Honors College Distinction

Program Coordinator/Contact

Hanna Holmquist, Advisor/Coordinator of Student Services
Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College
Honors Hall 119, SHON Box 2705A
605-688-5186

Program Information

The Mission of Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College at South Dakota State University is to provide talented, motivated students with a personalized, engaging, distinctive academic and enrichment experience that will position them for success as lifelong learners and leaders. 

Program Admission and Requirements

Prospective first-time undergraduate students are automatically eligible to take Honors College courses if they have earned a 27+ on their ACT, a 1280 or higher SAT score, or earned a cumulative high school GPA of 3.7 or higher. Current SDSU or transfer students would be automatically eligible to join the Honors College with a 3.2 or higher college GPA. Incoming and current students who do not meet automatic eligibility criteria but wish to be part of the Honors College can apply for admission through the Honors College website.

When a student decides to pursue graduation with Honors College distinction, they submit an Honors College Continuing Enrollment Form and sign the Honors College Student Ethic. At this point, students are officially enrolled as Honors College students, the Honors advisor is added as an advisor to their program, and their coursework is audited each semester to ensure progress toward requirements for graduation with Honors College distinction and eligibility for priority registration. Students complete 24 credits of Honors coursework integrated into their academic requirements and must earn a 3.5 cumulative grade point average upon graduation. Students must receive a grade of C or better in a course in order for a course to count toward the student’s Honors graduation requirements. 

Students enrolled in SDSU’s Honors College are granted priority registration if they are meeting the established Honors progression standards. This privilege is provided to allow students to meet the academic requirements of their major while also fulfilling unique scheduling demands associated with graduating with Honors College distinction. Priority registration is intended only for students who are committed to pursuing graduation with Honors College distinction.

Each semester, the Honors College office will conduct an audit of students’ academic progress to determine eligibility for priority registration. Students intending to graduate with Honors College distinction who do not meet the progression standards will not be granted priority registration for that term. However, they are still part of the Honors College and are encouraged to work toward these standards to earn priority registration in future semesters. 

Eligibility for priority registration will be based on the following progression standards:

1. Students must have an Honors Continued Enrollment Form on file in order to be eligible for priority registration.
2. Honors credit and GPA requirements are as follows:

*Current Semester refers only to fall and spring semesters. Summers are excluded.

Students are in good standing if they are meeting the Honors College progression standards. Students who fail to meet progression standards for two consecutive semesters will no longer be in good standing within the Honors College. These students will be required to meet with the Honors advisor during the semester they lose good standing and demonstrate progress toward meeting the Honors progression standards. If students fail to complete these steps, their enrollment in the Honors College will be ended. Students who are unenrolled from the Honors College voluntarily or because of the good standing policy are always welcome to reapply in the future if they are meeting the eligibility criteria or through the application process.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates from the Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College will demonstrate excellence in the following student learning outcomes:

1. Effectively communicate ideas and beliefs with clarity, civility, and respect.
2. Analyze and integrate multiple sources of information and demonstrate applications of critical thinking.
3. Articulate personal values, beliefs, and self-identity.
4. Articulate the value of diversity, inclusion, and equity.
5. Demonstrate professionalism in a variety of contexts.

Affiliation

The Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College is a member of the Upper Midwest Regional Honors Council and the National Collegiate Honors Council.

Course Delivery Format

Honors courses are characterized by high levels of student engagement, faculty/student interaction, communication, critical thinking, and multi-disciplinary perspectives. Most courses are taught face-to-face on the Brookings campus in lecture/discussion/seminar formats. Many Honors courses also include hands-on laboratory, service, travel, and experiential components.