Zach Hanson

Dr. Amy Story

FYE-100
21 September 2015
BW Honors Program
The BW honors program takes multiple steps to prepare students for life in their
careers. The BW honors program sets students up to succeed, and provides them with
opportunities to have the things that most employers are looking for when they hire
employees out of college. For the honors program, the things that stick out in my mind
that fit well with the article about what employers are looking for is the four pillars of the
honors learning outcomes. The four things are independent thinking, research, service,
and leadership. The one in particular that I believe carries the most weight is independent
thinking.
Independent thinking is a huge thing that employers are looking for. The
handbook for the honors program states that students will, Display open-mindedness
through the ability to understand, analyze, and critique multiple perspective. According
to the article, only 26% of employers think that graduating college students are well
prepared to think critically at the level that is needed to succeed in the working world
(Hart 12). The quote in the handbook is the idea that will help improve honors program
students ability to think critically when the article says most students cannot.
Another thing that the article says is lacking is the graduates abilities to work
with people from different backgrounds. An even lower 16% percent of employers think
that graduates are well prepared for that task (Hart 12). That is where the open-

mindedness of the BW honors handbook comes in to play. When BWs liberal arts
education teaches kids to think open-mindedly. That allows students to put aside
differences and backgrounds, and allows them to work with others as peers and
coworkers much more effectively.
The final thing from the honors program handbook that sets students up to
succeed is not in the independent thinking, but has to do with a thing called an eportfolio. E-portfolios are more effective than transcripts in many cases. E-portfolios
showcase a students ability to work and to do tasks put before them, in a better view than
a college transcript could. The article says that, Employers say that, when evaluating a
job candidate, it would be helpful for them to have access to an electronic portfolio
summarizing and demonstrating the individuals accomplishments in key skill and
knowledge areas, (Hart 13). From the first day in the honors program forward, BW
honors students have the luxury of the honors program creating an e-portfolio for them.
That puts BW honors students way ahead of the game since, as the article states, 80% of
employers find an e-portfolio useful, opposed to 45% that are satisfied with only a
college transcript.
The BW honors program handbook states many things that are key to the success
of a BW honors student. A few of the most important things are the skill of independent
thinking, and the creation of the e-portfolio. Those things put BW honors students ahead
of the game while entering the ever-competitive job market.

Works Cited
Associates, Hart Research, Nw 1724 Connecticut Avenue, and Dc 2000 Washington.
Falling Short? College Learning and Career Success (n.d.): n. pag. Aacu.org.
Association of American Colleges & Universities, 20 Jan. 2015. Web. 17 Sept.
2015.