Academic Policies for Honors College

The following academic policies govern student admission, retention, and graduation within the Honors College at Palm Beach State.

Admissions Policy:
1. Students wishing to be admitted to the Palm Beach State Honors College must complete an Honors College Application or be invited to join.
2. Students with less than nine (9) credit hours of college coursework must hold an unweighted 3.5 high school GPA and have college ready test scores or meet the following test scores for admissions:
  1. SAT combined score of 1170 (verbal and math)
  2. ACT average score of 24 (English, math, and reading)
  3. College Ready Pert Scores
    1. Students with at least nine (9) credit hours of college coursework must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or greater but no more than 42 college credits hours.
    2. Transcripts that are older than five (5) years will not be used to determine honors eligibility.
Provisional Honors Student:
A student who meets the honors college eligibility requirements and does not yet wish to enter the honors college may take honors course for a semester only as a provisional student with permission from the Honors College Manager. After the term ends, students who wish to continue will need to apply to the Honors College to be fully accepted.
Retention Policy: Grade point averages (GPA) are reviewed every semester. Academic standing in the Honors College will be determined based on the following criteria:
1. 3.4 and above = “In Good Standing”: To remain “in good standing,” an honors student must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.4.
  1. Students should note that the maintenance GPA is lower than the admission GPA. The reason for this is because the Honors College does not want to discourage students from taking challenging courses for fear that their GPAs will drop below 3.5. Risk-taking in intellectual ventures should be fostered.
  2. While maintenance GPA is 3.4, students should remember that the graduation GPA remains at 3.5. Any student whose GPA is below 3.5 will not be eligible for graduation in the Honors College.
2. 3.0 – 3.39 = “Not in Good Standing”: An honors student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.5 but is at least 3.39 will be retained in the program as an honors student “not in good standing” for a semester.
  1. Honors students will have one semester to raise their GPA to a current 3.4 and may be dismissed from the honors college.
  2. Honors students who are not in good standing will remain honors students and will be able to register early. However, students who are not in good standing cannot enter into honors contracts.
  3. Students who are not in good standing will not be eligible for Palm Beach State honors scholarships and will not be recommended for transfer scholarships.
  4. Honors students who are not in good standing may not represent Palm Beach State at honors conferences.
  5. An honors student who is not in good standing shall retain status as an honors student even if his/her cumulative GPA is below 3.5 so long as his/her term GPA is at least 3.5 for each subsequent semester at Palm Beach State.
  6. The loss of good standing in the Honors College is not intended as a punishment; it is a precautionary measure so that a student may focus attention on raising his/her GPA and returning to good standing in the program.
3. Below 3.3 = Academic Ineligibility: An honors student whose cumulative GPA falls and does not return to a 3.4 after a semester or falls below 3.0 will be academically ineligible to continue in the Honors College. Student will be notified via email of their dismissal. The student will be encouraged to reapply once his/her cumulative GPA is at least 3.5.
Graduation Policy: There are two tracks to Honors Graduation:
1. Honors Silver: Students who satisfy the following requirements will be eligible for the Honors Silver:
  1. Complete 12 credit hours honors work consisting of at least two (2) honors courses. No more than six (6) credit hours can be in honorized classes.
  2. Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5;
  3. Earn at least a “B” in each honors class or honorized class.
  4. Earn at least 20 points on the Honors Points System,
2. Honors Gold: Students who satisfy the following requirements will be eligible for the Honors Gold:
  1. Complete 21 total credit hours of honors work, of which
    1. Three (3) credit hours must be IDH2105, “Knowledge Through the Ages”;
    2. No more than six (6) credit hours can be in honors classes.
  2. Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5;
  3. Earn at least a “B” in each honors class or honorized class;
  4. Earn at least 40 points on the Honors Points System
3. Purpose /scope of tracks: The Honors Silver track provides flexibility for students who want the honors experience but who may not be able to complete the requirements of the Honors Gold track. The Honors Gold track is intended for students who want a more intense honors experience and is especially recommended for students who plan to transfer to an upper-division Honors College or Honors Program.

Documents:

All documents can be found in the Honors College Web page- www.palmbeachstate.edu/honors

Appeals: A student may appeal any decision concerning admission to, retention in, or graduation from the Honors College. Appeals must be in the form of a letter addressed to the Palm Beach State Honors Advisory Council; the letter should explicitly address any mitigating considerations. In addition, the student is encouraged to attach relevant documents supporting his/her case. Appeals should be filed with the Honors College Manager within 30 days of the initial decision. The Honors College Manager will arrange for the appeal to be heard by the Honors Advisory Council during the next regularly scheduled meeting. If necessary, an electronic voting system will be used to decide matters of appeal.