Membership & Requirements

Below is a summary of Honors Forum membership information and requirements. More detail can be found in the annual Membership Guide.

Honors Forum Administration

The Honors Forum Council—a tripartite committee composed of administrators, faculty members (one of whom acts as Honors Forum Director), and students—is the governing body charged with overseeing Honors Forum policy and implementation. The Executive Committee (comprised of the Honors Forum President, Vice Presidents, and members of each class year) is responsible for creating and implementing Forum projects as well as planning and conducting Forum events. Executive Committee reports regularly to Honors Council.  Contact information for the Director, Honors Forum Council members, and Student Executive Committee members can be found here.

Admission to the Forum

At the beginning of the spring term, the Honors Forum Council invites currently enrolled first and second-year students who have maintained semester and cumulative GPAs of 3.65 or higher to apply for membership. Each applicant must submit a statement addressing his or her academic achievements, participation in the college’s co-curricular programming, and leadership potential, and seek a letter of recommendation from a member of the faculty. Successful applicants are those who demonstrate high academic achievement, an interest in actively participating in Honors Forum courses and co-curricular programming, and leadership potential. The application process is competitive as the Council endeavors to maintain an Honors Forum membership that is 10% of the total Skidmore enrollment. Candidates should therefore ensure that their application is thorough and well written. Guidelines for Honors Forum worthy writing can be found here.

Honors Forum Requirements

Once accepted into the Honors Forum, members are required to complete the following requirements:

• Maintain semester and cumulative GPAs of 3.65 or better as a full-time student. Honors Forum students who fail to achieve a 3.65 GPA for two semesters lose Honors Forum membership.
• Maintain exemplary academic and social integrity.
• Complete a Student Honors Project by the fall semester of the senior year.
• Complete either 3 Honors Forum courses or 7 credits of Honors Forum coursework by the end of the senior year. Credits can be earned by taking HF classes, HF add-ons or HF independent studies.
• Complete a capstone in the senior year, which can take the form of a capstone course, thesis, performance, or other advanced project defined by the student's major department, or by the student and a faculty advisor, and approved in advance by the Honors Forum Council as an appropriate culmination of the Honors Forum program. The senior capstone proposal form can be found here.
• Engage in at least two Honors Forum events during each academic semester.

For a checklist of the requirements, click here.

Withdrawal from the Honors Forum

Students may withdraw from the Honors Forum at any time without jeopardizing progress toward their degree or their eligibility for other academic opportunities and distinctions. Students who take personal or academic leaves of absence retain their membership in the Forum. Students who complete the entire program will graduate with the Periclean Honors Forum designation on their Skidmore transcript.  The form to withdraw from the Honors Forum can be found here.

Advantages of Honors Forum Membership

There are tremendous academic and co-curricular benefits to being a member of the Honors Forum.

• Honors Forum offers an enhanced intellectual community among students who are particularly active in pursuing the life of the mind and engaging in citizenship.
• A hallmark of a Skidmore education is that daily campus events support the learning processes that students encounter in the classroom, library, studio, and lab, and the Honors Forum strives to create these opportunities.
• The Honors Forum sponsors numerous programs, lectures, and trips throughout the semester. Recent trips include a visit to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA), a trip to New York City to attend a Broadway show, and a tour of the Freedom Trail in Boston.
• The Forum sponsors the annual Jon R. Ramsey Memorial Lecture where Honors Forum students have the opportunity to nominate a favorite professor to give a talk specifically to students.
• HF students have the opportunity to preregister for Honors Forum-designated classes. This means an underclassman who is an HF member can successfully enroll in even the most popular classes.
• The Honors Forum newsletter that every HF member receives provides a “head’s up” on forthcoming events and a snapshot of current HF initiatives.
• Members can apply for Honors Forum housing in Wiecking Hall. The Honors housing application can be found here.
• Students can learn about upcoming events on Facebook and other forms of social media; All Honors Forum members receive invitations to join the various groups, where you can meet and interact with other members.
• Honors Forum students have a lounge located in Ladd 321. An ideal place for studying and relaxing, it contains comfortable couches and a white board for your use. Students often gather here to work on projects or study together. Please respect this communal space.
• The Periclean Honors Forum designation is listed on your transcript. All incoming students receive a special HF mug, and all graduating HF students receive a medal to wear at graduation.

HONORS HOUSING will not be offered for the 2022-23 academic year

Honors Forum housing is available for the academic year in Johnsson Tower for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Lisa Bradshaw, HF Administrative Assistant, will email HF students in March with information on housing for the following academic year.

Housing is ideal for those looking for a quieter and more work-focused environment and a greater sense of an HF community. Students accepted into Honors housing will complete their Service Requirement during the Fall or Spring semesters; those who have already completed their Service Requirement can act as mentors to those currently completing their requirement.

STUDENT GOVERNANCE

One of the hallmarks of the Honors Forum is the degree of student involvement in policy making and planning.

Student Executive Committee

The Student Executive Committee or Exec Co, as we commonly call it, is the student governing body of the Honors Forum. The Executive Committee provides leadership and direction to members of the Honors Forum. Exec Co consists of the Honors Forum President, Vice Presidents, Social Media Coordinator, and other positions.  

Exec Co’s members report to the Honors Council and have the following responsibilities, many in conjunction with the Council:

• Plan and publicize co-curricular events: receptions, faculty-student discussions, study nights, trips, and informal get-togethers.
• Work with SGA, College clubs and organizations, the Admissions Office, and Alumni Affairs.
• Meet with students about Honors Forum-related issues.
• Help coordinate the annual Spring Honors Forum induction.
• Represent the Honors Forum during prospective and Accepted Candidates Days.
• Participate in the coordination of Academic Festival.

Concerns, Questions, and Suggestions

Is there an issue that you’d like the Honors Forum Council or Student Executive Committee to address? Contact any of the Executive Committee members, and they will bring your concern to the attention of Exec Co or invite you to attend a meeting.

Want to serve?

If you would like to volunteer for Executive Committee, contact one of the Vice Presidents. If you would like to bring an idea to the Executive Committee, contact the President or the Vice President. Contact information for Exec Co can be found here.