Lynchburg College: School of Health Sciences and Human Performance Honors

Essential Functions - Grade Appeals Policy - School of Health Sciences and Human Performance Honors

A graduate may earn Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors in the major by either:

Satisfactory completion of a research or creative project and an oral defense before a faculty committees of at least three members

OR
Satisfactory completion of a comprehensive written and oral examination in the major area judged by a faculty of at least three members.

Eligibility

3.5 QPA in all major courses (Lynchburg College and transfer credits).
3.0 QPA in all courses (Lynchburg College and transfer credits) for the baccalaureate degree.
These GPAs must be achieved at the end of the semester preceding the final semester of matriculation. A student eligible to compete for Major Program Honors should apply to the particular school dean no later than October 30 (for January graduates) and February 15 (for May and August graduates). Application forms are available from school deans.

School of Health Sciences and Human Performance Honors

The LC School of HSHP recognizes the written paper as the appropriate Honors project for our school. The
written paper helps prepare students for graduate study and is viewed as more helpful to students. Students must submit a proposal that includes:

Project plan – abstract to include Purpose, Subjects, Methods, Expected Results, Conclusions, Recommendations.

Identification of the intended audience (e.g. LC students, National student group, Profession)

Type of project (Review of Lit, Case Study, Original Research)

Dissemination of information (Committee Only, Submission of Non Reviewed publication, Submission to a professional journal). The student will then follow the appropriate manuscript guidelines.

Students are encouraged to have a broader goal than completion of an LC Honors project. For example, an Athletic Training Student could design her/his project so that it could be submitted to the Journal of Athletic Training Student Writing Contest; a nursing student could design her/his project for submission to the journal published by the National Student Nurses Association. Students will decide which honors designation they wish to pursue based on the criteria listed below.

Committee

The student’s honors project will be evaluated by a committee of three Lynchburg College faculty. The committee chair will come from the student’s discipline.A second member will come from the school of HSHP. A third at-large faculty member may come from any LC faculty. Students are responsible for procuring committee members.

Honors Awards Criteria

Factor	Honors	High Honors	Highest Honors
“Excellent” scores on the evaluation paradigm	50% (n=22)	65% (n=28)	80% (n=34)
“Not Good Enough” scores on the evaluation paradigm	5-10	3-5	0-2
Intended Audience	LC Students	National Group of Students	Professionals
Type of Project	Lit Review	Case Study	Original Research
Dissemination of Information	Report only	Report & Non-reviewed Journal*	Reviewed Journal**

*Examples of Nonreviewed Journals

Training and Conditioning; Strength and Conditioning; The Physician and Sports Medicine, Athletic Therapy Today, Nursing '01

**Examples of Reviewed Journals

Journal of Athletic Training; Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research; Physical Therapy, Nursing Research, American Journal of Nursing, Journal of Nursing Scholarship, American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing

Evaluation Form for Honors Projects
(Adapted from Westover Honors Program)

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES TO BE DEMONSTRATED	Not Good Enough	Good Enough	Excellent
A. DISCIPLINARY MASTERY
1. Uses terminology correctly
2. Uses scholarly resources of the discipline
3. Uses tools, methods and models appropriately
4. Shows understanding of the needs of the profession
B. CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING
FRAMING THE QUESTION
5. Uses theory to guide inquiry
6. Formulates a clear statement of the thesis or the question to be answered
7. Formulates hypotheses and constructs arguments
8. Identifies criteria for judging alternative conclusions
LITERATURE REVIEW
9. Identifies/summarizes the salient arguments, pro and con
10. Evaluates the soundness of arguments, reasons and claims
11. Recognizes underlying assumptions
12. Recognizes fallacies in reasoning
13. Recognizes individual and cultural biases
14. Distinguishes between claims of fact and opinion
15. Judges credibility of sources
16. Makes use of primary source materials
17. Presents review of literature in a well organized manner
TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS: DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
18. Uses appropriate research design (explains and justifies methodology)
19. Gathers data needed to test hypothesis/answer question
20. Correctly analyzes and interprets data/information
21. Identifies alternative explanations supported by data
JUDGMENT
22.Thoughtfully analyzes & evaluates explanations
23. Objectively follows where evidence and reason lead
24. Uses reasoning and evidence to reach conclusions
25. Supports conclusions with clear and cogent arguments
26. Objectively evaluates strengths and weaknesses of own arguments
27. Identifies values judgments implicit in conclusion
28. Considers ethical implications of conclusion (moral reflection)
CREATIVITY
29. Integrates different perspectives/opinions
30. Research demonstrates originality of thought or approach
31. Examines contrasting uses of organizing concepts
32. Uses methods not traditional to discipline
33. Assembles pieces to form a coherent whole (synthesis)
34. Brings together disparate elements to create new patterns
C. COMMUNICATION
WRITTEN
35. Free of spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors
36. Clarity of presentation: smooth, easy to read
37. Organization: logical sequence, arguments tied together
38. Accessible to non-specialists
39. Follows appropriate format
ORAL (formal presentation required at defense)
40. Responds to questions authoritatively
41. Explains technical issues to non-specialists
42. Communicates clearly; orderly presentation
43. Good use of visual aids, blackboard, presentation software, etc.

Approved by HSHP faculty 4/23/01.