Establishing a Latin American University Honors Program: the case of Campus Monterrey, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico.
Khan, Mohammad Ayub ; Morales-Menendez, Ruben
HISTORY IN BRIEF
The university honors program of Campus Monterrey, Tecnologico de
Monterrey, evolved from the international degree program that was first
offered in the spring semester of 2002. Originally six programs were
offered in the School of Business and School of Engineering:
* BA Business Administration
* BA Financial Management
* BA Finance and Accounting
* BA Marketing
* BA International Business
* BS Industrial and Systems Engineering
Once introduced, the international degree program received such a
good response from the student community that, in the following
semesters, the number of programs available in an international version
increased from six to eleven across new areas of engineering, computer
science, and humanities and social sciences. Since then, the number of
academic programs with an international component has been increasing
steadily. Today, thirty-nine bachelor's programs are available in
this modality.
When first established, the international degree program had the
following requirements:
* high school GPA, TOEFL score, and admission test score;
* completion of 33% of the curriculum in a foreign language;
* completion of additional credit, equivalent to an extra course,
in either a foreign language or intercultural topics; and
* a mandatory year abroad (two semesters).
As the program matured, the requirement that 33% of the curriculum
be taken in a foreign language was modified. Rather than focusing on the
language of the classes, we wanted to assure the best quality of our
classes regardless of the language of instruction, so we started
offering classes exclusively to students in the international degree
program and staffing the classes with outstanding professors on campus.
In the spring of 2008, we started calling these classes
"honors." A requirement of the program then became completion
of at least twenty classes (approximately a third of the curriculum)
either in a foreign language or in the honors format. Another change was
that, rather than optionally studying a language as part of their
intercultural electives, students were required to dedicate at least
three out of their intercultural electives to the study of a foreign
language. The international degree program successfully graduated its
first cohort in the fall of 2005. As of December 2010, five hundred
students have graduated with twenty-eight different bachelor degrees in
the international degree program format.
HOW WE BECAME AN HONORS PROGRAM
Students participating in the international degree program
possessed and maintained a higher level of academic standards than the
non-international-degree-program students. Therefore, we wanted our
international degree program to be recognized as a fully developed
university honors program. We believed that offering an honors program
on our campus would provide additional growth opportunities for students
who have outstanding academic records and who have the potential and
motivation to reach higher academic and extracurricular goals. We
contacted the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) and became both
institutional and professional members, participating in different
activities organized by the NCHC: national conferences in Philadelphia
(2007), Denver (2008); and Washington, D.C. (2009). We participated in
the Assessment and Site Visitors workshop offered by NCHC in 2010. In
August 2010, we invited Rosalie Otero from the University of New Mexico
to visit our campus and review our program. During her visit, Otero met
with students, professors, and the directors, and she visited the
university facilities. After her visit, Otero made several
recommendations for transforming our international degree program into a
fully developed university honors program. These recommendations
included:
* establishing an honors program office;
* appointing a full-time honors director, reporting to the office
of the provost;
* developing strategic and annual plans;
* acquiring visible institutional support (staff, space, budget);
and
* establishing faculty, student, and advisory boards for the honors
program.
Once these recommendations were implemented according to our
understanding and situation, we requested that Otero review our program
again along with Robert Spurrier of Oklahoma State University. At this
stage we did the following:
* We prepared a self-analysis in line with the seventeen
characteristics of a fully developed university honors program and sent
it to Otero and Spurrier.
* We provided supplementary documents including profiles of
students and faculty as well as student projects.
* We did a three-hour video conference with Otero and Spurrier, in
which honors professors, honors students, honors office staff, the
provost, and the vice-provost participated.
* In May 2010, we visited Otero and Spurrier at their respective
universities.
In June 2011, our program was recognized as a fully developed
university honors program by Otero and Spurrier.
OUR HONORS PROGRAM MODEL
Our honors program is designed to identify and select talented
students and to offer them an integrated educational program through our
dynamic, dedicated, and well-prepared faculty. The important components
of our model are described below:
ORGANIZATION OF THE PROGRAM
Our honors program belongs to the Campus Monterrey of Tecnologico
de Monterrey, which is a private educational institution in Mexico that
was founded in 1943. At the present time, the Tecnologico de Monterrey
has campuses distributed throughout the country and has academic centers
in Mexico and other Latin American countries; it also has international
offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. We are a private,
non-profit, independent educational institution with no political or
religious affiliation. For more information about Tecnologico de
Monterrey, please visit: <http://www.itesm.edu/>.
The honors program office reports to the office of the provost of
Campus Monterrey, as shown in Figure 1, and the provost reports directly
to the president of the campus.
[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
Our institutional support consists of direct and indirect support
staff. The direct support staff includes:
* honors program management,
* honors program advisory board,
* honors faculty council, and
* honors student council.
The indirect support system includes:
* registration and admission office,
* library,
* student halls,
* international program office,
* scholarships,
* faculty development, and
* academic departments.
MISSION
The honors program of Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey,
is designed based on the ideals of inspiring and nurturing the talent
and potential of academically high-performing students through an
optimal combination of challenging, interdisciplinary, and enriching
academic and extracurricular learning and teaching activities.
VISION
The honors program will be recognized by all
stakeholders--students, faculty, parents, partners, university
management--nationally and internationally as a leading honors education
model in providing second-to-none integral educational services offered
by a group of highly qualified and motivated faculty to a group of
highly motivated, intellectual, and diverse young learners. Our
graduates will become leaders in their field of specialization and at
the same time will have a broader understanding of issues concerning
humanity, now and in the future, locally and globally.
CORE VALUES
Values we promote in our students are: caring about their personal
and professional integrity; respecting the dignity and rights of others;
fulfilling their duties as local and global citizens; showing concern
for others without discrimination; volunteering to participate in
diverse social services; and dedicating time to effective and
cooperative learning. Through our honors program we wish to promote a
set of core values among our graduates that we call value-building
blocks:
* Excellence
* Social responsibility
* Ethics and citizenship
* Respect for others
* Hard work
* Planning and organization
* Integrity
* Collaboration
LEARNING OUTCOMES (GRADUATE COMPETENCIES)
Based on several meetings with Samuel Schuman and Ted Estess, we
identified several key learning outcomes that our honors model is
already promoting. We wish our graduates to have the following qualities
that are established in our traditional academic programs and that we
further encourage:
* global knowledge;
* the ability to speak three languages;
* the ability to communicate and to work in multi-disciplinary and
multicultural environments;
* personal and professional networks around the world;
* critical thinking and analytical skills; and
* the ability to solve problems and make decisions.
STRUCTURE OF OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Most of our undergraduate degree programs can be completed in nine
semesters. A student who enters the honors program has to comply with
the following academic requirements in order to complete the program:
Semester 1, 2, 3: languages courses;
* Semester 4, 5: elective courses *;
* Semester 6, 7: mandatory year of study abroad;
* Semester 8, 9: elective courses *;
* Minimum 10 courses in honors format; and
* Minimum 10 courses in a language other than Spanish (if Spanish
is her/his native language).
* Elective courses include 3 language courses and 4 courses on
cultural and international issues.
Table 1 compares the criteria for graduation in the regular program
with the honors program.
CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS
The admission and graduation requirements for our students reflect
the characteristics we seek in our students.
Admission
In order to gain admission to the honors program, a student must
comply with requirements beyond those for the university. The
requirements for honors differ according to the backgrounds of the
applicants:
Career average score:
* For students coming from the high schools of Tecnologico de
Monterrey: 85/100
* For students coming from other high schools: 90/100
Admission score (SAT equivalent):
* For students coming from the high schools of Tecnologico de
Monterrey: 1150
* For students coming from other high schools: 1300
TOEFL Score:
* 550 for all.
Other requirements include an interview with the honors director, a
brief CV, and an essay showing particular interests in the honors
program, commitment to completion of its requirements, and potential to
contribute to the honors program.
Graduation
In order to graduate from the honors program and receive the
Certificate of Honors, a student must fulfill the following conditions:
* pass 10 required honors courses with a grade of 85+;
* earn a career average of 85+ including the honors courses;
* have a TOEFL score of 600;
* participate in a year-long study abroad program;
* speak a third language other than Spanish and English;
* take a minimum of 10 courses in English language; and
* pass 7 electives.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FACULTY
Our honors faculty members come from different academic disciplines
(engineering, humanities, social sciences, business, and information
technology) inside the campus, so they are already working as full- or
part-time teachers. An honors faculty member is identified and selected,
in direct collaboration with the chair of each academic department,
based on the following criteria:
* He/she is a full- or part-time faculty member with a minimum five
years of teaching experience at the undergraduate level or higher; two
of the five years must be at Tecnologico de Monterrey. Preferences are
given to associate and full professors. Alternatively, the honors
director may, in collaboration with the honors faculty committee,
evaluate a potential faculty member for eligibility based on other
criteria.
* For teaching foundation courses, he/she possesses a master's
degree.
* For teaching specialized disciplinary courses and general
education courses, he/she possesses a master's or doctoral degree
in the field or equivalent.
* He/she has received a percentile ranking above 60 in student
evaluations during the last two semesters.
* He/she has received accreditation within the educational model of
Tecnologico de Monterrey.
* He/she maintains an excellent reputation among directors,
professors, and students.
* His/her image and behavior pattern reflect the values and ethical
standards of the institution.
* He/she is proactive in carrying out responsibilities within the
academy, institution, and community.
* He/she has received a minimum training of 40 hours in the field
of modern quality teaching, critical thinking, and honors education.
* He/she is a leader in his or her field of specialization.
* He/she possesses at least one of the following characteristics:
fluency in one or two foreign languages; academic or work experience
abroad; activity in consulting, outreach or research; external
relationships with, for instance, governmental agencies, NGOs, industry,
and/or research centers; and openness to designing and testing new
educational models, products, or research lines involving undergraduate
students.
The honors director, in collaboration with the chairs of the
academic departments, routinely (at least once per semester) reviews the
performance of honors faculty members and gives them feedback.
CHARACTERISTICS OF HONORS COURSES
An honors course should possess the following characteristics to
differentiate it from a regular course or section of a course:
* A course database must be in advanced blackboard format.
* The course must be designated "HONR" in Blackboard, in
Banner, and in student grade sheets.
* The course format must be designed under the guidance of an
expert in the formulation and implementation of honors courses.
* Course reviews, redesigns, and updates--including bibliographies,
teaching materials, and teaching activities--should take place each
semester and at the end of the year.
* The teacher must have a pedagogical method, preferably project-
or problem-based. Case-based learning is also acceptable.
* Student-faculty, one-on-one advising sessions are required during
the semester.
* Learning and teaching activities must promote critical thinking
in students.
* Learning and teaching activities must demonstrate diversity in
some or many of the following ways:
** structured case discussion in class,
** written assignments based on literature review,
** closed- and open-book exams,
** oral presentations on assigned topics,
** company-based research work,
** case studies,
** field visits,
** laboratory work,
** library visits,
** field-related practical demonstrations,
** guest speakers from industry and/or on emerging topics,
** online team-teaching,
** video conferences,
** simulations,
** role playing,
** debate,
** experimental learning, and
** moral dilemma exercises.
Such activities should be an important component of the final grade
in any honors section.
All courses offered in an honors format should be identified,
evaluated, approved, and scheduled by the honors director in
collaboration with department chairs. We encourage our honors faculty to
teach in different formats, including team teaching across different
disciplines. The class size is limited to 30, with an average of 15-20,
whereas the normal university class size is at least 40. We value the
opportunities that small classes afford students to frequently interact
with each other and with the faculty, and we want faculty to provide
personalized attention to students.
CURRICULUM
The honors curriculum is designed to provide students an integral
learning and teaching environment supported by structured academic
programs that encourage intellectual discovery, talent management,
global awareness, and cultural understanding. Additionally, the
curriculum promotes learning about--and quantitative application
of--information and models. Honors courses, selected from the regular
plan of study, are offered across a wide variety of disciplines:
* Engineering, Architecture, Art and design;
* Computer Sciences & Information Technology;
* Medicine (under consideration);
* Biotechnology;
* Business;
* social sciences; and
* Humanities.
In total, an honor student takes a minimum of 10 honors courses in
order to complete the program. These courses are part of our traditional
academic programs and are identified in collaboration with the directors
of academic departments, divisions, or schools. Currently, we are
offering courses in the basic and general education area plus some
electives or optional courses. However, in the near future we would like
to have these minimum 10 courses, which are required for the Honors
Program Certificate, distributed among 9 semesters as follows (see
Appendix A for our curriculum):
* Foundation courses (common area): 5 courses (8 units per course):
40 units
* Disciplinary courses (specialization area): 2 courses (8 units
per course): 16 units
* General education courses (generalization area): 2 courses (8
units per course): 16 units
* Independent study (practical or research course): 1 course (8
units per course): 8 units
The foundation courses provide basic but in-depth understanding of
different disciplines. General education courses provide key
competencies such as ethics, social responsibility, oral and written
communication, and global awareness. Independent studies provide
experiential learning, which may include internships, study abroad,
off-campus programs, community service, independent research, and
teaching assistantships. Overall, our honors program curriculum, like
other models, is guided by the following outcomes for students:
* acquiring basic skills and knowledge,
* adapting to an interconnected world, and
* connecting knowledge with experience.
INTERNATIONAL OPTIONS
Our honors program's strength lies in the international
experience our students have. Tecnologico de Monterrey offers more than
three hundred international exchange programs with numerous universities
in different countries of the world. The international options include:
* International exchange program: studying for a semester or year
abroad, paying the academic fee to the Tecnologico de Monterrey.
* Study abroad: studying in a foreign university, paying the
academic fee to the foreign university and receiving help in planning
from our program director.
* Internships: working at a company in a foreign country during a
semester and getting academic credit, based on how many hours the
student works, or credit toward professional practice.
* Language semester: studying a foreign language abroad and getting
credit for the language course or courses at Tecnologico de Monterrey.
* Specialization semester: studying in a foreign country and taking
5 to 8 courses (depending on the workload or work hours required for
each course) in a specific area and getting credit for optional courses
at Tecnologico de Monterrey.
* Certificate of specialization: receiving a certificate from a
foreign university when the required program is complete (this option
requires that a student take at least 33% of the career study plan in a
language different from Spanish, obtain a score of 600 in TOEFL, meet
the requirements of the foreign university, and meet the entry
requirements of Tecnologico de Monterrey).
* Double degree program: earning a degree from Tecnologico de
Monterrey and the foreign university upon completing the specified
requirements of both institutions (a student must pass 12 to 16 courses
or the equivalent in the foreign university).
* Professional plus master's degree program: earning an
undergraduate professional degree from Tecnologico de Monterrey and a
master's degree from the foreign university after completing the
specified admission and graduation requirements of both institutions.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Number of Courses and Groups
The total number of courses or sections scheduled on campus during
the winter semester of 2011 was 4509, of which 32 were in honors. Table
2 shows the number of honors courses and sections offered during the
years 2008-2011. Typically, we receive fewer students in the winter
semester than in the fall. The slight decrease (-2) in numbers from the
winter of 2010 to the winter of 2011 probably resulted from academic
departments offering fewer courses and wanting to maintain high
enrollments. Overall, however, growth has been steady and positive
Courses Offered in English
Table 3 shows the number of courses offered in English. The
rationales for teaching courses in English are: to offer local students
an option to take a course or two in English in order to learn the
language; to support honors program students, as they are required to
take a certain number of courses in English; to provide courses in
English for foreign students coming to Tecnologico de Monterrey; and to
allow foreign faculty an option to teach classes at Tecnologico de
Monterrey. The decline in the number of courses in English may have two
causes: faculty members feel that it is more work to teach a course in
English than in Spanish, and we ask faculty to have a TOEFL score of 600
plus to teach a course in English. When we started offering courses in
English, there were no such requirements, but later we introduced some
training and TOEFL requirements to assure the quality of courses taught
in English. To encourage faculty to teach courses in English, we offer
academic as well as financial incentives, such as helping preparing the
course database.
Professors
Since the inception of the honors program, 28 professors (1.56% of
the total campus faculty) professors have taught honors courses in
different fields. The average number per semester is between 25 and 30
faculty members. Any honors faculty member can teach one or two honors
courses per semester. Also, we offer some honors courses only once a
year, not every semester. We have offered courses during the summer but
would like to discourage this option in the future since honors courses
require the time of a full semester.
Students per Academic Program per Semester
Table 4 compares the number of campus-wide students to those
registered in the honors program per academic area in the winter
semester of 2011.
Graduation Statistics
During the winter semester of 2011, Campus Monterrey graduated a
total of 1147 students, of which 35 students graduated from the honors
program. Table 5 shows further details. Graduating 35 students from the
honors program during one semester is an encouraging number since the
program is demanding and challenging in many ways for students, parents,
and the university.
Profile of our Graduates
Table 6 shows the profile of our graduates. Most of our students
receive extra diplomas or awards in addition to the requirements of the
honors program.
Nationality of Students
In January-May 2011, the total campus population was 14614,
including 544 foreign students (3.722%). Of the 544 foreign students, 60
(11%) were honors students.
Students' Preferences for Foreign Languages
Table 7 shows students' preferences for foreign languages
during the past several semesters. According to winter 2011 data, 40% of
students showed a preference for German as a third language, followed by
French at 39%. Historically, preference for the German and French
languages has remained persistent. English (foreign) and Spanish
(native) are commonly spoken languages among our students.
Students' Preferences for Foreign Countries
Generally, our records show that our students prefer the united
states, France, Germany, and Italy for studying abroad. Of course, their
preferences reflect the availability of a particular program in a
particular country and area of studies. For example, students of art and
design prefer Italy; Business, Social Sciences, and Humanities prefer
France, followed by the U.S.; and students of Engineering and
information Technology like Germany, followed by the U.S. (see Appendix
B for further details.)
Snapshot of Student Population Mobility in a Single Semester
Table 8 shows the changes in our student population during the
semester of January-May 2011. The program received 39 new honors
students but also lost 65 students who did not register again for the
honors program for a variety of reasons: weak academic performance;
unwillingness to accept the challenges of the honors program; and
financial constraints preventing their study abroad program. We
graduated 35 students, and we sent out 162 students abroad on double
degree programs (56) and student exchange programs (106).
PROGRAM EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK
We have designed several mechanisms to monitor the progress of the
honors program on a semester and annual basis. We monitor the following
areas:
Table 7. Preferences for Foreign Languages
2008 2008 2009 2009
Jan-May Aug-Dec Jan-May Aug-Dec
German 34% 34% 36% 30%
Chinese 12% 9% 9% 6%
French 30% 25% 32% 33%
Italian 12% 10% 12% 13%
English 7% 17% 8% 15%
Japanese 5% 5% 4% 4%
2010 2010 2011
Jan-May Aug-Dec Jan-May
German 34% 34% 40%
Chinese 7% 5% 1%
French 37% 31% 39%
Italian 11% 13% 4%
English 6% 13% 13%
Japanese 4% 4% 3%
Table 8. Student Population Mobility
First-semester students (new entrance to the program) 39
Withdrawals (dropouts) 65
Total re-registration (existing population) for following
semester 755
Graduated students 35
Study abroad 162
National Collegiate Honors Council Indicators
Our program has been recognized by the recommended site visitors of
the National Collegiate Honors Council (U.S.), as a successful, fully
developed honors program. The NCHC uses seventeen criteria to determine
if a program is fully developed, and we do self-analysis using these
criteria.
Academic Performance Evaluation
We administer a critical thinking questionnaire--California
Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST)--to our students. The five
variables used in testing are: inductive reasoning; deductive reasoning;
analysis and interpretation; inference; and evaluation and explanation.
We have also administered an Educational Testing Service (ETS) test to
33% of our freshman, junior, and senior honors students with excellent
results.
Program Impact Evaluation
In order to evaluate the learning outcomes of the program, we use
an online system called System for the Evaluation Management of Academic
Programs or sAEP (sistema para la Administration de la Evaluacion de
Programa Academicos). Involving faculty and department chairs, experts
in SAEP do the following:
* review the profiles of the graduates (graduate competencies);
* design a plan of evaluation (identify courses that help
developing those competencies; define a specific learning activity
within these courses, and design rubrics to evaluate the learning
outcomes with the involvement of training staff);
* evaluate the results through faculty reports at the end of every
semester; and
* improve actions if necessary.
Faculty
In order to select, develop, and evaluate an honors professor, we
use the following indicators:
* academic preparation;
* faculty status (our preference is full-time rather than adjunct
faculty);
* classification (from instructor to full-professor);
* number of teaching years both at and ouside of Tecnologico de
Monterrey;
* student evaluations;
* training records;
* TOEFL scores;
* training in honors education;
* certification in any teaching method;
* participation in research and consulting;
* awards received; and
* other activities such as social service.
Course Indicators
Individual course indicators are measured against the minimum
requirements established by the honors office. An honors course must
incorporate these elements:
* technological platform (database in the advanced version of
Blackboard),
* honors teaching method,
* use of I-clicker,
* research project,
* critical thinking element,
* software or laboratory, and
* field visit.
Student Indicators
The student indicators, as shown in Table 9, are measured against
the minimum requirements established by the honors program office.
PARTICIPATION IN NCHC AND REGIONAL HONORS COUNCIL ACTIVITIES
1. NCHC Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, 2011.
2. New Directors Institute held in Lincoln, Nebraska, July 7-10,
2011.
Currently we have both institutional and professional memberships
and we are receiving copies of the NCHC Monograph Series, Honors in
Practice, and the Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council.
INTER-HONORS COLLABORATIONS
Mohammad Ayub Khan and Ruben Morales-Menendez visited the
University of New Mexico and Oklahoma State University in the U.S. in
order to learn about their honors programs. During the visit, they
visited honors facilities and met with honors administrators, honors
faculty, and honors students. Future collaborative projects they
discussed during the visit included:
* honors faculty exchanges,
* honors student exchanges,
* joint summer schools and seminars,
* team teaching, and
* video conferences.
CHALLENGES AND BENEFITS OF OFFERING AN HONORS PROGRAM.
CHALLENGES
Matching Teaching and Learning Strategies
Teaching and learning have different orientations (Ulrich). In
teaching, the focus is on input and the teacher whereas in learning the
focus is on outcomes and the students (Boyatzis). Bringing these two
elements together is a challenge. The first decision facing honors
directors is identifying the best combination of teaching strategies and
learning styles to support honors education.
Financial Support
Offering an honors program requires budget allocation and resource
redistribution. Small classroom size means lower class efficiency when
university classes typically enroll 40+ students. Facilities such as
offices, laboratories, and library space require additional investment
from the university (Collins et al.). Universities must allocate enough
financial resources to support the honors program, which is a serious
challenge in times of funding shortages.
Identifying and Developing Activities for Students
Implementing extracurricular activities for honors students
requires time and effort. Such activities include conferences, seminars,
internships, research projects, socio-cultural events, and international
programs (Collins et al.), all of which require management time,
logistical support, and financial help.
Adapting to the Larger university Environment
Another challenging job is maintaining the innovative features of
an honors program within the traditional format of a larger university.
Honors students are influenced by both the honors program environment
and the larger institutional environment (Campbell & Fuqua).
Elitism
Another challenge facing honors programs is the accusation of
elitism (Spurrier). Some groups--including faculty, students, and even
management--complain about the use of university resources to serve a
small group of gifted and privileged students and faculty while ignoring
the vast majority of students and faculy, depriving them of equal
privileges.
Retention
Another challenge is retention (Mckay). Recruiting students is a
challenge in the first place, and keeping them in the program until they
graduate is an even greater hurdle. Students may leave the program for a
variety of reasons, the most important being that an honors education
demands extra efforts from students to maintain a high level of academic
standards, that participation in extracurricular activities is
time-consuming, and that participating in international exchange
programs is expensive, inconvenient, and intimidating.
Promotion
Promoting an honors program among local, national, and
international communities is a challenging task. Convincing parents and
employers of the benefits of honors requires management time, resources,
and careful strategies.
THE BENEFITS
Innovative Curricula
An honors program may help faculty develop new curricula as well as
learning and teaching activities, so it can serve as an incubator for
innovations that benefit the larger university population (Schmidt).
Creation and Promotion of a Faculty Research Culture
Honors projects can include traditional research, creative work, or
a combination of both. By incorporating research into their
undergraduate teaching, faculty members receive intellectual stimulation
from the fresh ideas of undergraduates and can use honors projects to
launch further research of their own. Faculty at universities with
established honors programs can involve undergraduate students in
research without having to seek approval from their academic departments
(Black et al.).
Creation and Promotion of a Student Research Culture
Honors work raises undergraduate expectations and strengthens the
curriculum, especially in the area of academic research. Honors programs
introduce undergraduates to the research process, a skill that is needed
before advancing to graduate studies (Black et. al.).
Improvement of the Academic Environment
An honors program can lead to improvement of the academic
environment for talented students and motivated faculty in several ways:
(1) collaborative learning, (2) student-faculty contact, (3) level of
academic challenge, (4) enriching educational experiences, and, (5)
supportive campus environment (Brint, Cantwell & Hannerman).
Academic and extracurricular activities organized by honors students on
campus, for example, set an example of hard work, discipline, and
leadership for the general university population.
Enhancement of Institutional Reputation and Prestige
Honors programs enhance a university's reputation by setting
high admission and graduation standards (Otero). An honors program
attracts outstanding students and committed faculty, thus increasing a
university's visibility and its opportunities to attract external
funding (Pinto).
Enhancement of Employment Opportunities
Students who graduate from honors programs often get better and
higher-paying jobs than regular students do.
CONCLUSION
Any education model is influenced by forces both internal and
external to the institution. External forces (macro variables) are
relatively uncontrollable for any institution, whether education or
business, and include economic conditions, political situations,
socio-cultural variables, demographic changes, technological
developments, and legal issues. Internal factors include institutional
history, student diversity, faculty diversity, physical facilities,
leadership style, organizational culture, operational issues, and
geographical location. In designing our honors program, we have taken
both external and internal factors into considerations. Internally, we
have strong leadership; the environment is conducive to learning; the
facilities are modern; Internet connections are available; and the
students are diverse. Though some political, financial, and security
problems face the nation, Mexico is one of the growing economies in
Latin America and in the world. Moreover, our university is located in
the heart of the industrialized city of Monterrey, which is
internationally known.
We have found wisdom in the assertion that honors programs offer
unique opportunities and special strengths as well as particular
problems and challenges (Schuman), and we also know that one of the
strengths of honors program is that they are diverse in terms of models
(Long). Since there is no one standard model, universities have options
to design their own honors programs in accord with their unique needs.
Like most honors administrators, we have found that honors courses
stimulate creativity, critical thinking, and analytical skills (Guzy),
and we have also learned that challenges range from student selection,
curriculum design, faculty development, resource availability, and
facility allocation to general program administration. With help from
the NCHC <http://www.nchchonors.org/>, we have found that the
benefits far outweigh the challenges.
APPENDIX A
CURRICULUM
Basic Education (Foundation Courses)
Engineering
* MA1016 Mathematics-I
* MA1018 Mathematics-II
* MA2010 Differential Equations
* F1002 Physics-I
* F1003 Physics-II
* MA1006 Probability and Statistics
* Q1001 Chemical
* IQ1001 Mass Material
* IQ2000 Mass Energy
* F1005 Electricity and Magnetism
* Q1004 Laboratory of Chemical
* M2025 Quantitative Methods in Engineering
* AR3017 Integrative Project-I
* AR3020 Integrative Project-II
* AD1005 Management and Innovation in Business Models
* CF1010 Accounting and Cost Management
* MT1003 Marketing and Creativity
* FZ1006 Personal and Company Finances
* EC1010 Economy for Business Creation
Humanities and Social Sciences
* MA1016 Mathematics I
* MA1018 Mathematics II
* F1002 Physics I
* DL1009 Creativity and innovation
* AD1005 Management and Innovation in Business Model
* AV2009 Management and Evaluation of Media Projects
* CF1010 Accounting and Cost Management
* MT1003 Marketing and Creativity
* EC1008 Business Economics
* EC1009 Macroeconomic Environment
* NI2016 Legal Fundamentals of International Business
* RI1004 International Perspective
* CO2003 Quantitative Methods for Social Research
* Ni3036 international Business Agreements
Business
* MA1016 Mathematics I
* MA1018 Mathematics II
* AD1005 Management and Innovation of Business Models
* NI1001 Enterprise, Culture and Business in the World
* MT1003 Marketing and Creativity
* EC1008 Business Economics
* EC1009 Macroeconomics Environment
* D1021 Legal Aspects of Business
* CF1011 Management Accounting
* D1022 Company Law and Intellectual Property
* FZ1006 Personal and Company Finances
* DL1009 Creativity and Innovation
* NI3036 International Business Agreements
General Education
* AR1007 History of Architecture and City
* H1016 Foreign Language
* H1040 Analysis and Verbal Expression
* HS2000 Humanity and Beautiful Arts
* H1018 Ethics, Person and Society
* H2001 Verbal Expression and Professional Environment
* EM1005 Entrepreneurship
* HS2005 Citizenship
* HS2006 Applied Ethics
* H2003 Contemporary Art and Society
* P3011 Civil Society and Citizen Participation
APPENDIX B
STUDENT PREFERENCES FOR FOREIGN COUNTRIES
School of Architecture, Art and Industrial Design 16
Australia 2
Spain 2
USA 3
Italy 8
Sweden 1
School of Biotechnology and Health 7
Denmark 1
New Zealand 1
Sweden 3
Switzerland 2
School of Engineering and Information Technology 72
Germany 26
Australia 5
Canada 2
China 1
South Korea 1
USA 16
France 12
UK 3
Italy 5
Sweden 1
School of Business, Social Sciences and Humanities 67
Germany 9
Australia 7
Brazil 2
Canada 5
China 5
Spain 1
USA 12
France 20
England 1
Northern Ireland 1
Italy 1
Singapore 1
Switzerland 2
Grand Total 162
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors wish to thank Ada Long, Rosalie Otero, and Robert
Spurrier for their help with the publication of his paper.
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Black, C., Grise, K., Barker, J., Thomas, B., and Bollinger, S.
(2008). Apparel Honors Program Builds Research Skills in Undergrads.
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pgs.
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(2009). Undergraduate Research in the Human Sciences: Three Models.
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The authors may be contacted at mkhan@itesm.mx.
MOHAMMAD AYUB KHAN AND RUBEN MORALES-MENENDEZ
TECNOLOGICO DE MONTERREY, CAMPUS MONTERREY, MEXICO
Table 1. Regular Program Versus Honors Program
Regular Program Honors Program
1. Total semesters: 9 1. Total semesters: 9
2. Total courses to pass: 54 2. Total courses: 54+7*= 61
3. Career grade average: 70 3. Career grade average
minimum: 85
4. TOEFL: 550
5. Participation in 4. TOEFL: 600
concentrations and or modalities
(not required for graduation) 5. Study abroad: Two Semesters
(or equivalent)
6. Social services required by
the university for graduation 6. Speak a Third Language
7. CENEVAL (National external 7. Minimum 10 courses in
exam) English
8. Minimum 10 courses in
honors format.
9. Participation in
concentrations and or modalities
(not required for graduation)
10. Social services required by
the university for graduation
11. CENEVAL (National external
exam)
CENEVAL: Centro Nacional de Evaluacion para La Educacion Superior
Table 2. Number of Courses and Sections Offered During the Last
Few Years
2008 2008 2009 2009
Jan-May Aug-Dec Jan-May Aug-Dec
Number of
courses 17 17 21 23
Number of
sections 18 26 24 31
2010 2010 2011
Jan-May Aug-Dec Jan-May
Number of
courses 25 28 25
Number of
sections 34 37 32
Table 3. Number of Courses and Groups Offered in English
2008 2008 2009 2009
Jan-May Aug-Dec Jan-May Aug-Dec
Number of
courses 123 124 125 123
Number of
sections 155 158 157 161
2010 2010 2011
Jan-May Aug-Dec Jan-May
Number of
courses 115 105 109
Number of
sections 149 135 88
Table 4. Summary Statistics per Academic Area
Academic Area Total Honors %age
Students Students
ENCSH (School of Business, Social
Sciences and Humanities) 4935 292 5.92
EITI (School of Engineering and
Information Technology) 5344 418 7.82
EBA (School of Biotechnology and
Nutrition) 926 36 3.89
EMCS (school of Medicine and Health
sciences) 1451 0 0.00
EAAD (school of Architecture, Art and
Design) 1816 47 2.59
AEP (Professional Programs for Especial
students) 6 0 0.00
IPU (international Programs for
Professional) 136 0 0.00
Total 14614 794 5.43
Table 5. Summary Statistics of Graduates per Academic Area
Academic Area Total Honors %age
Students Students
ENCSH (school of Business, social
sciences and Humanities) 392 14 3.57
EITI (school of Engineering and
information Technology) 445 20 4.49
EBA (school of Biotechnology and
Nutrition) 82 1 1.22
EMCS (school of Medicine and Health
sciences) 115 0 0.00
EAAD (school of Architecture, Art and
Design) 113 0 0.00
AEP (Professional Programs for Especial
students) 0 0 0.00
IPU (international Programs for
Professional) 0 0 0.00
Total 1147 35 3.05
Table 6. Profile of Our Graduates
Total of Graduated students 35
Graduated with a Double Degree 10
Graduated with a Minor or Specialization 8
outstanding Career Grade Average 5
Mention of Honorific Award 11
Mention of Excellency Award 6
student Development Diploma 9
Students with TOEFL Score >= 600 34
Students with TOEFL Score >= 580 35
Graduated students with a GPA >=85 35
Table 9. Student Indicators
Entry Maintenance Graduation Post-Graduation
Checklist Checklist Checklist Checklist
1. Country, 1. Grade 1. Career 1. Year of
State average average graduation
2. Admission 2. Semester 2. TOEFL 2. Job
score situation
3. Participation 3. Third and position
in different language or post
activities,
3. Grade concentrations, 4. A year 3. Company,
average modalities, abroad country
(high school) (equivalent
4. Honors of two 4. Salary
courses semesters) average
4. Languages
5. English 5. Honors 5. Any other
courses courses information
5. Scholarship (alumni
or awards 6. Third 6. Course in association,
language English social
6. TOEFL activities,
7. Study abroad 7. Completion higher
7. Gender of required studies,
8. Progress on 7 elective etc.)
8. Career required 7 courses
(major) elective
courses 8. Any other
9. Conduct distinction
