Timetable

1. Eligibility

   Students with a GPA of at least 3.5 in their major (AC/BA/EC/IB) by the end of the fall semester of the junior year are eligible to become a candidate to participate in the Honors in the Discipline (HID) program in the Department of Business.

   Honors in the Discipline are noted in the graduation program and on the academic transcript. A student may receive recognition in more than one discipline.
   

2. Invitation

   The Chair of the Department of Business will send a letter to eligible students by March 15th of the students' junior year inviting them to participate in the HID program.

   Students must accept (or decline) the invitation in writing--and submit the name of the honors advisor--to the Dept. chair no later than May 1st of their junior year. A copy of their letter is kept on file in Department of Business, the Office of Registration and Records and in the student's advising folder.

3. Project

   Topic and Honors Advisor

   Students must meet with a full-time faculty member in the Department of Business to discuss a suitable project and declare the name of their honors advisor to the Department Chair by May 1st of their junior year.

   Course Credit

   The HID project must be independent of work done for credit in other courses. However, the Honors in the Discipline paper may be used to satisfy the Senior Thesis requirement for the Elizabethtown College Honors Program.

   Optional: Students wishing to receive credit for the HID project should register for Senior Project (AC/BA/EC 400) for 1-4 academic credits during the spring semester of their senior year. (NOT in the fall semester.)

   Research Proposal

   A research proposal must be submitted to the honors advisor no later than October 1. The proposal should include the following:

   • A title.
   • An abstract of 200-300 words. The abstract should provide a brief description of the research project, including goals, methodology and expected outcomes.
   • A tentative time line for completion of different parts of the project.
   • A reference page with at least five different sources of information for the project.

   Electronic submissions are encouraged.

   By Oct. 31, faculty advisors will notify candidates whether the proposal has been accepted or rejected. If rejected, candidates must make appropriate revisions with in five business days and re-submit to the faculty advisor for consideration in order to remain eligible for HID designation.
   
   HID candidates should review HID papers from the past two years (on file at the High Library) to be sure that they understand the quality of work required to obtain the HID designation.

4. Honors Committee

   The project will be overseen by an Honors in the Discipline Committee (HID Committee) consisting of the honors advisor, the Department Chair, and a third faculty member appointed by the Department Chair in consultation with the honors advisor.

5. Presentations and Paper Submission

   Students are expected to present their preliminary research work at a Department Brown Bag Seminar in November. Presentations are brief, lasting about 10 minutes each.

   A preliminary draft of the paper must be submitted to the honors advisor no later than March 20th.

   Students are expected to make a presentation of 10-12 minutes at the annual Student Conference in Business and Economics at Elizabethtown College, held typically in the first week of April.

   The completed paper should be at least 25 pages typed (double-spaced, 1 inch margins, 12 points font), not including appendices. The cover page should contain the following: Title, Name, Primary advisor, Secondary advisor, Date. Three copies of the final version should be submitted to the advisor by April 21st. (One copy is sent to the High Library, one is kept in the Department.)
   

6. Evaluation
   
   The designation of Honors in the Discipline requires that the student's project be judged as excellent by the honors committee. Generally, the HID Committee must agree that:
   

   1. the paper is excellent work (equivalent to the grade of A or A-);
      
   2. the author has paid diligent attention to details; and
      
   3. the author displays exceptional analytical and writing skills.
   
   Students making presentations at the SCBE receive certificates and are eligible for cash prizes. Awards are made at the Department of Business Banquet later that day. Abstracts of the paper are published in the Business and Economics Digest.
   
   Official Record
   
   The designation "Honors in the Discipline" will be recorded in the Commencement Program and on the student's official College transcript.
   
   Withdrawal
   
   In order to withdraw from the HID program, students must submit a written statement specifying their reasons for withdrawal. The statement must be signed by the HID Committee honors advisor, and submitted to the Department Chair. A copy of the statement is filed with the Office of Registration and Records and is placed in the student's advising folder.