The Richard J. Daley Honors College

Benli M. Shechter, Ph.D.

Honors College Director; Associate Professor of Social and Political Science

The Richard J. Daley Honors CollegeThe mission of the Honors College at RJD College is to provide high quality educational opportunities for academically talented and motivated students through specialized instruction, leadership training, social & cultural events and civic engagement.

​Philosophy             


The philosophy of the Honors Program at Daley College is divided into four
parts: Specialized Instruction, Leadership Training, Social & Cultural
Events, and Civic Engagement.  
                     

Specialized Instruction                      

The Honors Program at Daley College strives to provide accomplished students with
the opportunity to engage in studies that are more intellectually challenging
than traditional sections of the same course offerings.  Honors courses
are not necessarily accelerated, but rather enriched around a specialized
topic, allowing students to commit more time to the intensive study of select
learning outcomes.  Honors learning outcomes are developed by committed
faculty with the requisite experience in the area of study. 
                     


Leadership Training 
                     


Within every student is leadership
potential. One leader is not like the next…nor should he or she be. Through
various opportunities, both on and off campus, students will learn more about
themselves, and learn to create their own personalized leadership philosophy. In
group settings, students will experiment with various aspects of leadership,
while gaining ethical perspectives on leadership knowledge, skills, and
aptitude. Students will learn to realize their leadership potential, and then,
put this ability into practice.  Our goal
is to unleash the leadership potential of all students, so that they may
clearly emerge as the leaders of tomorrow. 
                     

Social & Cultural Events                      


Living and working in a global economy
requires students to enhance their knowledge of and ability to work, live, and
interact well with others of diverse backgrounds.  With this in mind, students explore the
vastness of cultural diversity through meetings, events, community service,
research, and project-based learning. 
                     

Civic Engagement                      

Civic engagement is integral to Honors coursework at Daley College.  Using
a student-chosen theme, each Honors course will have a civic engagement
component that requires students to participate in a project-based assignment,
delivered as a global challenge, problem, or driving question by Honors College
faculty members. This challenge is relevant to specific course objectives and Honors
College student learning outcomes for each course.  In addition, students
are required to complete a minimum of four hours of civic engagement through
service learning per semester, where they learn to put the theory of engagement
into practice of service. Many opportunities for service learning are presented
to students throughout the academic year through the Honors College office and
through Honors courses. 
                     

Eligibility                      

In order to become an Honors College members, students must meet the following
criteria: 
                     

  • Complete an Application 
  • Earn a 3.0 or higher College GPA or

    3.0 or higher High School GPA on a 4.0 scale or 4.0
    High School GPA on a 5.0 scale 

  • Place in or be eligibility for English 101 and Math 118
    or higher or

    ACT score of 21 or higher 

  • Submit two letters of recommendation: one from faculty 
  • Complete an essay 
  • Interview with the Honors College Director 

Program Requirements                      

Honors students are not required to take a certain number of Honors courses
each semester.  Once accepted, Honors students can take as many or as few
Honors classes as they wish.  However, if students wish to earn Honors
College Certification Graduation status, students must do four things:
                     

a) Successfully complete a minimum
of 15 credit hours in Honors coursework prior to graduation;                      

b) Maintain a 3.0 Graduate GPA;                        


c) Complete a minimum of 15 hours of
Service Learning, and 
                     

d) Graduate with an Associate’s
Degree from Daley College.                      


Benefits        
                     

There are many benefits that you may
qualify for as a member of the Honors College: 
                     

  • Honors designation on academic transcript 
  • Enriched coursework 
  • Priority registration
    Smaller class sizes 
  • Transferable courses 
  • Scholarship opportunities 
  • Course fee waivers 
  • Personalized attention from Honors College professors 
  • Interaction with other highly motivated students 
  • Conference attendance 
  • Letters of recommendation 
  • Individualized Transfer Fairs 
  • Honors Certificate of Completion 
  • Specialized advising 
  • Guest lecturers 
  • Illinois college campus tours 
  • Travel 

Students who apply to the Honors College
at Daley College may also be members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society; however,
such membership is not required.   Neither does membership in one
program reciprocate to membership in the other.  The Honors College at Daley
collaborates with Phi Theta Kappa on various academic events and initiatives;
however, the two programs, although working out of the same office, operate
separately and one should not be confused with the other.    
                     

   

HONORS COLLEGE STUDENTS AT DALEY ARE DOING GREAT THINGS!                      

COME AND JOIN US!             

                    

   

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Faculty and Staff

Benli Shechter, Director: bshechter@ccc.edu

   

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Chapter Officers          


Chapter Advisor: Professor
Jeremy Basso
 & Christina Robinson​  

jbasso1@ccc.edu  

crobinson@ccc.edu