The HNR 300 requirement aims to help Honors students build practical knowledge and skills in community engagement, leadership, and cultural understanding—attributes that characterize strong job and grad-school applicants as well as fully engaged citizens. The requirement may be satisfied in 1-, 2-, or 3-credit increments, and it need not be completed in a single semester or year. Students propose an HNR 300 activity prior to registration and, over the course of the enrolled semester, complete a series of assigned Blackboard reflections. Students may also earn HNR 300 credit by completing other (non-HNR) university courses that achieve the goals of HNR 300; some of these are listed below, and students are welcome to propose others.

Unless otherwise stated, all students must submit a brief proposal indicating how they wish to satisfy their HNR 300 requirement. Please note that you will not be able to register for HNR 300 without submitting a proposal and receiving a permit. Proposals are due April 1 for activities to be completed in Spring/Summer or Fall, and November 1 for activities to be completed in Winter.

Please note: Students may earn no more than 3 credits total of HNR 300

Submit your HNR 300 proposal

Three Options

1. You may propose one of the pre-approved activities listed below and register for HNR 300, either as a one-, two-, or three-credit course. All students need a total of three credits prior to graduation.
2. You may propose to use a pre-approved course substitution for HNR 300. See below for examples.
3. You may propose an activity or course that you believe satisfies the requirement, in part or in full. We are open to your suggestions! Note: Unless specifically geared toward service or community engagement, professional internships generally do not satisfy the requirement.

If you select Option #3 and want to propose an activity or course, we strongly encourage you to discuss your ideas with an Honors advisor prior to submitting your proposal.

Pre-Approved 1-credit Activities

1-credit activities (repeatable for credit):

• Serve as officer of a registered GVSU student organization. Examples from recent Honors students include the Anthropology Club, Beta Alpha Psi, the Book Club, Campus Ministry, Delta Tau Delta, Delta Zeta, Euphoria A Capella, the Future Alumni Association, Habitat for Humanity, Kappa Kappa Psi, Move 2 the Beat, the National Student Speech Language Association, the Panhellenic Association, the Pre-Med Club, the Quidditch Club, the Social Innovation Club, Student Senate, the Taekwondo Club, and the Women’s Water Polo Club. Students who serve as Student Senate representatives (not just officers) may also earn one credit per semester.
• Serve as a leader on the Honors Student Council.
• Perform a significant role in a community service activity, such as mentoring at English Language Skills Conversation Partners, volunteering at the Grandville Transition Program for Young Adults, serving on the board of Out on the Lakeshore, coaching a high school sports team, or working as an Emergency Medical Technician.
• Perform a significant role in a GVSU office or department, such as Admissions, the ACES Peer Education Program, Black Excellence Orientation, Campus Recreation, Laker Familia, or the Writing Center.

Pre-Approved 3-credit Activities

• Serve as HNR 201 teaching assistant, which requires weekly attendance in class and regular attendance at campus and community events, plus leading small-group discussions.
• Participate for a full academic year in the Cook Leadership Academy or the Design Thinking Academy—students may register for 2 credits one semester and 1 credit the other semester.
• Serve as a Resident Assistant (RA) for GVSU Housing—students may register for up to 3 credits in one semester, or earn them in smaller increments.

Variable-Credit Activities:

These depend on the number of hours involved:

• Supervise a science or research lab, under the supervision of a GVSU faculty member
• Serve as a teaching assistant for a GVSU faculty member

Generally speaking, 1 credit of HNR 300 requires at least 3 hours per week, or 45 hours per semester.

Proposal required

• CBL courses: Any GVSU course with the Community Based Learning (CBL) designation satisfies the HNR 300 requirement. To learn more about CBL courses please visit the CBL website. You can search for CBL courses by using the advanced search option in the registration website, scrolling down to "Attribute," and choosing Community Based Learning (CBL) from the drop down menu. 
• IDS 350: Civil Discourse. This interdisciplinary course is offered each year by the current Padnos/Sarosik Endowed Professor of Civil Discourse.

Once you find a course that you are able to take please submit an HNR 300 proposal indicating the course you want to use as a substitution. You will not register for HNR 300.

No proposal required

• The Community Health Nursing (CHN) portions of NUR 317, NUR 367, and NUR 417, which are required of all Nursing majors. 
• EDF 115: Introduction to Education: An Exploration of Schooling in America. This field-based course explores the way schools work and introduces students to the professional roles and responsibilities of educators.
• WRT 306: Seminar for New Tutors. This 1-credit course prepares students to be an effective consultant in the GVSU Writing Center.
• MUS 107: Grand Valley Marching Band

These courses will automatically apply to the HNR 300 requirement. No HNR 300 proposal is needed.

Study Abroad/Away

All credit-bearing study abroad or study away activities satisfy HNR 300. Students may substitute any course completed during a study abroad/away for HNR 300. To do so, submit a Study Away Proposal on our Study Abroad Website.

• New in 2023: Water in the West program! Learn more here

Propose your own course or activity!

Students are encouraged to propose other non-HNR courses or campus/community activities that they feel may meet the objectives of the HNR 300 requirement.

Catalog Description: Students actively engage their surrounding communities in ways that promote listening to and understanding cultural differences, working with shared communal concerns, and promoting the importance of mutual understanding.