Christ College - The Honors College
Learn more about Christ College online.
Dean Jennifer Prough, Ph.D.
Associate Dean Zachary King, Ph.D.
Professors Buggeln, T. Howard, Prough; Associate Professors Graber, Jakelić, Puffer, Smith, Upton; Visiting Assistant Professors Ruud, A; Adjunct Assistant Professors Creech, A. Howard.
Christ College is the honors college of Valparaiso University. Established in 1967, Christ College celebrates more than fifty years of providing an honors-level, interdisciplinary, liberal arts education that enables students to develop in-depth critical thinking skills and a sense of vocation and service.
Christ College students are concurrently enrolled in one of the University’s undergraduate Colleges - Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, or Nursing and Health Professions - where they earn their bachelor’s degrees. Study in Christ College complements all academic programs, providing stimulating interdisciplinary study in the humanities with master teacher-scholars and academically talented students. Many Christ College courses fulfill the University’s General Education requirements.
Completion of a program of study in Christ College leads to graduation with the honors designation Christ College Scholar . In addition, a student may also earn a complementary minor in humanities with additional Christ College coursework.
Christ College endeavors to develop among its members a sense of community: a community of seekers of knowledge and truth, a community within which free inquiry is encouraged and principled commitment is fostered, and a community of scholars engaged in preparing themselves for active participation in the larger human community. Much of the curricular structure of Christ College and many of its co-curricular activities are devoted to developing this. By developing an academic community that gathers outside as well as inside the classroom, Christ College promotes a particular set of educational virtues and ideals among its members. Among these are direct and personal relationships between students and faculty, a spirit of cooperation and mutual growth through free exchange of ideas, a willingness to challenge and scrutinize ideas and beliefs (including one’s own), and a concern for the integration of academic learning into a responsible and meaningful life.
Its facilities also encourage community-building. Christ College is located in Mueller Hall, a modern building in the heart of campus where students and faculty interact in seminar-sized classrooms, a 60-seat multimedia lecture hall, a comfortable lounge-style common area, a landscaped courtyard, and a multipurpose refectory.
Admission and Membership in Christ College
First-Year Admission
To be considered for membership in Christ College as an incoming first-year student, applicants must first be admitted to Valparaiso University. Admitted students with superior academic records, strong SAT or ACT scores (optional), proven leadership in extracurricular activities, and a measure of curiosity and creativity are encouraged to apply for the honors program. Approximately 70 first-year students are accepted into the Christ College First-Year Program each fall.
The Christ College First-Year Program includes a two-semester course in the traditions of human thought with readings in history, literature, philosophy, and religion. Coursework emphasizes close reading, thoughtful discussion, and critical writing. In addition to their seminar courses, the first-year cohort also meets in a drama lab to write, perform, and produce an original musical. In the second semester, these students participate in Oxford-style debates.
Admission After the First Year
After the first year of undergraduate coursework, students with strong records of academic achievement may be invited to join Christ College at the dean’s discretion. For example, some sophomores are admitted to Christ College each fall. These students enroll in sophomore-level Christ College courses and begin a pursuit of the Christ College Scholar graduation distinction. Students who have fulfilled the two-semester CORE or VUE sequence at Valpo prior to joining Christ College may earn Christ College Scholar honors by completing a minimum of 16 credit hours of CC courses numbered 200 and above, plus one additional 3 credit seminar (CC 300 or CC 325).
Some Valpo students enroll in one or more courses offered by the college but do not pursue honors program designations. Such enrollment is subject to the approval of the dean and limited only by class size.
Any Valparaiso University student - whether or not they are a member of Christ College - may pursue a complementary minor in humanities through Christ College coursework.
Transfer Admission
Christ College welcomes students transferring to Valparaiso University from other colleges and universities, especially if students have taken honors courses at their previous institutions, including at junior colleges. A transfer student should discuss their interest in Christ College with the transfer admission coordinator and speak with the dean of Christ College.
The student must submit the application to Christ College. If approved, an academic advisor from Christ College will determine, in consultation with the student and the major advisor, which Christ College courses would best fit the student’s needs and interests.
Typically, a transfer student who has fulfilled the general education requirement of the two-semester CORE or VUE may earn Christ College Scholar honors by completing a minimum of 16 credit hours of CC courses numbered 200 and above.
For transfer students who bring in at least 70 credits or plan to graduate in four semesters or less, Christ College will review their academic record to determine an individualized path in honors.
Membership in Christ College
A student formally admitted to Christ College, either as a first-year or upper-class student, is designated a member of Christ College. Once admitted, a student’s status is regularly reviewed by the dean and faculty to determine whether the student is satisfying the standards appropriate to membership in the Honors College. These requirements include contribution to the common life of the college, satisfactory academic progress toward a degree in one of the undergraduate colleges, and continuing academic achievement consonant with the mission and standards of Christ College.
Even when students are not directly registered in Christ College courses during a given semester, they are expected to contribute to the College’s common life. This includes attendance at Christ College Symposium events and regular consultation with a Christ College advisor.
Continuing academic achievement at the honors level includes: 1) a cumulative grade point average of 3.300 in all coursework completed at the University and 2) a cumulative grade point average of 3.300 in all coursework completed in Christ College. Students who fall below these standards at the end of a semester or academic year will be notified by the dean. In some cases, students will be asked to meet with the CC academic advisor or the dean to discuss their status and may be counseled not to continue in Christ College.
Continuing membership in Christ College is not determined solely by particular criteria such as cumulative grade point average or the student’s academic record for a particular semester or year. The dean and faculty consider the complete circumstances and direction of each student’s total academic career and role in Christ College and retain the right to maintain or terminate a student’s membership in Christ College in light of these conditions. The final approval for those who graduate with the designation of Christ College Scholar is made by the dean in consultation with the associate dean and the faculty.
The dean and faculty take an interest in the total program of every member of Christ College, seeking to enhance the quality of the educational experience for each individual student. Accordingly, the dean may authorize certain variations in the normal academic requirements of a student if such variations seem desirable in the best interests of the student. For example, the dean may permit a student to carry extra credit hours and to waive certain University requirements if such waivers are justified. Members of the college are normally expected to meet all University requirements for graduation except where such modifications have been explicitly authorized by the dean. In general, the faculty may tailor a program to meet a student’s interests and needs within the general framework and spirit of the University’s requirements.
Academic Advising and Approval of Course Schedules
The associate dean serves as an academic advisor for all Christ College students. Students are encouraged to confer regularly with their Christ College advisor to select courses, to meet University and college graduation requirements, to assure orderly progress in their chosen programs, and to assist in career planning and related matters.
In addition to a Christ College advisor, students have an advisor in the other college in which they are simultaneously enrolled and are required to confer regularly with that advisor.
Each student is responsible for knowing and adhering to curriculum requirements, academic policies, deadlines for academic actions, and Christ College membership criteria.
Programs of Study
Completion of the degree requirements of the college in which the Christ College student is concurrently enrolled leads to the bachelor’s degree appropriate to that college. In addition, a member of Christ College, by meeting the appropriate requirements, may graduate as a Christ College Scholar . The transcript carries the notation along with an explanation of its meaning.
Christ College students, as well as students who are not members of Christ College, may pursue a complementary minor in humanities through the college.
Honors Designation
Minor
