The purpose of compiling the portfolio is two-fold: first, it encourages students to preserve their best work; second, it supplies material for non-graded, qualitative assessment student growth by the students themselves and by Honors Program staff.
Half of the material preserved in the portfolio will be self-selected by the students. These entries include one writing task from each seminar, Service Learning entries, and up to four special optional choices students may wish to include. These may include course work, pieces written from campus publications, musical compositions, and so on.
The specified pieces include two impromptu essays (one written at the beginning of the first year, one written the beginning of the junior year), the Senior Honors Project (both written and videotaped forms), the senior reflective essay (in which students discuss their growth using the portfolio contents as source material), and a copy of the Four-Year Plan.
Just as students choose what goes into their portfolios, the material in the portfolios belongs to the students. The Honors Program staff request permission to copy materials for longitudinal studies before students graduate.
Portfolio Contents Checklist
- Impromptu Essay I (First Year)
- Photocopy of Four-Year Plan
- Scholar Written Assignment
- Scientist Written Assignment
- Artist Written Assignment
- Citizen Written Assignment
- Impromptu Essay II (Junior)
- 5 Selected Entries from your Service-Learning Journal
- Senior Honors Written Project w/ Title Page and Signatures
- Senior Reflective Essay
- Special Choice I (optional)
- Special Choice II (optional)
- Special Choice III (optional)
- Special Choice IV (optional)
Your Special Choices do not have to be from your Honors seminars. If you have essays or projects that you have done in other classes, you may include these.