Become a Fellow
Why Should You Become a Fellow? Heading link
Serving as a Faculty Fellow is an opportunity to mentor exceptional students and welcome them as members of the academic community. Fellows encourage their mentees to pursue academic excellence and serve as role models of scholarly achievement, serving as sources of information about their department, college, graduate school, and careers.
You will also be an advocate for the student – guiding them to take advantage of academic opportunities like research or internships, calling departmental colleagues’ attention to the student’s abilities, writing letters of recommendation, etc.
Additionally, Faculty Fellows have opportunities to teach seminars and core courses in the college, join advisory committees, and serve the college as grant and scholarship application reviewers.
Why I'm An Honors Fellow Heading link
Fellows are assigned at the start of the student’s second year, or – for some transfer or continuing UIC students – at the point of admission. As a Faculty Fellow you will develop a two to three-year relationship with your students and your primary role is as a mentor in their discipline.
Each Honors student has an academic advisor in the Honors College who assumes additional responsibility for guiding the student in their curricular decisions and Honors College requirements.
If you are interested in becoming a Faculty Fellow, please: Heading link
- Fill out the Honors College Fellows Application
- Email your completed application, along with your current c.v., to Michele McCrillis, Assistant Dean of Curriculum and Outreach Programs, at mmccrill@uic.edu.
Applications will be reviewed and approved by the Honors Council, which meets several times a semester.
Orientation
Prospective and new Fellows meet individually with the Assistant Dean of Curriculum and Outreach Programs. In this orientation, new Fellows learn more about their role and responsibilities as a personal mentor to undergraduate Honors students and have the opportunity to ask questions.
Once their application is approved, new Fellows are given a link to the Honors College Faculty Fellow Handbook, which outlines the mission and activities of the College and the role of the Fellow in detail.
More Information/Resources
Information about the student experience in the College–from recruitment to graduation– is covered, including Honors Activities and the Honors Capstone Research Project.
Timeline of Responsibilities Heading link
Most students will contact you to set up an appointment at the beginning of each semester. If you haven’t heard from the student in the first two weeks of class, please contact them instead because the Honors Activity and Capstone Agreement Forms are due by the end of the third week of the semester.
Please note that the Honors Activity Agreement forms are approved by the Activity (or Capstone) Supervisor before they are sent on to the Fellow.
Semester 1
Semester 1
- Meet with your mentees and begin to get to know their academic and professional goals. Discuss their Honors Activity; review; sign Honors Activity Agreement form (within first three weeks of semester)
Semester 2
- Continue to get to know your mentee. Discuss Honors Activity; review; sign Honors Activity Agreement form (within first three weeks of semester)
.
Semester 1
- Meet with your mentees. Discuss Honors Activity; review; sign form (within first three weeks of semester)
Semester 2
- Meet with your mentees. Discuss Honors Activity; review; sign form (within first three weeks of semester)
- Initiate discussion about plans for Honors Capstone project; as necessary, help locate a project supervisor and focus project.
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Semester 1
- Discuss Capstone project; review timeline; sign Capstone form at beginning of semester; check with the student on progress at end of semester
Semester 2
- Discuss Capstone project; review timeline; sign Capstone form at beginning of semester; certify that the project meets the Honors College requirements; sign Capstone Completion form at end of semester
Honors Activity Options Heading link
Courses
HON 201: Honors Seminars: 1 HU
(Required for students entering Honors College fall 2016 or later)
HON 301: Foundations for the Future: 1 HU
(Required for students entering Honors College fall 2015 or later)
- HON 200: Honors Lectures: 1 HU
- Honors Core Courses: 3 HU
- Honors Supplement to Regular Courses: 1-2 HU
- Honors Sections of Regular Courses: 3-5 HU
- Advanced Coursework Outside the Major: 3-5 HU
Honors Activity Options Heading link
Research and Professional Development Options
- Independent Study: 1-3 HU
- Undergraduate Research: 1-3 HU
- Professional Development Options (Internships, Externships,
Co-ops, Practica, Student Teaching): 1-3 HU
Honors Activity Options Heading link
Student Service
Students entering the Honors College fall 2016 or later may use only one service activity as an Honors Activity.
- Tutoring, Teaching, and Mentoring: 1 HU
- Civic Engagement and Service-Learning: 1 HU
- Pre-Professional Volunteering: 1 HU
- Leadership in a Student Organization or Student Publication: 1 HU
