LIHC Calendar of Events
Food for Thought Lunches
Honors Food for Thought lunches are held every Wednesday when classes are in session from 12:00 – 1:00 pm in the Faculty Center. All UNCG students and faculty are welcome to attend and join in the conversation. To help facilitate good conversation, light lunch is provided. The purpose of the Food for Thought series is to provide a forum for students and faculty to discuss important topics and issues as well as to promote civil intellectual discussion. Recent Food for Thought lunches have focused on sustainability on campus, blogging in Iran, contemporary opera, immigration to the Triad, selenium supplementation in Africa, favorite poems, remembering 9/11, and ghosts. Faculty interested in leading a discussion are encouraged to contact Dr. John Woell (jwwoell@uncg.edu; 334-4734) in the LIHC office.
Honors Orientation
Right before the beginning of the fall semester, the Honors College hosts a day-long orientation for incoming Honors freshmen. New Honors students meet each other, Honors faculty and staff, and current Honors students; they also have a chance to hear about what they can expect from their Honors classes and the resources available to them as Honors students. As part of the day, students participate in a Common Reading discussion.
The Honors Common Reading
As part of Honors orientation, all Honors freshmen participate in a shared reading experience. The goals of the project are to provide a common intellectual experience for entering Honors students; to bring students, faculty, and members of Lloyd International Honors College and the UNCG community together for discussion and debate; and to promote cross-disciplinary thinking and inter-cultural dialogue across campus. Entering Honors first-year students learn about the project and are given a copy of the book and resource materials during their SOAR [Spartan Orientation, Advising, and Registration] session in the summer.
The Raft Debate
Lloyd International Honors College sponsors the Raft Debate, a good-natured debate among professors from different branches of knowledge—the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the arts & humanities. One professor from each branch of knowledge argues that his or her area of knowledge is superior to the others. To motivate their efforts, they are told that academia is on an ocean liner that has struck an iceberg and is now sinking. While there is a life raft, it only has room for one person. The problem that each has is to persuade the audience that his or her argument is the best and that he or she deserves to be one who gets the only seat on the raft. The Devil's Advocate then responds, trying to tip everyone out of contention.
Honors Symposium
The Honors Symposium provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to present their research or creative projects in a public forum. The Symposium consists of a series of panels in which small groups of students present their work. For each panel, a faculty member provides commentary on the students' presentations and moderates discussion with the audience. The 2011 Symposium featured nearly three dozen student paper presentations. The panels are followed by a keynote speaker and reception.
The Honors Symposium Prize, sponsored by the Honors College, is awarded for outstanding papers submitted to the Symposium. In 2011, the prize included monetary awards of $250, $150, and $100 in two categories: Arts & Humanities, and the Social, Physical & Applied Sciences.
CLICK HERE FOR THE 2012 SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE (*PDF)
Honors Convocation
The Student Honors Convocation is held on UNCG's Excellence Day. The event recognizes the academic and intellectual accomplishments of students at UNCG, and honors winners of the Student Excellence Awards, the Graduate Student Research and Teaching Assistant Awards, the Undergraduate Research Awards, and the University Libraries Undergraduate Research Award.
Honors Banquet
In the spring, students who are completing the International Honors Program, the Disciplinary Honors Program, or are receiving Full University Honors are invited to an Honors Banquet at which they receive certificates in recognition of their achievements. In addition, their achievements are noted on their official transcripts. Students who complete the Disciplinary Honors Program or Full University Honors also have the title of their Senior Honors Project recorded on their official transcripts. The Lichtin Family Scholarship is awarded at the Honors Banquet.
Campus Events
For more information about what's going on across the UNCG campus, check out the University Calendar.