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Co-curricular Programming

Honors students can be found pursuing majors in each of Loyola's four colleges, engaging in a wide variety of extracurricular activities and participating as members of many student organizations. Many Honors students are active and have leadership positions in university clubs, intercollegiate and intramural sports, fraternities and sororities, and student government activities.  

The University Honors Program, however, is not merely a checklist of experiences, it is a community of relationships.  Honors students commonly develop a strong sense of bonding and camaraderie with other Honors students, as they share intense intellectual experiences, study and relax together in the Honors lounge and tower in Monroe Library or in the Honors Themed Living Community, and participate in Honors co-curricular activities. Honors co-curricular activities are varied and consistently foster a connection among our students; many Honors students view these peer relationships as the most significant benefit of their membership in the University Honors Program.

All Honors students are automatically members of the University Honors Association (UHA).  Our student organization advises the Director and University Honors Advisory Board on academic and co-curricular issues.  UHA also plans social activities, such as the annual Honors Laser Tag Outing (fall) and Mardi Gras Ball (spring).  Service and Community Engagement are an important component of UHA activities, both through limited events (such as the annual hygiene drive for homeless women) and on-going community partnerships (for example, the tutoring programs described above).

As a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council, the UHP provides the opportunity for Honors students to participate in the annual national honors conference, at which they can present papers, attend workshops, and interact with Honors students from all over the country.  

Student Conferences and Reading Groups

As a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council, the Southern Regional Honors Council, and the Louisiana Collegiate Honors Council, the UHP provides the opportunity for Honors students to participate in national, regional, and state honors conferences, at which they can present papers, attend workshops, participate in the College Quiz Bowl, and interact with honors students at other universities.

Honors Learning Community

First year Honors students have the privilege of living in the Honors community, staffed by two Resident Assistants who are both UHP members.  Students benefit not only from interaction with fellow Honors students, who are in many of the same first year Honors seminars and other courses, but from co-curricular programming ranging from social activities such as laser tag to community engagement projects to presentations led by guest speakers.  The Honors Themed Living Community is located in Buddig Hall.

If you’re interested, please contact the University Honors Program at (504) 864-7331 or e-mail honors@loyno.edu.

Find out more about the honors learning community »

Other Activities

The Honors Program sponsors cultural events both on and off campus, including excursions to the opera, the symphony, the theater, and art museums. Faculty experts are invited to accompany us to give larger context and meaning to the experience. This year we are looking to build on old traditions and host new events.

As a capstone to the honors academic experience, each senior completes a research, scholarship or creative thesis. Working closely with honors and faculty advisors, students brainstorm ideas, conduct original research, and create a polished work that they present to the Loyola community.

The format of each product varies depending on the nature of the work. While many students choose to conduct traditional research or scholarly theses, students also compose orchestral works, choreograph original dances, design business plans or write poetry or novellas. Many of our students go on to pursue masters or doctoral degrees related to their theses/projects, and some students see their undergraduate research or creative work published in renowned academic and literary journals.  But no matter what genre of thesis work a student chooses, every senior presents a poster of the project at the Honors Thesis Celebration.