Admission

Continuance

Recognition

Honors Experiences

Honors Credit Learning Agreement (HCLA)

Self-Nomination Form

Fall 2009 James Scholars in FAA

Admission
Entering freshmen who meet the criteria for James Scholar status will be invited by letter to participate as James Scholar Designees.

• Any student who has not received an invitation to apply may self-nominate after the completion of one semester of study at the University of Illinois. Admission requires a 3.50 cumulative GPA. Download the Self-Nomination form or obtain a copy in the FAA College Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, 110 Architecture building.
• Students may not self-nominate after their junior year.
• Nomination forms are available in the FAA College Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, 110 Architecture building, and must be returned to the office prior to the 4th week of the semester.

Continuance
Students must meet multiple requirements to maintain their status in the James Scholar Honors Program. Each academic semester (fall and spring) the student must:

• Maintain at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA. (James Scholar Designees must earn a 3.25 GPA during their first semester in residence. Thereafter they must meet program GPA requirements.)
• Complete at least 14 hours of coursework.
• Complete an honors experience each semester while in residence. Students enrolled in off campus programs (e.g., study abroad, student teaching, and off-campus internships) are exempt from the honors experience requirement.

Courses cannot be retroactively changed.

Students who fail to meet the above criteria will lose their James Scholar status. They may not re-apply until one academic semester has passed. Students re-apply using the Self-Nomination Form.

Recognition
Successful performance in the James Scholar Honors Program for one academic year is recorded on the student's official University transcript as "Edmund J. James Scholar (academic year 20--.)"

Students entering the FAA James Scholar Honors program in or prior to the fall 2008 semester who successfully complete a minimum of six semesters in the FAA James Scholar Honors Program (four semesters for transfer students) will receive recognition at graduation.

Students entering the FAA James Scholar Honors program after fall 2008 who successfully complete a mimimum of six semesters in the program and complete one of the designated service learning/engagement courses (see below) for a minimum of one semester will receive recognition at graduation. 

Honors Experiences
There are several ways students may fulfill the requirement for an honors experience each semester.

• Completion of an Honors Credit Learning Agreement (HCLA). 
• Completion of a designated James Scholar Honors course or section of a course.
• Completion of one of the following service learning/engagement courses: ARTE 260 (Museums in Action), ARTE 290 (Art and Civil Society), FAA 391 (Action Research Seminar), or MUS 199, section SCH.
• Completion of an honors course offered through the Campus Honors Program (CHP). James Scholars who are not also members of the CHP must contact CHP to request permission to enroll in these courses.
• Completion of an i-program through the Illinois Leadership Center may be substituted for enrollment in an honors course for one semester. Students must bring the completion certificate to the FAA Undergraduate Academic Affairs office the same semester the program is completed in order to receive honors credit.  

The information on this page was last updated 11 August 2009.