Criteria for Admission

Any Stark State College (SSC) or College Credit Plus (CCP) student who wishes to be considered for first time admission into the SSC Honors Program must meet one the following admission criteria:

• High School (H.S.) graduate with cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or above*
• ACT score of 25 or above or SAT score in 80th percentile or above*
• Successful completion of 12 credit hours of college-level coursework (Stark State or transfer credit) with a cumulative college GPA 3.5 or above*
• Currently enrolled CCP student with 3.5 cumulative high school GPA

*Graduation date, test completion date or course completion must be within the past 5 years

The admission of students to Honors Program, however, does not guarantee admission to any majors, minors, or fields of concentration at the SSC. Graduating H.S. students may apply to the Honors Program during the SSC admission process pending graduation and/or test scores.

Criteria for Acceptance of Transfer Honors Courses

Honors courses from other colleges or universities can be transferred to SSC and will be accepted as fulfilling requirements for the SSC Honors Program provided that they meet the SSC Honors Program criteria.  A maximum of two Honors courses transferable to SSC with a grade B or better will be accepted as Honors credit.

Academic Requirements

Failure to meet the following requirements may result in dismissal from the SSC Honors Program.

Criteria for Retention

• Minimum six (6) credit hours or two courses per academic year (fall and spring)
• Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 once admitted into the program
• Students who fall below 3.25 cumulative GPA will be required to meet with their honors advisor and will be granted two semesters to bring GPA back to 3.25
  • First semester: reach minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
  • Second semester: reach minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA
• Students should meet with their assigned Honors Program advisor prior to enrolling for each semester.
• Students must sign an Honors Contract (also signed by the instructor) that specifies Honors course requirements for each Honors class.
• Students must receive no less than a B to earn Honors credit for any Honors course. Honors credit will be posted to the student’s record and will appear on the student’s transcript.
• Recommendation: completion of at least one (not necessarily honors) summer course each academic year.

The Honors Experience

In addition to honors coursework, honors students will be required to complete the following in fulfillment of The Honors Experience, as outlined below:

• join and contribute to a student organization, service or cultural activity at SSC or in the community
• attend and present at an annual SSC Student Symposium or any other experience as approved by HPOC. Students can present
• an Honors course project
• an independent study or capstone project
• an internship project
• a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) project.

Note that presenting at other technical or non-technical meetings, conferences, symposiums, workshops, or local chapter meetings may also count towards this requirement.

Graduation with Honors

Stark State College honors students will be required to complete successfully a minimum of 4 honors courses (12 credit hours) in order to qualify for graduation with honors (see Section 3). Honors Scholars are recognized in the following ways:

• Honors Scholar designation on diploma
• Notation on official transcript of Honors credit earned for each course
• Honors medal presentation ceremony
• Honors medal worn at the Commencement

Taking Honors Courses as a Non-Honors Program Student

Non-honors program students who want an opportunity to earn the Honors Program course credit are encouraged to do so. Honors courses emphasize a breadth and depth of academic experience designed to enrich the students who participate in them. Students who wish to take honors courses, but who are not enrolled in the honors program, must have an overall GPA of 3.0 as a Stark State College student, and permission from the instructor of the course. S/he must also fill out an application form (either online or available in hard copy from the office of the Dean of Student Success).

The application is subject to approval by the Honors Program Oversight Committee (HPOC) and/or the Dean of Learning and Engagement. The HPOC and the Dean of Learning and Engagement reserve the right to approve or decline applicants according to materials provided.

If a student decides to take an honors course, within the first two weeks of the semester s/he must obtain the permission of the instructor and complete the application form online. In addition, the instructor must inform the HPOC and the Dean of Learning and Engagement, and complete the Honors Course Contract by the deadline posted. Both student and instructor must agree to the terms of the honors contact by virtue of their signatures. Non-honors program students who take honors courses are allowed to take a maximum of two honors courses without being enrolled in the Honors Program.

Student Code of Conduct & Academic Honesty and Integrity

Violation of any SSC policy may result in dismissal from the Honors Program. Students must maintain the College’s code of conduct and academic honesty standards (See Policy No.: 3357:15-13-26 and 3357:15-19-10).  Students who wish to appeal their final grade must follow Policy No.: 3357:15-13-27.