Skip to Main Content

Honors Program

The Honors Program at Wilmington College is designed to enrich the academic experience of qualified students with special sections of courses, interdisciplinary seminars, opportunities for leadership and civic engagement, and a senior project.

Entering freshmen on the Wilmington campus who received a high school GPA of 3.3 or higher and an ACT score of 25 or higher are invited to participate in this program. Full-time main campus students who have a 3.3 GPA at the end of the first term, but were not previously invited to participate, may petition the Honors Program, and if approved, may participate in second term activities. Transfer students interested in joining the Program should contact the Director of the Honors Program.

Presidential and Dean’s Scholarship recipients are required to complete the Program. To remain in the Program, students must maintain a 3.3 cumulative GPA, remain in good academic standing, comply with the Student Code of Conduct, and participate in the required Honors Program activities. Those who leave the program, voluntarily or involuntarily will have their scholarship reduced to the next highest level.

Students who complete the Honors Academic Program will receive notation on their official Wilmington College transcript and recognition at the commencement ceremony.

Anyone desiring further information should contact the Director of the Honors Program.

Director

Michael Snarr, professor of Political Science, regularly teaches Introduction to Global Issues, Global Politics, Case Studies in Nonviolence, and a newly developed Global Politics of Food course. When possible he incorporates various active learning and service learning exercises into his courses. He also regularly provides off-campus learning environments for students. Over the past several years he has taken over 200 students to Washington, DC for a four day trip to learn how to lobby and put that knowledge into practice by visiting the offices of their respective Senators and Representative on Capitol Hill. He has also taken students to Central Mexico, the US-Mexican border, the United Nations, Europe, and China.

Christian speaker touches on tiny houses as an option in addressing Wilmington homelessness

September 23, 2022

When he was in college a quarter century ago, Christian activist and author Shane Claiborne got involved in a struggle to help the homeless after unhoused people used an abandoned cathedral for shelter and the religious institution administrators objected.

Claiborne and other students hung a banner upon the vacated cathedral that asked, “How can we worship a homeless man on Sunday, and ignore one on Monday?”

Claiborne was at Wilmington College this week where he spoke at two public events including a Meet-and-Greet when the main topic was homelessness. A member of the audience, noting the possibility of a tiny-house community is being explored locally, asked Claiborne what he thought of the idea and what kind of challenges it may bring.

WC Junior Featured at Statewide Summit on Student Engagement

February 24, 2022

Taylor Powell-Abbinante Speaks on His Civic Involvements at U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s Propel Ohio

Wilmington College’s Taylor Powell-Abbinante shared his significant experience as a highly engaged student with peers from across the state while serving as a panelist at the Propel Ohio Collegiate Leadership Summit earlier this month.

Honors Program Students Volunteer for Neighbors for Neighbors Effort

Local Network Matches Volunteers with Persons at Higher COVID-19 Risk

Ten students in Wilmington College’s Honors Program are providing boots on the ground — albeit from a distance — in support of Clinton County’s Neighbors for Neighbors project.

Neighbors for Neighbors is community-led network created to help residents connect so that no one has to face the COVID-19 crisis alone. The network matches volunteers who are at lower risk of developing COVID-19-related health conditions with those at higher risk. Volunteers routinely conduct check ins and help ensure the no-contact delivery of food and other essential supplies.

Honors student Jenna Fawcett is included in a story in The New York Times that highlights young women interested in politics. Jenna spoke about starting a chapter at WC of Ignite, an organization closely associate with promoting women playing a more active role in government.