Morris Graduates from CMU Honors Program

2016 May 19

Of the nearly 400 Central Methodist University students recognized during Commencement ceremonies in Fayette on Saturday, May 14, only two - Kelly Jo Davis and Joseph Morris - were heralded for having completed CMU's Honors Program.

The Honors Program is designed to empower students through alternative educational opportunities, according to Dr. Richard Bradley, program director and professor of history.

These alternatives come in the form of Honors classes which include greater exploration and more rigorous analysis of course content. Emphasis is placed on oral and written communication, as well as on critical thinking, Bradley added.

Morris graduated from CMU with a Bachelor of Science degree in history. The title of his Honors senior thesis was "The American Political Discography: A Socio-Historical Analysis of Popular Protest Music." Dr. Bradley was his Honors program supervisor.

Davis received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Her Honors senior thesis was entitled "Communication: First-Year Students, Audiences, and Mobile Devices, a Qualitative Study." Dr. Jeremy Reed, CMU associate professor of English, was her Honors program supervisor.

To qualify for the CMU Honors Program, students must have a 3.5 or above grade point average from their high school, and/or an ACT score of 26 or higher. Students with a GPA of 3.0 and who rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class may petition the Honors committee for admission into the program.

After being accepted, students must maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA, and complete 12 credit hours of Honors coursework in order to graduate with Honors. Three of these hours must be the Honors senior thesis, which must be publically defended before a committee including the University's Academic Dean, President, and the Director of the Honors Program.