Elements of Honors

Scholarly Advancement is the journey from a consumer of knowledge to a producer of knowledge. It involves gaining increasingly focused research and/or creative skills related to an academic subject and joining its scholarly discourse. Honors students purposefully and thoughtfully develop into scholars.

Cultural Enrichment is exposure to and exploration of distinct perspectives in different peoples and cultures. Thoughtful, respectful, and reflective intercultural activities broaden your own perspective and make you a more informed global citizen. Honors students demonstrate a record of purposeful and increasingly impactful intercultural activities that influence their outlook and actions in the world.

Community Engagement goes well beyond accumulating Service Learning hours. Honors students purposefully and thoughtfully become positive "agents of change" in a community, either at FGCU, or beyond the campus, or both. Honors students move beyond simple membership in a community to being an active citizen within it for the betterment of others. Honors students listen to and collaborate with community partners as they learn, grow, and develop sustainable solutions together. 

Leadership is the act of creating opportunities for others while moving strategically toward common goals. Leadership requires vision, creativity, patience, and collaboration. Honors students purposefully and thoughtfully develop into effective leaders during their FGCU career.

The culmination of all of the other elements, the ultimate goal of an Honors education is personal transformation — intellectually, culturally and socially. Honors curricula and related activities are designed to offer students increased success, opportunities and resources so that they grow and develop throughout their entire university experience.