Featured – Page 27 – University Honors Program Blog

2016 Strasser Winners Announced!

March 7, 2016Competitions, Featured, General News

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Strasser Writing Prize competition! We have one first place winner, and two runners-up!

1st Place:

Steven Kelly
Sophomore
“Moderating Negative Responsibility”
Written for Prof. Ralkowski’s “The Death of God” Origins class

Runners Up:

Victoria Leoni
Freshman
“Plato’s Theory of Love: Flawed Regardless of Interpretation”
Written for Prof. Ralkowski’s “Wisdom” Origins class
Jarrod Carman
Sophomore
“Justice and Syrian Refugees: What’s the Right Thing To Do?”
Written for an Honors Internship contract course, supervised by Prof. Ralkowski
The first place winner will receive a $100 gift cards and the runners up will each receive $50 gift cards. Congratulations!

Honors Upperclass Housing Community

January 29, 2016Featured, General News

Living in Honors housing as a sophomore, junior, or senior is a great way to lock down your housing and roommates early, bask in the glow of other Honors students, secure a spot in a great residence hall, and avoid the potential hazards of living on a floor full of randos.
For the 2016-2017 academic year, we are pleased to offer a group of affinities, doubles, and quads on the fifth floor of District Hall! Please note that different residence halls have different prices, you can find a list for housing rates here. Only sign up for housing with the UHP if you actually intend to live there.
There are three types of rooms available: affinity doubles, studio doubles, and two bedroom quads. Affinity doubles are groups of 16-20 doubles with shared kitchens, common spaces, and bathrooms. Studio doubles are efficiency-style with a kitchen and bathroom. Two bedroom quads are two doubles with a shared kitchen, common space, and bathroom.
Please note, the upperclass Honors housing community is an established Academic Residential Community (ARC). You do not need to apply for Affinity Housing to live in this community.
Applying for the Honors housing community requires 4 steps:

Fill out the upperclass Honors Housing application by Monday, February 8.
Through this Google Doc, you can request desired roommates. All roommates must be members of the Honors Program, and each roommate must fill this form out separately – no one can be signed up by proxy. UHPers can also sign up for housing individually and then be placed in a quad with other students that applied individually or in groups smaller than four. Room type preference can be requested, but is not guaranteed.
Confirm roommate assignment via email.
Applicants will be contacted by an Honors Program Officer by email to confirm roommate assignment.
Receive email from GW Housing.
GW Housing will reach out to you with instructions to complete the housing lottery, the date you will be able to sign up, and your RMS number for the application.
Complete the general housing application.
Once you have received your email from GW Housing, access GW Housing e-Services to complete the self check-in process.

Apply to Be a Peer Advisor!

December 15, 2015Extracurricular Opportunity, Featured, General News, Student Peer Advisors

Honors Peer Advisors are an integral part of UHP advising, providing mentorship to new Honors students and providing a student perspective for the Honors community at large. They advise on honors experiences, classes, housing, and all the facets of life at GW as a Honors student.
Are you interested in applying to be an Honors Peer Advisor? Applications are now open!

Apply here if you’re applying as a new Honors Peer Advisors
Apply here if you’re applying as a returning Honors Peer Advisors
Apply here if you’re interested in a leadership position with the Honors Peer Advisors. Please note that leadership candidates should also fill out a regular application.

The application deadline is Friday, January 15. Please contact uhppeers@gwu.edu with questions regarding the application.

Apply to the UHP!

December 8, 2015Featured, General News

Freshmen in their second semester at GW are invited to apply to join the Honors Program. The deadline is January 15, 2016.

Students accepted will enter the program their sophomore year and jump-start with a specially designed course in fall 2016. If you’d like to be part of the University Honors Program, please apply!
If you’re already in the UHP — we know you’ve got friends that would be perfect for the UHP, so encourage them to apply!
More details below; find the application here.

Please come to an info session!
We’ll be holding information sessions for interested students to ask questions and hear from Honors advisors and current students! Join us on

Thursday, December 10 at 4pm
Tuesday, January 12 at 5pm
Wednesday, January 13 at 4pm

All sessions will be held in the Honors Program office at 714 21st Street NW, walk up the steps at the brick townhouse between Hall of Government and Lisner Auditorium.
When/where/how to apply?
Applications are available online. Complete it and return it to the UHP Office at 714 21st Street NW by 5pm on January 15, 2016.
What are the requirements to apply?
The specific application materials are described in the application. Second-semester freshmen with strong GPAs should apply — the UHP requires its students to maintain GPAs high enough so that it’s mathematically possible to graduate with a 3.4. Please note that student schedules must allow for the student to take HONR 2016 Enlightenment East & West in fall 2016.
When are decisions announced?
We’ll notify applicants this semester, before registration in March.

Finals Study Hours in the Townhouse!

December 8, 2015Events, Featured, General News1 Comment

FINALS ARE COMING.

finals
Need a place to study? Come by the Townhouse for extended study hours in the Club Room! We’ll have snacks and coffee (aka “the essentials”) and an overall studying environment that can’t be beat!
Check out the full schedule below:
Thursday, 12/10: 5-10 PM
Friday, 12/11: 9 AM-12 PM, 5-10 PM
Saturday, 12/12: 12-10 PM
Sunday, 12/13: 12-8 PM
Monday, 12/14: 9 AM-10 PM
Tuesday, 12/15: 9 AM-10 PM
Wednesday, 12/16: 9 AM-10 PM
Thursday, 12/17: 9 AM-10 PM

Student-Faculty Dinner Tickets on Sale Now!

November 23, 2015Events, Featured, General News

Join us on Wednesday, December 9 for an all you care-to-eat Chinese buffet at Chalin’s Restaurant (1912 Eye St. NW) from 5-7 PM.

Let’s all take a moment to acknowledge that the Student-Faculty Dinner is the closest thing the UHP has to a premiere social event of the season. It’s the place to see and be seen.
Make sure to purchase your $5 ticket from one of the UHP offices! You MUST purchase a ticket to attend this event!

Spring 2016 Registration Guide #Official #Verified

October 26, 2015Featured, General News

This is not a drill, people. Spring 2016 registration is upon us! But before you can register for next semester’s classes, you have some housekeeping to do. Find out how to get your holds removed and where to find the best courses for you next semester.
Registration Schedule
*** Tuesday, November 10: Freshmen & sophomores (Privileged Registration)

November 11	Wednesday	90 or more hours (credits) earned
November 12	Thursday	70 or more hours (credits) earned
November 13	Friday	50 or more hours (credits) earned
November 16	Monday	30 or more hours (credits) earned
November 17	Tuesday	0 or more hours (credits) earned

Registration is open from 7AM-10PM.
Upperclassmen, if you’re not sure when you register, you can check your earned credit hours in GWeb using the following path: Student Records & Registration Menu > Student Records Information Menu > Transcripts > View Unofficial Transcripts. Make sure you’re looking at overall hours earned for the accurate total!
Urgent Hold Information
Check your record via GWeb regarding holds prior to your scheduled registration time. Any hold on your account will prevent access to registration. You can view any holds on your account by looking at: Student Records & Registration Menu > Student Records Information Menu > View Administrative Holds.
Make sure to check now and again in the days lead up to registration. Check early, and check often! BADLY TIMED HOLDS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU:
*Please note: Sophomores in the Columbian College can meet with an Honors program advisor to have their holds lifted. Freshmen must meet with their POD advisors.*
Spring Registration Advising
All honors students are encouraged to see a Honors Program Officer before registration. Make sure you are prepared with a tentative course schedule using the Spring 2016 Schedule of Classes and Honors course descriptions. As new course information and revisions become available we will update the website. Please re-check the information on the Schedule of Classes and the Honors site before you register to ensure that you’re up-to-date!
Please use our wide selection of dates to your advantage – plan on meeting with an advisor at a time that is most practical given your registration date. Students may discuss registration (and remove an advising hold, if applicable) by one of the following options:

Attend an advising party:
Monday, November 2nd from 4 to 6 p.m. – pizza in the Club Room on Foggy Bottom!
Tuesday,November 3rd from 1 to 3 p.m. – pizza in the Club Room on Foggy Bottom!
Friday, November 6th from 12 to 2 p.m. – pizza in the Club Room on Foggy Bottom!
Make an appointment with an advisor online at http://honorsprogram.gwu.edu/make-appointment

October Small Group Meetings

October 12, 2015Events, Featured, General News

Freshmen, you all did an AMAZING job on four year plans. Congratulations! Now that that’s a wrap, it’s time to move on to the next advising beast: SPRING REGISTRATION! At October Small Group Meetings, we’ll answer burning questions such as:

What is spring registration going to be like?
How do I get rid of this registration hold on my account?
Should I stay with my current Origins/Science faculty member or switch things up?
Are college students still allowed to trick-or-treat?
[Insert your non-personal, generalizable question about basically anything here]

Please RSVP for a small group meeting here. Small group meetings are first-come, first-served and they’re small (duh), so don’t procrastinate! We’ll be holding meetings in the club room on Foggy on:

Monday, 10/19	4PM
Wednesday, 10/21	4PM
Thursday, 10/22	3PM
Friday, 10/23	10AM
Friday, 10/23	11AM
Friday, 10/23	12PM
Friday, 10/23	2PM
Friday, 10/23	3PM

So SIGN UP NOW and we’ll see you next week! If the only meeting you can attend is full, please contact the UHP front office or email uhp@gwu.edu. If you cannot attend any of the meeting times, please schedule a one-on-one appointment with Catherine or Mary here.

Join the UHP Program Board!

October 9, 2015Extracurricular Opportunity, Featured, General News

Program Board members are also required to rock this haircut. — Program Board members are also required to rock this haircut and carry a broom at all times. On Wednesdays they wear pink.

Do you love attending UHP events and want to get more involved? Do you think our social programming is stale and boring? Either way, consider joining the UHP Program Board!
We’re looking for motivated freshmen, sophomores, and juniors with fresh ideas to help plan and execute exciting new events (and some old favorites). The Program Board meets weekly, and is currently planning the annual pumpkin carving as well as a brand new winter event that’s going to be a banger.

This is a paid position. Interested applicants should contact Eydie Constantino at eydie@gwu.edu.

UHP Community Hike with Professor Ralkowski

September 15, 2015Events, Featured, General News

Last spring's hike! — Last spring’s hike!

The weather is becoming more bearable each day, and to celebrate, we’ll be hosting on our annual community hike with Professor Ralkowski!
The Honors hike will take place on September 26th from 9am to 4pm, and it’s a great opportunity to get out of the bustling city and enjoy some fresh air with other UHP kids and faculty! The cost to participate is $5, which includes the bus trip to Harper’s Ferry as well as a delicious lunch provided by GW Deli.
You can sign up to attend here, and don’t forget to tell your friends! Drop off your $5 at the UHP townhouse before Friday, Sept. 25th after you’ve signed up online.