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Honors Program

Providing high-quality, rigorous, and rewarding educational experiences.

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Villa with Honors.

At Villa, the Honors Program is much more than a rigorous course load. Our honors students receive a well-rounded education that combines advanced academics with social opportunities and community service. As a reward for your hard work and dedication, Villa’s honors students receive a $12,000 scholarship award when they’re accepted into the program. In addition, Honors students have exclusive access to a private lounge area, hot beverages and preferred scheduling times each semester.

Academics

Dig deeper into your passion with special honors sections of classes, and a senior independent study project designed to let you explore and showcase your talents further.

Social

Get to know your fellow honors students by getting involved with student clubs and athletics. You’ll also have the opportunity for intellectual conversations during your honors seminar.

Service

Our service learning requirement results in a stronger education by giving students the chance to use what they’ve learned in the classroom to make the Western New York Community a better place.

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See for yourself.

Interested in learning more about the Villa experience? At Villa Maria College, we’re all about knowledge, inquiry, imagination – and setting the foundation for a lifetime of learning and creativity.

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Our Faculty

Honors Program Chair
Todd Baker

[email protected]
716.961.1827

Honor’s Program Mission

The mission of the Honors Program is to provide high-quality, rigorous, and rewarding educational experiences for academically high-achieving students and to enhance the intellectual and co-curricular experience at the College.

Admission & Maintenance Requirements

  • To participate in the Honors Program, all eligible students must sign a contract of commitment by Orientation of their freshman year. (This document serves as the contract).
  • Students are eligible if they have a high school average of 90 and above and have earned a NYS Regents diploma or equivalent.
  • Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) to remain in the Honors Program.
  • If a student’s cumulative GPA drops below a 3.0, a student is placed on honors program probation for one semester.
  • If the student’s cumulative GPA is not raised back to 3.0 at the end of the probationary semester, the student is dismissed from the honors program.
  • Students must take 27-30 credits of honors-designated courses, at least 12 of which must be at the 300- or 400- levels.
  • Students must take and pass honors program seminar for 0 credits each semester.
  • Students must take a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 18 credits of honors-designated courses in their program major.
  • Students must conduct self-assessments at the end of each academic year reflecting on their intellectual and personal growth, using evidence from their course work and activities to substantiate claims.
  • The honors program coordinator will evaluate students.
  • If a student fails an honors seminar, he or she is dismissed from the honors program.
  • A student’s financial aid status may be adjusted if he or she voluntarily leaves or is dismissed from the Program.

Advisory Board

Todd Baker, Professor of Natural Sciences & Mathematics/Honors Program Chair
[email protected] • 716-961-1827

Elizabeth Battaglia, Professor of English
[email protected] • 716-961-1860

Dr. Sylvia Grmela, Associate Professor of Music
[email protected] • 716-961-2861

Dr. Ann Rivera, Provost
[email protected] • 716-961-1800

Lucy Waite, Director of Library Services and Instructional Resources
[email protected] • 716-961-1863

Adam Weekley, Associate Professor of Fine Arts
[email protected] • 716-961-1816

What I love about photography is the freedom of creativity. Photography is a dynamic career with the variety of work you can pursue. The biggest takeaway Villa has given me is the confidence and capability in myself to succeed. The encouraging atmosphere allowed me to push myself academically and artistically while evolving as an individual as well. My advice to future Vikings would be to step out of your comfort zone; talk to someone new, go to a club meeting, take part in an activity. Before you know it, you will be walking across the stage, reflecting on all of Villa's special unique moments.

Alyssa LaMartina, '23Graduate of the Honors Program

Creating something that didn’t previously exist is such a rewarding part of the job. Being with a project from start to finish, and seeing it put out into the real world never gets less exciting. The small class size and ability to create a relationship with every professor was such an important part of my time at Villa. Take your time and create work you are proud of. These four years will fly by so do the most with the time you have.

Kelsey Sikora, '23Graduate of the Honors Program

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