Honors Families

Student standing in front of Douglass House, flanked by parents, all smiling at camera

Parents, guardians, and families play a vital role in the personal and educational success of our Honors College students. We know how much easier it is to support and encourage students when you have up-to-date information about the resources and opportunities available through the Honors College and through Towson University. We also know that you want to be engaged in your student’s education, and encourage you to do so through the Honors Parents Council.

Honors Parent Council

The Honors Parents Council (HPC) is a community of parents and family members committed to initiatives that enhance the Honors student experience at TU. In support of the mission and development of the Towson University Honors College, the goals of the HPC are to:

  • Provide opportunities for parents and family members of highly-motivated students to share advice and information.
  • Facilitate opportunities for parents and family members to build relationships with Honors College faculty and staff.
  • Make the experiences of Honors students even more personally and educationally rewarding.
  • Raise awareness about the opportunities inherent in undergraduate honors education.
  • Enrich the Honors College community and build a network that benefits students and alumni.

Want to connect to the HPC and stay abreast of opportunities available to Honors College students? Join the Honors College Weekly mailing list.

Honors College Weekly

The Honors Parents Council is separate from TU's Family Network, another great resource for staying involved with campus.

Family Involvement Opportunities

  • During the first week of classes, the Honors College and Honors Parents Council co-host the virtual Honors Parent/Family Orientation Panel Session for family of incoming Honors students. Panel session attendees will meet Honors staff and campus partners, and have a chance to ask questions about the Honors experience.

  • The Honors College Family Breakfast and Celebration of Scholarship and Learning (CSL) take place on the Saturday morning of Towson Family Weekend. Registration for the Honors Breakfast and CSL is managed by the New Student and Family Programs Office, and the program is free. HPC members are invited to serve as judges for the CSL. Judging simply requires arriving about 30 minutes prior to the event and using a simple rubric to evaluate a students’ research or work. If you are interested, please email .

  • At the end of each term the HPC organizes Smoothie Saturday, where Honors families make smoothies and provide snacks for students on the Saturday morning before the Final Exam Period. It's a great opportunity to connect with students and show support for them in a stressful academic moment, and all students are welcome regardless of whether they live in Douglass or elsewhere on or off campus.
  • Family Barbecue and Kickball Game

Campus Resources

One of the best ways to support your students is to familiarize yourself with TU’s policies, procedures, services, and resources. The Honors College partners with other campus units to provide opportunities to our students such as the Honors Living Learning Community and Honors College Scholarship awards, while respecting the areas of responsibility for each unit.

Housing & Residence Life

The Department of Housing & Residence Life (HRL) partners with the Honors College to offer the Honors Living Learning Community, an intentional community for academic-minded students located in Douglass House. Incoming Honors students who choose to live on campus are automatically placed in the Honors Community. HRL operates Douglass House and students must meet all HRL deadlines and requirements in order to live in Douglass. The Honors College cannot make or request any exceptions to HRL deadlines, requirements, or policies.

Financial Aid Office

The Honors College identifies recipients of the Honors College Scholarship award, which is administered and disbursed by the Financial Aid Office. All terms and conditions must be met to continue receiving an Honors College Scholarship and the amount and length of the scholarship cannot be increased. All requests to reinstate cancelled scholarships (such as in the case of a medical withdrawal from TU) should be addressed to the Financial Aid Office, as the Honors College cannot reinstate cancelled scholarships.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

All students joining the Honors College as incoming freshmen are required to complete a total of 24 units, regardless of semester of entry. Students who joined after fall 2016 complete courses in four distribution areas: Honors Foundations (6 units, including Honors Towson Seminar and Honors English), Honors Courses (6 units), Honors Seminars (6 units), and Experiential and Advanced Learning (6 units). Students who joined the Honors College before fall 2016 were required to complete courses in three distribution areas: Honors English (3 units), Honors Coursework (15 units), and Honors Electives (6 units).

Students join the Honors College after their first semester may be exempt from some of these requirements depending on completed college credits at the time of entry as well as the institution from which they transferred.

In addition to completing courses, Honors College students are also required to maintain a GPA of 3.0 in their Honors courses, and overall maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, and a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 for seniors. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 at the time of graduation in order to graduate from Honors.

All first-year students are assigned an Honors College First Year Experience (FYE) advisor with training to assist students fulfill major, Core Curriculum, and Honors College requirements.

Beginning in their second year, students are assigned an Honors College advisor in addition to their major advisor. All Honors students can set up advance appointments with their designated Honors advisor by contacting , and drop-in advising may also available in the 7800 York Road Building, Suite 134. Occasionally Honors advisors also hold office hours in Douglass House, room 135.

All students receive major advisors at the beginning of their sophomore year. Students who do not receive major advisors by that point should contact their major departments as soon as possible. The major advisor is separate from the Honors advisor.

The Honors College offers many options for students to complete their requirements, with upwards of 50 courses offered each term as well as the ability to complete experiential learning opportunities. The student's Honors College advisor can also assist students to identify which options might work best for them.

Honors course offerings change each term and meet at various days and times throughout the week so that students should always be able to find a course option that fits their schedule even if it may not be their first choice of topic or time. The Honors College encourages students to take Honors courses outside their major or area of interest as part of our emphasis on perspectives from multiple disciplines, and rarely does the requirement to take these courses impede a student's time to degree. While a course may not relate directly to a student's major that does not mean it's an irrelevant learning experience - much like with TU's Core Curriculum, taking Honors courses outside a student's major is an integral part of the Honors experience!

 

The student-run Honors College Leadership Council organizes a free peer tutoring network that matches individual Honors students together in many subjects and for specific classes. Students can simply email the tutors who have volunteered to share their expertise. The peer tutoring program typically starts in the second month of the fall and spring term. Students can also participate in study groups and find a tutor or academic coach through the TU Tutoring & Learning Center.

Getting involved in the Honors Parent Council is a wonderful way to stay abreast of the exciting things happening in the Honors College. As a family member of an Honors College student, you are automatically a member of the Parent Council and can participate in all meetings and activities held by the group.

We also encourage all parents and family members to contact us at  to join our Honors parent contact list. You will be subscribed to receive the Honors College Weekly and special announcements from the Honors Parent Council.

In Douglass House, residential living is integrated with classroom activity. In addition to an Honors College classroom and Honors College office physically located on the main floor of Douglass House, students have the opportunity to live together, build networks and share ideas in an atmosphere conducive to academic achievement. Students living in Douglass House form close relationships with roommates and classmates that are similarly focused and have the same commitment to academic achievement and future goals. All incoming first-year students who choose to live on campus are assigned to Douglass House. Students who live in Douglass House consecutively beginning in the first available semester are allowed to remain in Douglass throughout four years of their Towson University career.

A majority of Honors College students commute, and Honors commuters are as much a part of the community as students living on campus. Enhancing your educational experience begins with making the decision to be involved in the activities and events planned exclusively for Honors College students. All Honors College events and activities are announced each week in the Honors College Weekly, an electronic newsletter sent via email during the academic year. All members of the Honors College, regardless of residential or commuter status, are welcome to attend all events and use all resources in Douglass House and in the Honors College suite in the 7800 York Road Building.