Recent Changes in Honors

This page services as a resource to help Honors students navigate the transitional period of Fall 2024 after the University's centralization of academic advising changed the services provided by the University Honors Program.

Where should I go for academic advising?

At the end of the Spring 2024 semester, the centralization of academic advising at UofL resulted in some significant changes for the University Honors Program.  These changes most directly impact Honors students who are majoring in the College of Arts & Sciences whose Honors advisors served as their primary source for academic advising.  Since the implementation of centralized advising, however, academic advising services for all majors will now be handled by the advising center within each academic unit.  Thus, Honors students seeking academic advising services (e.g., lifting advising holds, confirming progress toward degree requirements, declaring a major/minor/certificate, requesting preliminary degree checks, exceeding the maximum hours for a semester, questions about courses flagged by the Financial Aid Course Auditor system, etc.) should contact their assigned academic advisors in their home academic unit(s) with these questions and requests.  Students can find their assigned academic advisor's name and contact information by logging into CardSmart here and checking their dashboard for their Success Team listings.

 

What is Honors Mentoring?

The University Honors Program staff will continue to offer support and guidance for Honors students across the university through group and individual opportunities throughout the semester.  Honors mentors are available to answer Honors-related questions, discuss students' goals, challenge students to try new experiences through Honors at UofL and beyond (e.g., the surrounding Louisville community, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the southern region, the nation, and globally).  Honors mentors will encourage students to stretch in new directions academically, personally, and professionally during their time in the program.  With a multitude of opportunities offered by the University Honors Program in the areas of student leadership, engagement, critical thinking, research, creative activity, scholarship, and travel, Honors mentors can assist students in tailoring their Honors experience and prioritizing their goals.  

 

Who should I contact for help?

The following chart provides some examples of frequent Honors student questions / requests for assistance and where they should go for support in these areas:

Honors Mentoring Academic Unit Advising Center
  • Applying to the University Honors Program
  • Questions about Honors classes
  • Access to Honors Scholars Seminars
  • University Honors Program requirements
  • Checking progress toward completing the University Honors Program and/or Honors Scholars
  • Interest in / applying to / completing the Honors Scholars Program
  • Suspension from Honors
  • Returning to (reinstatement in) Honors
  • Honors Conferences
  • Honors RSOs (Honors Student Council, Black & Brown Honors Society, & The White Squirrel Arts & Literary Magazine)
  • Undergraduate research goals
  • Travel opportunities / goal setting (domestic and international)
  • President's Council Mentoring Program
  • National and International Scholarship opportunities and planning
  • Questions about mentored scholarship programs (MLK Scholars, Grawemeyer Scholars, Jones Scholars)
  • Setting and prioritizing academic and career goals
  • Post-graduation planning (prestigious scholarship opportunities, graduate school planning, career planning)
  • Lifting "Advising Required" ULink Shopping Cart holds
  • Drop/Add Week support for non-Honors classes
  • Withdrawal questions for non-Honors classes
  • Checking progress toward degree completion / requesting preliminary degree checks
  • Declaring majors/minors/certificates
  • Questions about major/minor/certificate requirements
  • Requests to take courses outside of UofL (Visiting Student, Metroversity, etc.)
  • Petitioning academic unit policies or procedures (e.g., requests to take more than 18 hours in a given semester)
  • Enrollment/scheduling assistance for non-Honors classes
  • Study abroad course approval forms

 

How do I schedule an appointment with an Honors Mentor?

Students who are interested in meeting with an Honors Mentor can schedule an appointment by logging into CardSmart and clicking on the "Make an Appointment" button in the upper right corner of their dashboard screen.  More detailed instructions on scheduling appointments with Honors in CardSmart are coming soon!