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Honors College Experiential Learning

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Honors College

P.O. Box 8130
Statesboro, GA 30460

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Students who joined the Honors College prior to fall 2024 and/or who chose to remain on the old requirements will find their experiential learning requirements explained in the section at the bottom of this page. Students who joined the Honors College starting in fall 2024 or who chose the new requirements should scroll down to the section titled “Overview of the Experiential Learning Requirements – New Fall 2024” below.

Overview of the Experiential Learning Requirements (New – Fall 2024)

One of the ways the honors experience differs from the traditional university experience is through the honors experiential learning component. This requirement is designed to help students develop in certain competencies: Community Engagement, Leadership, Service, and Professional Development. These are among the areas of skills that employers are looking for in new hires, and this requirement will better prepare honors students for their next steps after Georgia Southern.

Experiential Learning Requirements

All students, regardless of when they are admitted, must complete at least one activity in each of the following four categories. If students join as transfer students or current students, they can count previous collegiate experience except for the Community Engagement category.

Please see the competencies and their corresponding activities below. Activities only count in the category in which they are listed and may not be double counted for two categories. As growth is best achieved over time with consistency, opportunities for completing this requirement are subject to a timeline in which a student can complete the activity. 

Leadership, Service, and Professional Development activities will need to be reported through the Experiential Learning Report once the activity is completed. The Experiential Learning Report can be found here. These activities can only be tracked via this form, as we will not accept reports for completion of this requirement via other forms, email, or Eagle Engage.

Community Engagement 

All newly admitted students to the Honors College will attend 10 campus events during their first two semesters (fall and spring only). Only events that are listed in Eagle Engage will count, and you must have your attendance recorded in Eagle Engage for the event to count toward your total of 10 for the year. It is up to the student to make sure their attendance is recorded at the event. The instructions to verify your attendance was recorded can be found here.

View this video tutorial on how to find events to attend through Eagle Engage.

Completion of the Community Engagement Experiential Learning Requirement will be tracked via Eagle Engage without the need for students to submit their record of attendance to the Honors College.

Leadership 

  • Leader in an official Georgia Southern organization (two semesters) 
  • Leadership in a recognized community organization (two semesters)
  • Resident Assistant (two semesters)
  • Manager or Assistant Manager role at work (at least 10 hours per week over one semester)
  • Peer Leader (one semester)
  • Teaching Assistant, Learning Assistant, Supplemental Instructor, etc. (one semester)
  • Tutor (25 hours within one semester)
  • Peer Mentor (one semester)
  • Honors Ambassador (25 hours over two semesters)
  • Southern Ambassador (two semesters)
  • International Ambassador (two semesters)
  • Southern Leaders (two semesters)
  • SOAR Leader (one summer)
  • Student Media (two semesters)
  • ROTC, or other military service (equivalent of two semesters)
  • Earn the Leadership Certificate*
  • Earn the Sustainable Leadership Certificate*

*Certificates are offered through the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement (OLCE). Students must complete all steps (all the badges) of the process to earn the certificate, and the OLCE is the office that determines whether the student has earned the certificate or not.

Service 

  • Volunteer in a direct service role (at least 25 hours with one organization within one year)**
  • Volunteer with Serve912 (at least 25 hours within one year)**
  • The Honors Alternative Break Trip
  • Alternative Break Trips organized by the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement (one week-long trip or two weekend trips)**
  • Earn the Service Certificate*

*Certificates are offered through the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement (OLCE). Students must complete all steps (all the badges) of the process to earn the certificate, and the OLCE is the office that determines whether the student has earned the certificate or not.

**Volunteering is subject to the Service Hour Guidelines set by the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement. Adherence to these guidelines is the responsibility of the student, and volunteer activities that fall under “Examples of Volunteering which cannot be logged as Community Service” will not count for this Honors College Requirement.

Professional Development

  • Study Abroad, Georgia Southern sanctioned international trips  
  • Internship, registered (for at least 150 hours over one semester)
  • Co-op, registered (for at least 150 hours over one semester)
  • Clinical Experience (over at least one semester)
  • Student Teaching (over at least one semester)
  • Clinical/Medical Shadowing (at least 25 hours within one semester)
  • Employment (at least 10 hours per week over one semester)
  • Present at a state, regional, national, or international conference

Summary of Steps

  • Students will choose an activity and arrange for the experience.
  • Leadership, Service, and Professional Development activities will need to be reported through the Experiential Learning Report once the activity is completed.
  • Students are encouraged to complete all Experiential Learning activities at least a semester prior to graduation.
  • Students graduating in spring and summer must complete the Report for Leadership, Service, and Professional Development activities that have not already been submitted by April 30.
  • Students graduating in fall must complete the Report for Leadership, Service, and Professional Development activities that have not already been submitted by November 30.

Student Accessibility Resource Center Statement

Georgia Southern University is committed to ensuring accessibility in all services. The Student Accessibility Resource Center (SARC) partners with students, faculty, and staff to facilitate disability access essential to advancing an inclusive campus experience.   Students with disabilities who anticipate or experience barriers with Honors College requirements may contact the Student Accessibility Resource Center (SARC) for assistance in determining and implementing reasonable accommodations. Our contact information is on our webpage: https://students.georgiasouthern.edu/sarc/

For Students on the Old Requirements

Students on the old requirements must complete one experiential learning activity for each year they are in the Honors College. They may choose an activity from any of the categories listed below. Deadlines for completion are the last day of fall classes for fall graduates and April 30 for everyone else. Summer activities count for the following academic year. Students will report via a form sent to them (do not use the form linked above).

This section includes activities in the classroom or the research environment that are beyond being a typical student. Academic activities that fulfill the experiential learning requirement include:

  • Study Abroad: All study abroad trips and exchange programs developed and led through the Office of Global Engagement.
  • Undergraduate Research Projects (Outside the parameters of the Honors Thesis): Independent research mentored by a faculty member, research assistant positions, and opportunities like National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates. Please note that for student-initiated research projects to count for the experiential learning requirement, they must follow at least three criteria: 1) the research cannot be a class assignment, 2) the research cannot be work for the thesis and 3) the research must be mentored by a faculty member.
  • Peer Leaders: Students may apply to be a Peer Leader through the The Office of First- and Second-Year Programs.  If selected, completion of a semester as a peer leader will fulfill the yearly requirement.
  • Peer Tutors: See the Academic Success Center for more details.
  • Undergraduate Student Teaching Assistantships and Supplemental Instructors: Teaching assistantships and supplemental instructor positions are available for academically strong and talented students in certain departments. See your department for these opportunities.
  • Internships, Co-ops, Student Teaching, Clinical Hours in Nursing and Health Sciences: Internships and co-ops must be for academic credit through the student’s academic major or minor OR registered through the Office of Career and Professional Development.

These options involve direct service with community organizations, alternative break trips, and service-learning experiences. The Office of Leadership & Community Engagement (OLCE) offers opportunities in these categories, and the Honors College also sponsors an alternative break trip. The majority of honors students beyond the first year complete a service-learning or volunteer project to fulfill the requirement. Many students also participate on an alternative break trip or participate in other pre-approved service-learning/volunteer projects. (Holding a leadership position for a student organization is not volunteering. Please use the leadership option for those projects.)

  • Volunteering: Serve912 offers lots of weekly volunteer trips to local organizations, but you are free to make your own arrangements as well. Keep in mind that the emphasis for this activity is on direct service. Please note that at least 25 service hours with your chosen organization are required if you wish to use volunteering to fulfill your experiential learning requirement.
  • Service-Learning: Service-learning at Georgia Southern University is a course based, credit bearing organized service activity that enables students to apply academic knowledge and critical thinking skills to address community priorities. Be sure to check out the list of service-learning courses at Georgia Southern as well as further information on service-learning at the university.
  • Alternative Break Trips: Many students participate on weeklong alternative break trips over Thanksgiving, Winter Break, or Spring Break. Participation in these trips–whether sponsored by the Honors College or the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement–counts for the requirement. Weekend trips will also count, but we ask that you participate in enough trips to total 25 hours for the year. To achieve 25 hours of weekend trip might take two or three trips. Alternative Break Trips sponsored by OCLE may be found here. If you are interested in an Honors College-sponsored alternative break trip, please visit our alternative break trips page.

Students who take on a significant leadership role in an officially recognized student organization may use that experience to satisfy the requirement.  Please note that students who select this option must hold the position for at least one semester during the academic year.