Honors Program
About the Program
The Orange County Community College’s Honors Program is designed to offer highly motivated and talented students opportunities to more fully develop their potential by challenging them to assume more control of their intellectual development, allowing opportunities for cross-curricular learning and providing more in-depth experience with issues and topics of global and societal importance. Exceptional students have increased opportunities for personal growth in areas of interdisciplinary academic inquiry, cultural awareness, community responsibility and transformational leadership. In short, we provide students opportunities to grow, discover and achieve in a myriad of ways.
What We Offer:
- Opportunities for motivated students to develop to their full potential
- Exceptional intellectual challenges
- In-depth experiences with issues and topics of global and societal importance
- Close interactions between professors and students
- Guaranteed small class size
- Research and conference opportunities
- Priority registration
- Enhanced transfer success
- Increased scholarship opportunities
- Articulation agreements with four-year institutions
"The SUNY Orange Honors program highlights the cross-disciplinary nature of learning; we believe that all subjects of academic inquiry are important and interconnected, as are cultural awareness, community building, service, and leadership.
Featuring smaller, discussion-based (Socratic style) classes and assignments that allow for individual research and creativity, we stress the benefits of classroom education as well as the importance of non-traditional learning. We pride ourselves on a strong sense of community and a nurturing environment.
As the program coordinator, I work with every student as both an academic advisor and an honors faculty member. Students who complete the honors program are well-rounded individuals with much to offer colleges, employers, and communities. In fact, our honors graduates are highly sought after by recruiters at four-year colleges and universities. That, coupled with the affordable tuition rate, makes the SUNY Orange Honors Program the best kept secret in Orange County.
If you like to challenge yourself and think outside the box academically, culturally,
and socially, then the SUNY Orange Honors Program is a great place to start. Please
call us to discuss how we can help you become who you wish to be!"
Elaine Torda
Professor, English
Honors Program Coordinator
Chair, Interdisciplinary Studies
"To say that she is generous with her time and energy is to say too little, because what she gives is not only time and energy but Elaine Torda herself. And she does it with grace." - Andrew J. Cognard-Black, Ph.D, St. Mary's College of Maryland.
Mission Statement
The SUNY Orange Honors Program enriches personal growth through academic inquiry and co-curricular experiences in the areas of: interdisciplinary academic inquiry, transformational experiences, cultural awareness, and community responsibility.
Vision Statement
We aspire to provide the richest, most highly respected honors education among New York community colleges.
