The aim of Honors Year One is to aid each student in exploring and establishing their place within the Honors College, The University of Alabama and the greater community. Students will learn and practice the key concepts of engaged scholarship, including critical and creative thinking, ethical and empathetic dialogue, and collaborative and inclusive leadership. Students will gain a practical understanding of the Honors College and their role within it, while also building relationships that foster continued participation in the kinship of scholars.

Because of the importance of engaging in the Honors College from the beginning of each student’s academic career, all new incoming Honors College freshmen are required to enroll in an Honors Year One course during their first year. Transfer students and current students admitted to Honors College after the completion of at least two semesters of coursework at UA are not required to complete the Honors Year One course.

Honors College courses that fulfill the HYO requirement include:

  • UH 100 Honors Year One: Honors Connections:  All Honors Connection Courses are two credit hours and standard letter grade.
  • UH 110 Honors Year One: Honors Engagement: All Honors Engagement Courses are two credit hours and standard letter grade.

Students must receive a grade of “C” or better in UH 100 or UH 110 in order for the course to fulfill the HYO requirement.

Please note: Students in Randall Research Scholars Program, University Fellows Experience, and STEM Path to MBA, UFE 101, RRS 101 and GBA 171 or 172 also fulfill the Honors Year One requirement.

Honors Common Book Experience


Each year, the Honors College selects a book as the Honors Common Book. All first-year students, HYO mentors, faculty, and staff read the book in community and participate in programming centered around the Honors Common Book. The experience of a common read enhances the HYO curriculum and builds community around common discussions and experience.

2020—The Sun Does Shine:  How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton

2019—Book of Unknown American by Cristina Henriquez

2018—American War by Omar El Akkad

2017—Orphan Train by Christina Baker Klein

2016—A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

2015—Justice by Michael J. Sandel

Residential College


The Residential College allow students to have access to educational programs and extra-curricular activities exclusive to the Honors College. The Honors community includes the entire Ridgecrest community, including North, South, and West, which forms the center of the University’s tightly-knit Honors community.

In addition to the benefits of living with other Honors College students, faculty-in-residence in each residence hall further increase the value of such an opportunity. Residential College faculty-in-residence offer unique programs, social events, and serve as informal advisors for students living in the Residential College.

 

Faculty-in-Residence


Dr. Sara Hughes: Dr. Hughes is the assistant director of Creative Writing at UA, and she hosts the Pure Products Reading and Lecture Series. Her first book, The Disappearing Act, won the 2016 Adrienne Bond Award for Poetry and was published in 2018. Her poems have appeared in many publications, including RattleReed, and Atticus Review.

Dr. Steve Mobley: Dr. Mobley is assistant professor of Higher Education at UA. His areas of research interest include how LGBTQ students navigate racial and class differences in higher education and how they impact educational policy, especially at historically black colleges and universities.

Prof. Matt Wisla: Prof. Wisla is an instructor in Advertising and Public Relations in the College of Communication and Information Sciences. His research interests include corporate policy relations, crisis communications, international communications, Asia expertise, and public affairs.

HYO Living Learning Community


The Honors Connections Living Learning Community in Ridgecrest West is a smaller, intentional community within Honors Housing, created to aid first year students’ transitions into a collegiate environment. The LLC is a discovery-based partnership where first year Honors College students live and learn in community with each other and Honors College sophomores, juniors, and seniors who serve as peer mentors.  Incoming freshmen living in the LLC will enroll in UH 100: Honors Connections, a class that introduces first-year students to the UA Honors College experience. The aim of this course is to aid each student in finding and examining their place within the Honors College, the University of Alabama and the greater community. Students will learn and practice the key concepts of engaged scholarship, including critical and creative thinking, ethical and reasoned dialogue, and collaborative and inclusive leadership. Students will gain a practical understanding of the Honors College and their role within it, while also building relationships that foster continued participation in the kinship of scholars.

UA faculty alongside Honors College professional staff facilitate the LLC and the corresponding UH 100 course. Goals for each student in the LLC include: fostering a sense of community among students living in the LLC; forging lasting relationships between first year and upper-class students; and connecting first year students to the vast resources that can help them succeed in both the Honors College and Housing and Residential Communities.

Apply for the LLC