using Nexus will continue to do so. Other advisors should be contacted through email.

    Honors and Enrichment Programs advisors, along with many other UConn advisors, will be busy with Orientation until the end of July. Please email honors@uconn.edu if you have Honors-related questions.

    Contact us

    The Honors and Enrichment Programs staff members are still working from home and there is no date set for us to return to campus. We are available during our normal business hours. The best way to contact us is to email honors@uconn.edu.  

    The Honors GPS team is also working remotely and can be contacted at honorsgps@uconn.edu.

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    Spring 2020

    Last updated 4/10/2020.

    The Honors Town Hall (3/30/2020) recording is available.

    Honors courses & conversions

    Honors credit through courses and conversions will continue to be available in Fall 2020, regardless of whether courses are offered online or in person.

    Course modes of instruction should be finalized in Student Admin prior to Add/Drop/Swap opening on July 27. Please refer to the Registrar's website for updated information about changes to the Fall 2020 course schedule, as well as definitions for the different instruction modes (online, distance learning,  hybrid/blended, split, and in person).

    On the Reopening UConn - Academics page, students are assured that they will be able to select a fully online course experience. Honors is committed to supporting this option for our students as well, including timely progression to Honors Scholar and University Honors Laureate awards.

    Spring 2020

    Last updated 4/10/2020.

    The Honors Town Hall (3/30/2020) recording is available.

    Contact us

    The Honors and Enrichment Programs staff members are working from home and are available during our normal business hours. The best way to contact us is to email honors@uconn.edu.  

    The Honors GPS team is also working remotely and can be contacted at honorsgps@uconn.edu.

    Stay Whelmed

    Watch for information in Honors Updates and Honors Weekly about staying connected with your Honors peers during social distancing.

    This is a challenging time for all of us. Please reach out if we can help in any way.  

    Admissions

    The deadline for rising sophomores and rising juniors to apply to Honors has been extended from April 1 to July 1. 

    All in-person admission activities have been canceled through the end of the semester. Honors will be participating in virtual and remote programming as it is announced.   

    Advising

    All UConn advising will occur remotely for the remainder of the semester. Advisors using Nexus will continue to do so. Other advisors should be contacted through email.

    Honors and Enrichment Programs advisors use Nexus for scheduling. When you set up your appointment, you will see instructions for using WebEx or telephone.

    The Honors GPS team is also working remotely and can be contacted at honorsgps@uconn.edu.

    Continuation in Honors

    For 2019-2020 only, the minimum Honors credit requirement of 6 Honors credits per academic year is waived. We will not be conducting the formal academic participation review this summer, although we may check in with students who fall below that limit.

    This policy change is intended to give students more flexibility in their academic planning this semester. This does not change any Honors award requirements, so students should consult with their Honors advisors before dropping Honors classes or withdrawing Honors conversions.

    Honors courses

    Students enrolled in Honors courses will have the opportunity to earn Honors credit in Spring 2020.

    For the Spring 2020 semester only, Honors credit may be earned for a class placed on Pass/Fail. As always, students must earn a B- or better in the class for Honors credit to be applied. This policy change is intended to give students more flexibility in terms of which classes count toward their GPA and toward their Honors awards.

    Students should consult with their departmental Honors advisors and/or the advising center in their schools or colleges for additional guidance about Pass/Fail courses. Students who are considering applying for medical or dental school should subscribe to the Pre-Med and Pre-Dental ListSERV and watch for updates on how Pass/Fail courses might affect their applications.

    The Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning has gathered resources and strategies for students and for faculty as we transition to online courses. These will be useful for Honors courses as well.

    Faculty members teaching Honors courses should contact jaclyn.chancey@uconn.edu if they have questions about online/remote pedagogy or find that they need additional resources to support this transition for an Honors course.

    Honors conversions

    Students with approved Honors conversions will have the opportunity to earn Honors credit in Spring 2020. Students and instructors should communicate about necessary changes to conversion agreements. These changes should be documented in an email that includes the student, the instructor, the student's Honors advisor, and honors@uconn.edu.

    Students may determine that the best option for themselves and their academic goals during this semester is to withdraw a conversion request. We encourage students to discuss this decision with their Honors advisor and/or an Honors staff member. If a student does decide to withdraw a conversion, the student should send this request by email to their instructor, their Honors advisor, and honors@uconn.edu.

    For the Spring 2020 semester only, Honors credit may be earned for a class placed on Pass/Fail, including a class with an Honors conversion. As always, students must earn a B- or better in the class for Honors credit to be applied. This policy change is intended to give students more flexibility in terms of which classes count toward their GPA and toward their Honors awards.

    Students should consult with their departmental Honors advisors and/or the advising center in their schools or colleges for additional guidance about Pass/Fail courses. Students who are considering applying for medical or dental school should subscribe to the Pre-Med and Pre-Dental ListSERV and watch for updates on how Pass/Fail courses might affect their applications.

    Research

    Like almost every aspect of this pandemic, the suspension of research activities at UConn is truly unprecedented. We know that students and their faculty mentors are trying to determine how this affects them, and we are here to support you.

    The Office of Undergraduate Research has published an excellent information page for student researchers and their faculty mentors. This applies to all Honors research as well, and we are deeply appreciative of student and faculty flexibility.

    Remember that students may continue with any research activity that can be completed remotely, such as literature reviews, data analysis, and writing.

    Research being conducted for academic credit should be treated like any other course in the move to online instruction. Faculty and students should communicate regarding learning objectives, activities, and deliverables that may be achieved via remote instruction during the spring semester.

    This advice applies to student theses as well. We are asking thesis supervisors and Honors advisors to collaborate in this process to facilitate student thesis completion, even if the research project as originally conceived is no longer possible.

    Like summer classes, the status of summer undergraduate research has not yet been determined. We will communicate information about summer to you as soon as we are able.

    Thesis

    The advice for research (above) applies to student theses as well. We are asking thesis supervisors and Honors advisors to collaborate in this process to facilitate student thesis completion, even if the research project as originally conceived is no longer possible.

    New! The online thesis submission and approval process is available.

    At this time, all May 2020 thesis and graduation deadlines will remain the same:

    • Your thesis will be due through the online system by May 1.
    • As long as your thesis supervisor and Honors advisor both agree, there is a routine extension for thesis submission to May 15. You do not need to inform Honors for a routine extension.
    • If you need further extensions, email honors@uconn.edu.
    • Our final deadline for thesis submission is dependent on the Registrar’s deadline for degree audit, which the Registrar has tentatively set as June 10.

    Medals Ceremony

    A message from Dr. Lease Butts:

    Dear Honors Seniors,

    Words truly cannot express my sadness that our Honors Medals Ceremony will not take place this May.  Medals is the highlight of the academic year for me and an opportunity for the entire Honors Community to celebrate exceptional academic achievement and to be together as a community for our graduating students prior to Commencement.

    While we will not be together as we had planned, the Honors Program Office is working with several university offices to coordinate an event to be scheduled during fall 2020.  We will be together, and we will celebrate. We will just be patient and make sure we can share our joy with one another when it is safe to do so. We will communicate with you as plans develop and details come into sharper view. We are also making plans to celebrate as you electronically turn-in your theses, so stay tuned for our creative approaches to “ringing the bell” and listening to us clap and cheer as we applaud your efforts.

    A constant, in a landscape abundant with ambiguity, is how proud I am of you!  I speak for everyone at Honors when I say that we miss you more than you can imagine. Please stay in touch. Stay safe and healthy. Stay whelmed, as always. And stay the course, Seniors. We’ll always be here when you need us.