1. Briefly describe your College Project and how it directly supported the college’s mission/current priorities.
During times of fellowship, as we shared stories about our experiences as honors students, we noticed striking similarities. Whether a student was on the Dean’s List, a member of Phi Theta Kappa, or taking an honors course, we found ourselves frustrated with the state of BMCC’s Honors Program. We developed, therefore, “The Enhancement of Honors Culture at BMCC” initiative to investigate and identify prospective areas of refinement. We hope this project is the first step in forming a strong, cohesive “Honors Community” at BMCC. This initiative supports the college’s culture of care, and the responsibility to create conditions under which all students could learn to develop and thrive academically.
2. Describe the planning process in detail including who was involved in determining the project.
Members of the Alpha Kappa chapter first discussed amongst each other their experiences with the Honors program at BMCC. From this dialogue, we identified prospective areas of concern and need for improvement: communication between qualified students concerning their Honors eligibility, personal and academic obstacles to earning an Honors distinction, and finally the timing of notifications, as well as acceptances, of honors distinction. Following these preliminary conversation, members of the chapter undertook research concerning the modes utilized in other colleges and universities for honors endeavors, so as to discover, and learn about, best practices elsewhere.
As an intern for CUNY Communications, Ime Ekpo, an officer of the Alpha Kappa chapter, contributed an article on the topic titled, A Deep Dive Into Honors Programs at CUNY Community Colleges. Ekpo also gained further insight from discussions with the faculty advisors, Professors Jason Schneiderman and Alex d’Erizans, who lead the BMCC Honors Program, and Phi Theta Kappa (Chief Faculty Advisor) respectively. Professors Schneiderman and d’Erizans shared similar concerns to those BMCC Honors students voiced, and the former were both quite eager to offer their own unique insights. Ultimately, the Alpha Kappa chapter, under Expo’s guidance, presented an initiative, entitled “The Enhancement of Honors Culture at BMCC,” to BMCC Provost Dr. Erwin J. Wong, who acknowledged attentively the sentiments of BMCC Honors students. To garner greater insight and input regarding the BMCC Honors Program, the chapter composed, and then distributed, an “Honors at BMCC” survey (see Appendix for survey results) among the larger body of honor students across the college.
3. What knowledge, skills and abilities did members need to successfully implement this College Project? How did chapter members strengthen these areas before implementing the project?
Members of the chapter investigated what constituted an Honors program at fellow CUNY colleges, as well as institutions beyond CUNY. The chapter felt that such investigative in-depth research work would, by elucidating best practices elsewhere, prove integral to any meaningful recommendations the Alpha Kappa chapter could make to the BMCC administration. Chapter members discovered, for example, that at Hostos Community College, CUNY, students are required to participate in monthly networking events. This finding inspired one of the Alpha Kappa chapter’s recommendations: establishing, as well as communicating information concerning, exclusive networking opportunities for BMCC honors students. The research results were later used to create the survey, which was then communicated (through Professor Schneiderman by email) to all Honors students at BMCC. Through their presentation of the “The Enhancement of Honors Culture at BMCC” initiative to Provost Wong, chapter members honed their organizational, language, and oral skills.
4. How did the chapter carry out the project and communicate with all collaborators?
The discussions concerning Honors experiences at the college took place among chapter officers and members during the preliminary plenary chapter meetings. The chapter, as a whole, agreed to delegate leadership of the initiative, “The Enhancement of Honors Culture at BMCC” to one officer, Ime Ekpo. Through their involvement in the college’s Honors Program, the chapter’s faculty advisors, Professors Schneiderman and d’Erizans, served as helpful conduits to academic affairs, enabling the chapter to effectively communicate the contents of our project to a BMCC administrator of considerable influence (Provost Wong). Chapter plenary meetings served as the venue within which chapter officers and members brainstormed and formulated the survey questions, which Professor Schneiderman then distributed to honor students across the BMCC academic community.
5. What were the quantitative and qualitative outcomes of this project, including the project’s impact on members?
Our quantitative outcome stems from the final activity of our project, the “Honors at BMCC” survey. BMCC Honors students were queried about their familiarity with the range of Honors opportunities offered at the college. Honors courses ranked the highest at 89.3%, followed by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at 85.7%, and the Dean’s List took third highest at 82.1%. When asked about their level of participation in the respective Honors opportunities, most survey participants stated they are on the Dean’s List at 71.4%, followed by Phi Theta Kappa at 67.9%, and Honors Courses at 57.1%. It is safe to conclude that Honors courses, the Dean’s List, and Phi Theta Kappa are the most recognized Honors initiatives at BMCC.
When it comes to Honors courses at BMCC, 63% of students shared that, despite being eligible to take them, they are unable to successfully complete the Honors Designation Criteria of four (4) courses due to the lack of Honors courses offered at BMCC. However, 71.4% of students active in an honors initiative at BMCC agree that the program provides them with the necessary resources to excel. In seeking to discern sentiment regarding the chapter’s goal of forging a “BMCC Honors Community,” the survey asked students if they were interested in cultivating fellowship with Honors students from other BMCC initiatives, and 92.9% did indeed express such an interest.
Qualitatively, the project not only empowered chapter members to believe that they could truly bring about change regarding an issue (the Honors Program at BMCC) close to their hearts, but instilled faith in them that BMCC administrators are indeed listening attentively to, and respecting deeply, their voices, points of view, and recommendations for the future of honors at the college.
6. Describe how this project helped develop and/or hone your chapter’s relationship with the college administration.
Our faculty advisor and officer meeting with BMCC Provost Erwin J Wong detailed the sentiments of honor students, as well as the concerns of accompanying faculty. Listening attentively to the chapter’s initiative, Provost Wong expressed urgency in needing to formally establish a “BMCC Honors Community.” Such dialogue began a robust conversation that will continue in the future, and served to forge a bond between the chapter and administration that will prove invaluable for establishing a more robust, lively, and integrated Honors Program at the college.
