This guide outlines the process for biology, molecular biology, and environmental biology majors to graduate with honors or high honors. To qualify, students must demonstrate commitment to research, maintain a minimum 3.3 major GPA, and complete a review paper, a research paper, and an oral presentation.
Obtaining honors or high-honors in biology should not be viewed as a reward for high grades. Indeed, many more students will meet the GPA requirement than are invited to stand for honors or high-honors. Having 鈥渁 deep commitment to a research project鈥 is the requirement most often overlooked or underappreciated by students. Students must have the support of a research advisor, who can attest to an extraordinary level of commitment to research from the student.
Additionally, the department reserves the right to disqualify student eligibility based on instances of academic misconduct, including but not limited to plagiarism and other forms of cheating.
To qualify for both honors and high honors, students in BIOL, MBIO, and ENBI must have a GPA of at least 3.3 based on all courses applied toward the major, including any required extra-departmental courses (e.g., required chemistry courses). The GPA requirement is the same for both honors and high-honors to indicate that the distinction between these two levels of acknowledgement is not based on grades and classroom performance; rather it is based on commitment to, and proficiency in, research.
An extraordinary commitment to and demonstrated proficiency in research are absolutely required for graduation with honors or high-honors, and no level of classroom performance (as reflected in the GPA) can compensate for this requirement. Extraordinary commitment to research refers to dedication that goes significantly beyond standard expectations and could be characterized by: the persistent pursuit of knowledge despite obstacles; willingness to invest exceptional time and effort into a project; the development of new methodology or approaches to the research question; and/or a depth of knowledge of the subject matter, especially the primary literature, that greatly exceeds that of typical senior level-undergraduates. For honors, the research project should be completed over the course of at least one semester. For high honors, the project should be completed over the course of at least two semesters. A summer dedicated to research with a Colgate faculty member, or as part of the Bethesda Biomedical Research Study Group, may count as one of these two semesters.
Although the research requirement differs between graduation with honors and high-honors, students should not presume that they will be awarded high-honors if they have simply conducted two semesters (or a semester and summer) of research. The faculty of the department will determine whether graduation with high-honors is warranted based on the quality and quantity of the work performed and the demonstrated commitment to the research. High-honors designation is reserved for a very small number of students that demonstrate a very extraordinary level of commitment to and capacity for research.
Academic year work toward an honors or high-honors project must be conducted (1) as part of a research tutorial (BIOL 479-490) or independent study course (BIOL 491) that is approved by the department chair to count as a research tutorial, or (2) research conducted in Bethesda or Singapore as part of Colgate鈥檚 Study Groups. Summer projects conducted in pursuit of honors should be conducted with Colgate faculty members or as part of the Bethesda Study Group.
Students are encouraged to talk with their research advisors early about their interest in pursuing graduation with honors. This includes students going to Bethesda/Singapore, who should discuss with a faculty member of the biology department the possibility of pursuing honors before leaving for Bethesda/Singapore or early during their time at Bethesda/Singapore. With the understanding that students may elect to stop pursuing honors for a variety of reasons, students should make a final decision, with their advisor, regarding pursuit of honors no later than October 31 (for students intending on presenting in the fall semester) and one week prior to the mid-term recess in the spring (for students intending on presenting in the spring semester). Students should select, in consultation with their advisor, a second reader within the biology department, at that time. Additional readers may be selected at the discretion of the advisor.
Commitment to a research project will be determined based on the level of support from the faculty advisor and additional reader(s) along with all faculty members based on the papers, oral presentation, and other experience with the candidate. See below for a more detailed explanation of criteria on which commitment can be demonstrated.
Papers
For honors and high honors students in BIOL, MBIO, and ENBI, a two-chapter thesis is required.
The first chapter of the thesis consists of a review paper. This should be a comprehensive review of a research field relevant to the project, as decided by the student and their advisor. Analysis and descriptions of the field should be drawn from the primary scientific literature, not just review papers or book chapters. The review should begin with a one- or two-paragraph abstract. The body of the review should provide a brief history of the field and a comprehensive analysis of the recent findings and questions in the field. The review should end with an insightful description of why the research project is significant and important in light of this information (i.e. how the research project enhances our understanding of these ideas) and what questions remain in the field. Figures that enhance understanding of the information presented are normally included. The review is normally 3500-5000 words (excluding references). These review papers should normally include references to at least 25 papers of which only 20% (of the total number of references) should be review papers or book chapters. A nearly final draft (pending any suggested revisions) of the review paper is due to the department no later than the first Friday of November (in the Fall semester) or the Friday after the Mid-Term Recess (in the Spring semester). Students will receive feedback on proceeding with the honors process within one week following submission of the paper.
The second chapter of the thesis is a paper in the format of an appropriate scholarly outlet. The paper should be presented in a format appropriate to the discipline, determined in consultation with the advisor, but will normally include the following sections: abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and literature cited. A paragraph or two at the end of the discussion should address the significance of the results in the specific area of the sub-discipline and its contribution to the field in a broader context. A nearly-final draft of the research paper (pending results of any final experiments) is due to the research advisor and second reader no later than the Friday before the last week of class in each term.
Papers may be submitted to the research advisor for review and improvement ahead of the indicated deadlines, but will be assessed for honors by the research advisor and second reader at the indicated deadlines.
Oral Presentations
Candidates for graduation with honors or high-honors must give a 10-12-minute oral presentation to the entire Biology Department with an additional 3 minutes for questions. Students will be strictly held to the 15-minute maximum time alloed for their presentation and questions. Those students taking more than 12 minutes during their presentation will reduce the time available for questions and jeopardize their case for honors or high-honors. Students not done presenting at the end of 15 minutes will be asked to stop their presentation at that time.
The oral presentation will be evaluated by the biology faculty in attendance. It should adequately introduce the research topic in a way that all can understand the background of the topic and appreciate the significance of the objectives. The presentation should explain the methods in sufficient detail so all will understand the approach that has been taken. When discussing results, figures/tables should be clear and readable from anywhere in the room. Small print and overly complicated figures or tables should be avoided, and the talk should be concluded with a summary of the findings, statements describing the significance of the results and future directions or studies that might be considered based on the results. Presentations are normally given during the Wednesday of Final Exam week.
Determination of Award
Graduation with honors or high honors is dependent on the determination by the department that the following is satisfied:
- The research advisor and other faculty, if applicable, are able to testify that the student鈥檚 investment and proficiency in research generally, and the thesis project in particular, are reflective of a very high (honors) or exceptionally high (high honors) level of commitment to research. Evaluation of investment is nuanced and specific to each student-faculty relationship. However, students can demonstrate investment with a commitment of time, energetic intentional work on their project, enthusiasm to learn things outside of their specific research area and help others, and curiosity about work in their selected field.
- The research project must represent an original, high-quality investigation that contributes to our understanding of the field of inquiry. The student must have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the project in addition to carrying out the actual research. Generally, the expectations for quality, quantity, and originality of research findings are higher for high-honors than honors candidates. However, the department may be sympathetic to challenges (e.g., difficulties in acquiring necessary permits, machine malfunction) that are outside of the student鈥檚 control.
- The research paper (chapter of the thesis) must be well-wrien, the research problem described well, and the results and their implications put in the context of the field in which the study was conducted. Although data and time limitations often preclude submission of student papers for publication in this form, the manuscript鈥檚 writing quality and aention to detail should be appropriate for a submission to a peer-reviewed journal.
- Similarly, the review paper must be of high quality. The student should synthesize information within the given field and make novel conclusions or develop novel hypotheses based on what is known. In this work, students should demonstrate that they have exhausted the relevant literature and that they understand key findings within the selected area.
- The oral presentation must be of high quality, not over the time limit, and well-delivered. The responses to questions should reflect a high level of knowledge, understanding, and investment.
The Biology faculty review each student standing for honors and make a determination of whether the research project, investment, writing, and presentation show the high level of engagement expected for receiving honors. For candidates where the quality of research, engagement, writing and presentation rise to an exceptional level, the department may award high honors.