Pathways to Honors: Exploration of Excellence/Leadership/Service

First-year Honors students must take Pathways to Honors. In the first semester, students are introduced to the Honors Program and to the Excellence in Leadership and Service (EXCELS) program. EXCELS is designed to develop leadership skills and a commitment to community service among Honors Program students. The focus is on active learning through outside-the-classroom experiences, such as community outreach and the Honors Symposia series. In the second semester, students explore the philosophical underpinnings of the Honors Program — “Challenging Mindsets” — and students continue their pursuit of experiential learning and their development of leadership skills. Students earn 1 credit hour for the successful completion of each course. These are graded courses.