Each semester, we offer a variety of 1- or 0-hour short-format Honors courses called colloquia. These classes, taught by professors in every discipline, cover fun and engaging topics. Honors colloquia are typically very interactive and are often discussion-based experiences.
All Honors students are required to complete two of these colloquia during their time at ACU to graduate with Honors. Students are eligible to register for these courses once they complete 30 hours.
See our colloquium guide below for descriptions of all the exciting Honors Colloquium offerings for the Spring 2022 semester.
Upcoming Colloquia
Bon Appetit: Savoring Poetry and Good Cooking
In this exciting Honors course, we will eat at top-notch restaurants here in town, learn how to cook from an award-winning chef, study delicious poetry from famous modern poets, and we will discover powerful connections between poetry and food. We will truly savor words and food together as a community of learners.
Framing Narratives: Feminist Readings of Art Museums
Museum exhibits tell stories that include and exclude. Sometimes those decisions are made consciously in pursuit of a particular narrative, sometimes they result from a curator’s level of exposure to diverse sources or perspectives, often they are influenced by a whole collection of stakeholders ranging from museum boards to donors to local audiences. An astute museum goer can begin to learn to look for the narratives – both told and untold – that shape an exhibit. Join us as we seek to decipher these narratives and understand their influences to be better readers of those stories.
Footprints of Abilene: Hearing and Creating the City’s Stories
This colloquium is out to disprove the parodic slogan “Keep Abilene Boring!” Join us as we explore a text together… the city of Abilene! We will meet one weeknight, one full Saturday, then one final weeknight as we walk together, observe, write and discuss questions like: Who are the people in this city? What does Abilene value? How can we know? As we discover the city as our text, we will observe, explore, interact, and invest in the future of the city as well. Our response to the “text” will be reflected in various types of writing as we also consider walls, both physical and metaphorical, that both inhibit and foster diversity and hospitality.
The Simple Life: Exploring an Ohio Amish Community
This travel-based Honors colloquium will explore one of the largest Amish communities in the world – located in Wayne and Holmes County, Ohio (this is where Dr. Jason Morris grew up). Students will travel to this region of the U.S. over fall break and explore various facets of Amish life – including faith, family, community, lifestyle, and historical context. Students will engage in conversation with an Amish leader, tour a working Amish farm, sample local Amish dishes, and explore the natural beauty of the area.