Business-Honors-Handbook-2020-2021-for-website

ACADEMICS GPA Requirement Meeting with Your Advisor & NAVIGATE Probation & Dismissal Policy Business Honors as a Major Required Honors Courses Core Business Knowledge Courses Honors Elec

2020-2021

Through engaging and informative educational programs which relentlessly pursue and consistently exhibit excellence, Business Honors at Texas A&M University strives to nurture young leaders in mind, body, and spirit, further equipping them to serve others with humility and to run with gratitude and boldness throughout life’s journey.

~ Student's Mission Statement

5 5 6 7 7 7 8 8 9 III PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

What are PD Events?

PD Event Policy

PD Etiquette & Basics

How to Receive Credit

Probation & Dismissal

II ACADEMICS

GPA Requirement

Meeting with Your Advisor & NAVIGATE

Probation & Dismissal Policy

Business Honors as a Major

Required Honors Courses

Core Business Knowledge Courses

Honors Elective Courses

Course Registration

Internship (BUSN 484)

IV GRADUATING WITH BH

Graduation Requirements & Timeline

Alumni Information

1516

V OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

Awards and Distinctions

1 2 3

STAY IN TOUCH WITH US

BUSINESS HONORS STAFF

Director

BUSN 125 ProfessorBUSN 484 Professor

KRIS MORLEY

kmorley@mays.tamu.edu (979) 862-8975

STAFF OFFICE

honors2@mays.tamu.edu (979) 845-7512

Visit us in Wehner 240

Email is the primary form of communication between Business Honors staff and

students in the program You are responsible for all information sent via email

regarding program requirements, deadlines, etc All email messages will be sent to

your official TAMU email address.

The Business Honors Weekly Update is sent out early each week to keep you

informed of upcoming professional development events, academic and scholarship

opportunities, internship and employment opportunities, and other noteworthy

Business Honors highlights for the week You are responsible for reviewing the

Weekly Update and taking action as necessary

The Weekly Update will be sent from honors2@mays.tamu.edu

TEXAS A&M BUSINESS HONORS

@MAYS_BUSINESS_HONORS

STAY IN TOUCH WITH US

eCampus is an online platform used by most professors to communicate with their

students, record grades, and share course information Business Honors utilizes

eCampus for announcements, Professional Development (PD) information, and

program materials This is also where you submit blurbs for PD event credit

You can access eCampus through Howdy using your Net ID and password It is your

responsibility to learn how to access and utilize eCampus If you have any issues or

questions, ask your Peer Leader or contact the BH Staff

ECAMPUS

EMAIL

SOCIAL MEDIA

STAY IN TOUCH WITH US

CURRENT AND FORMER STUDENTS | MAYS BUSINESS HONORS PROGRAM

STAY IN TOUCH WITH US

BH BASICS

Read, acknowledge, and adhere to the Business Honors Code of Conduct

Maintain a cumulative 3.5 GPA

Complete the courses required for the major, including the BUSN 484 InternshipAttend at least four Professional Development events each year

Complete a Portfolio or Signature Work project

Attend the annual All BH Meeting

Read and complete the summer reading assignment each year

To be in good standing, meet program requirements, and graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Honors, you must:

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developed by Business Honors students in 2018, the Business Honors Code ofConduct outlines the guiding principles and expectations for Business Honorsstudents during their time at Texas A&M University It serves as a  “standard ofexcellence and integrity within and outside of Mays Business School.”

Incoming students are required to sign an acknowledgement (located in eCampus)stating you have read and understand the Code of Conduct Do not approach signingthe Acknowledgement Statement as if it were a Terms and Conditions statement on

a website You will be held accountable for following the standards it contains

See the full Business Honors Code of Conduct in the Appendix

CODE OF CONDUCT

All leaders are readers To support and help you

develop this habit, Business Honors has a summer

reading component The program will provide you with

a short list of recommendations and will purchase your

selection If you do not submit your book selection to

Business Honors, you will need to purchase a book

from the recommendation list yourself

SUMMER READING

You will attend an All Business Honors Meeting each fall semester This meeting

covers various critical updates and announcements related to Business Honors

requirements and procedures for the current academic year There are two time

options available, but you only need to go to one

To remain in good standing with the Business Honors Program, you must attend

this meeting This is considered an academic requirement of the program With the

exception of an academic conflict, no absences are excused

ALL BH MEETING

Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.

Harry S Truman

Through a culminating experience - or signature work- you will synthesize the

knowledge and skills you have gained through your coursework, co-curricular

activities, internships, study abroad, and other related experiences by applying your

learning to an important real-world issue You will choose the topic and form of

your project Over the course of multiple semesters, you will work independently

with a faculty/advisor coach to put together a capstone project you will present

during your senior year

SIGNATURE WORK (C/O 2022 & LATER)

After completing your reading, you will compose a short reflection of key takeaways

from the book and upload it to your online portfolio Business Honors staff will

review your reflection in your portfolio

Your portfolio is a place to develop and document your learning from freshman to

senior year in the Business Honors Program You will gather materials and reflect on

your learning, strengths, goals, and accomplishments Your online portfolio is not

meant to function as a professional or public tool though you may choose to use it

that way but rather as a personal collection and documentation of your growth

and development

You will receive more information and direction on developing your online portfolio

in BUSN 125 Any questions concerning your portfolio should be directed to your

advisors or the director

PORTFOLIO (C/O 2021 & EARLIER)

STAY IN TOUCH WITH US ACADEMICS

Business Honors is your academic major and you are expected to regularly meetwith your Business Honors advisor Your advisor will assist you with navigating yourdegree plan, course scheduling, graduation requirements, and programrequirements Advisors will publish walk-in advising and individual appointmentschedules each semester You can use NAVIGATE to schedule an appointmentonline with them

You should meet with your advisor at least once a semester, however, you maychoose to meet more often Working with your advisor allows you to make informedand intentional decisions about your academic plan

The program director is available for appointments as well

MEETING WITH YOUR ADVISOR

Log into Howdy

Go to the My Record tab

Go to the Advising Appointments block on the right side of the page

Select NAVIGATE – Schedule Advising Appointments

Once in NAVIGATE, select Get Assistance

Follow the prompts to select an appointment type, advisor, and time

Director: BUSN 125 Meeting, Internship, Program Requirements, Signature Work.

Advisor: Any appointment type (excluding BUSN 125 Meeting)

NAVIGATE is an online platform you will use to connect with campus resources,including the Business Honors advisors and director To make an appointment:

Each BH staff member has a link to NAVIGATE in their email signature

NAVIGATE/MAKING AN APPOINTMENT

You are required to maintain a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average This

is the standard set for all honors students at Texas A&M University, and it is thethreshold students must meet to be eligible to take honors classes and earn aBachelor of Business Administration in Business Honors

GPA REQUIREMENT

TERMS

FIRST TIME BELOW SECOND TIME BELOW THIRD TIME BELOW

Probation is not an option, dismissed from Business Honors

DISMISSAL

TERMS

GPA is <3.5, but

>3.0 3.5 GPA can be obtained in 2 semesters

May be enrolled in

BH courses

No honors priority registration May still earn a second semester

of probation if a certificate program at the Academic Success Center is

completed

GPA is <3.5, but >3.0 3.5 GPA can be obtained in 1 semester Completed certificate program with the Academic Success Center

May be enrolled in BH courses

No honors priority registration

Dismissed from Business Honors.

GPA less than 3.0 3.5 GPA cannot be obtained in 2 semesters

GPA less than 3.0 3.5 GPA cannot be obtained in 1 semester Did not complete a certificate program with the Academic Success Center

ELIGIBLE FOR

PROBATION

IF

At the conclusion of each fall and spring semester, your student record will be

reviewed to ensure you continue to meet the required 3.5 cumulative GPA

minimum Please note your cumulative GPA, not your semester GPA, is reviewed

If your cumulative GPA is 3.5 or greater, you are considered to be in good academic

standing with Business Honors If your cumulative GPA is below a 3.5, you will be

offered academic probation OR dismissed from Business Honors, according the

chart below

Note: Seniors (including rising seniors) who are on academic and/or program

requirement probation must have a second major on their record

You will be contacted via email if your status in Business Honors changes.

PROBATION AND DISMISSAL POLICY

Business Honors at Mays Business School is a challenging, discovery-driven programand academic major As an academic major, the curriculum components listed onpages 7-9 are required.

The BHNR major requires 30 hours of honors level coursework, which consists of 9hours of required courses, 15 hours of business electives, and 6 hours of electiveoptions Additionally, you are required to complete an internship

Please see the Mays Business School Student Handbook for more information on yourBHNR degree

BUSINESS HONORS AS A MAJOR

BUSN 125H: Business Honors Learning Community (3 hours)

Students admitted as sophomores may replace BUSN 125 with BUSN 101 or BUSN 403 and are required

to take CLBA 001 in the fall of their sophomore year

BUSN 225H: Business Competency (3 hours)

MGMT 466H: Strategic Management (3 hours)

Students in PPA will complete MGMT 680 as a substitution for MGMT 466H.

REQUIRED HONORS COURSES

C O M P L E T E 9 H O U R S O F R E Q U I R E D C O U R S E S

BUSN 484: Business Honors Internship (3 hours)

See page 9 for more information on internships

REQUIRED INTERNSHIP

C O M P L E T E 3 H O U R S O F R E Q U I R E D C O U R S E S

CORE BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE

Introductory Accounting – FinancialIntroductory Accounting – ManagerialBusiness Finance

Fundamentals of Information SystemsLegal and Social Environment of BusinessManaging People in Organizations

MarketingStatistical MethodsOperations Management

It may not be necessary for you to take an honors course every semester You

will be assigned an honors priority registration time each semester (assuming

good standing) whether you are signing up for an honors course or not

All BH course selection surveys are due by the stated deadline No exceptions.

You will not be forced into an honors business course beyond its listed limit

It is your responsibility to check for holds on your account which might prevent

registration Business Honors cannot and will not override any holds

If you are participating in a study abroad, internship, or any other activity away

from campus, you may still participate in Course Selection All deadlines apply

If you are on probation with Business Honors, you may still participate in the Course Selection

process, however, you will not have an honors priority registration time.

You must be in good standing with both Business Honors and University Honors to be assigned an

honors priority registration time This includes academic (GPA) and program (participation)

requirements.

Each semester, you have the opportunity to preference the honors business

course(s) you want to take the following semester You  will receive an email with

detailed instructions and deadlines During open registration, you will be placed in

your selected honors business classes by your advisor You will receive a

confirmation email later with the information about the classes you were placed in

During your university-assigned registration time, you will register yourself for all

other courses not included in the Course Selection process on howdy.tamu.edu

The process may vary slightly by semester, but the following policies always apply:

Important Note for Students on Probation:

Important Note for Students Participating in University Honors:

COURSE REGISTRATION

Complete a non-business honors course

Complete a business honors course

A business honors course will only count as an honors elective  after a

minimum of 5 business honors (CBK) courses have been completed

Complete a course via honors contract

The honors contract process is facilitated through LAUNCH.     

The student and course professor will agree on the contract requirements

See additional details and requirements at launch.tamu.edu

Complete a research project, student teaching course, or independent study.

Complete BUSN 403

Other options may be approved on a case by case basis

HONORS ELECTIVE INFORMATION

C O M P L E T E A M I N I M U M O F 6 H O U R S O F H O N O R S L E V E L E L E C T I V E S

STANDARD INTERNSHIP TIMELINE

Completing an internship course is a BHNR degree requirement.  An internshipcourse completed in your second major (ACCT 484/684, FINC 484, ISTM 484,MGMT 484, MKTG 484, SCMT 484) will count for your BUSN 484 requirement.You must have completed 60 hours of coursework before you enroll in BUSN 484.Internships can be done in the spring, summer, or fall

To earn BUSN 484 credit, an internship experience must consist of 150 hours of work over at least five weeks and you must have a supervisor Any work that isrelated to what you plan to do after graduation will count This is a broaddefinition designed to give you the flexibility to "try on" a career

You must have your internship approved before you begin work and you mustattend a Pre-Internship Class These classes are normally held in April eachspring for summer internships Dates will be in the Weekly Update If you aredoing an internship at another time of the year, please contact the BusinessHonors program director

Questions about receiving credit for your internship should be directed to your

advisor Questions about the work you will be doing at your internship, the dates,

or other unique situations should be directed to the program director

BUSN 484 is designed to help you gain real world workplace experience andperspectives Complete information about the course requirements is located ineCampus, but some important, need-to-know facts include:

Detailed information about internships, including the syllabus for BUSN 484, can be found in eCampus The document entitled "What Do I Need to Know About the BUSN 484 Internship Class" is a good place to start

pre-BEFORE INTERNSHIP

START INTERNSHIP write

reflections

DURING INTERNSHIP

thank you note for supervisor

END OF INTERNSHIP

supervisor performance evaluation

END OF INTERNSHIP

internship debrief meeting

AFTER INTERNSHIP

internship report due

OCTOBER 1ST

STAY IN TOUCH WITH US

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Professional Development (PD) events provide all BH students with opportunities to

interact with speakers and engage in topics and activities outside the classroom

Additionally, PD events allow you to further personalize and expand your education

Attending a minimum of four Professional Development events each academic

year is an academic requirement of the program Failure to attend at least four

events each year will result in dismissal from the program If you are on a full

semester internship or study abroad during the year, you will receive credit for two

PD events

Seniors graduating in December must attend at least two events during their final

semester Seniors graduating in May or August must attend four events for the year

Only events specified by Business Honors in the Weekly Update count for

Professional Development credit. Most events require that you sign up in advance

WHAT ARE PD EVENTS?

ALL BUSINESS HONORS STUDENTS MUST ATTEND

4 BUSINESS HONORS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVENTS

EACH ACADEMIC YEAR.

EACH ACADEMIC YEAR

That's everybody from fish to 5thyear senior

Participate in and provide proof ofparticipation

Four, quatro, IV

An event hosted, sponsored, ororganized by Business HonorsFrom August to May of each academicyear

Arrive with plenty of time before the event begins

Be purposeful about sitting with someone you don't know Introduce yourself.Get to know them

If food is provided, be courteous of the people in line behind you. 

For example, taking five slices of pizza does not reflect well on your situationalawareness

Go back for seconds only after everyone has gone through the line

Individually, thank the speaker afterwards Shake hands You can say anythingyou would like, but at least say, "Thank you for speaking with us today."

Linger for a minute, do not rush out

Plan on staying for the whole event

Introduce yourself to the speaker

Introduce yourself to other people around you

Listen Be prepared to ask questions

Thank the speaker afterwards Shake hands You can say anything you would like,but at least say, "Thank you for speaking with us today."

Each event will be designated a "limited seating" or "unlimited seating" event For

a "limited seating" event, you will receive an email confirming whether or not youhave a seat for the event

Once you have signed up for a PD event, you are committed to attend If you can

no longer attend, please be sure to cancel your spot no later than 24 hours inadvance This allows someone else to attend if there is limited seating, andprovides an accurate head count if there is unlimited seating To cancel an event,follow the instructions in the Weekly Update

You are expected to stay for the whole event

The chart on the next page displays the various ways to receive credit forattending a Professional Development event After you attend a PD event, pleasemake sure to follow these instructions to receive credit for the event Specificinstructions for each type of credit are on the following pages

PD EVENT BASICS

EVENT TYPE CREDIT REQUIREMENT DEADLINE

Thank you note or blurb

Blurb

Emailhonors2@mays.tamu.edu

1 week (7 days)after the event

by midnight (12am)

Before the end of theacademic year

HOW DO I GET CREDIT?

You may use your own stationery or Business Honors stationery available in Wehner

240 If you use your own personal stationery, do not use your own personal return

address Include the return address for Business Honors (see BH stationery for full

return address) You may include personal contact information within your thank

you note. 

Drop off your completed thank you note in Wehner 240 and follow the directions on

the sign in/drop off sheet The information you provide here will be accepted as

confirmation you completed a thank you note and should be awarded credit for

attending a PD event Remember: An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal

HOW TO WRITE A THANK YOU NOTE

SPEAKER NAME STREET ADDRESS CITY / STATE / ZIP

4219 TAMU COLLEGE STATION, TX 77843-4219

Description: Which event did you attend? Who was the speaker? What was theevent or activity?

Key takeaway(s): What was the main knowledge, thought, or skill you gainedfrom the event?

Application: How will you use this key takeaway in the future?

A blurb is a short, 3-5 sentence reflection of what you have learned from aprofessional development event A blurb should include:

Below is an example of a well-written blurb

HOW TO WRITE A BLURB

“I attended a talk regarding the future of Iraq where I learned more deeply aboutthe key issues that remain in Iraq even after ISIS is defeated within the country.What I gained from this talk was how critical decisions changed the landscape ofthe Middle East in a short time frame and just how important the US is to futurestability in the region This consideration is valuable for my future inunderstanding that no problem is as simple as it looks When different people,cultures and interests are at stake, every small decision is critical.”

Submit your blurb in eCampus within one week (7 days) of the event by midnight (12am). If you do not submit your blurb by the deadline, you will not receive creditfor attending the event

To submit your blurb, log in to eCampus and select Business Honors under MyOrganizations Then, on the left side panel, choose Content PD Blurb Submissionwill be the first item to appear when you do so Once you have clicked on that,choose your event and follow the instructions to submit the blurb

SUBMITTING A BLURB IN ECAMPUS