Faculty

Why Teach for UF Honors?

Honors instructors provide the medium through which members of our Honors community can exchange academic ideas and interests. Learn more about how teaching for Honors meets our Honors Pillars of Opportunity, Community, and Challenge:

• Opportunity:
  • Honors courses are all about student engagement
  • Classroom members get to develop and share their own ideas, discuss hot topics in an open and supportive exchange among peers and faculty, and create interesting and innovative projects
  • Honors courses are where students are guaranteed to learn from diverse perspectives, interact regularly with others, and think critically - not just about the course content, but about its greater meaning in the world around them

• Community:
  • Most Honors courses are limited to 15-25 students
  • Honors reimburses up to $100 for instructors to support class social activities
  • Honors students have access to a new Honors residential facility - Honors Village (partially opening in Fall 2023), a variety of Honors-specific student organizations, and large-scale events and activities all designed to promote and support community

• Challenge:
  • Honors students chart their personalized path to earn their Honors Medallion - "Choose Your Own Adventure"-style, and Honors courses count towards their completion requirements
  • Signature Seminars, independent study, and experiential opportunities provide significant depth to each student's academic journey
  • Top students who are rising to the challenge both in and out of the Honors classroom are encouraged to seek additional opportunities such as prestigious fellowships and awards

Types of Honors Courses:

Unless otherwise noted, contact Dr. Melissa Johnson for more information.

Learn about general attributes of Honors courses, best practices, and sample activities here

Other Opportunities for Faculty Engagement:

• Course Contract: Honors students can propose to turn any 3000+ level course into an Honors course via IDH 4903 with instructor permission. Contracts should enhance the quality of the learning experience vs. increase the quantity of work.

• UnCommon Peer Instructors: Applications are accepted each fall for upper-division Honors students interested in proposing and teaching an UnCommon Read or Arts course in conjunction with a faculty mentor. Students selected for this opportunity will complete a training course the semester prior to teaching, a mid-term self-assessment, and a final reflection after teaching the course. Contact: Dr. Kristy Spear

• Honors Study Abroad: Faculty interested in creating or converting an existing study abroad program into an Honors experience should work with the Honors Program to determine alignment with student interests and expectations from Honors. Contact: Regan Garner and Dr. Kristy Spear

• Internships and Special Projects: Have an experiential learning opportunity that would be ideal for Honors students? Discuss opportunities and ideas with the Honors Program. Contact: Dr. Kristy Spear

• Honors on Wednesday Advertisement: The Honors on Wednesday e-news is distributed to all Honors students during the fall and spring semesters and contains a variety of academic opportunities from across campus, locally, and inter/nationally. Research, internships, study abroad, academic lectures / workshops, and competitive academic opportunities are all welcome. Submit an announcement here.