Pursue Your Passion. Find Your Place.

About the Robinson Honors Program

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The Robinson Honors Program at Pensacola State College is designed to meet the needs of academically gifted students seeking to make the most of their college experience. The program offers a unique learning experience in a “college within a college” atmosphere intended to cultivate critical thinking, encourage civic and community engagement, and develop a synthesis of knowledge across disciplines. A generous endowment from Grover Robinson IV and the Robinson family provides our students opportunities beyond the traditional classroom. Our honors courses are created to improve transferability prospects while providing an enhanced college experience which includes an enriched curriculum, off-campus educational and cultural events, academic and career planning services, service learning opportunities, conferences, and opportunities for travel, such as the following:

  • Field trips to regional museums
  • Cultural Events
  • Visits to historical sites
  • College Lyceum series of world-class performances and insightful seminars
  • Opportunities for travel and additional academic enrichment in the summer

 

Robinson Honors Program Student Handbook 2023-2024

Sponsorship

Sandra and Grover Robinson III dedicated many years of service to Pensacola State College, our students, and our community. Jill and Grover Robinson IV have established an endowment with the PSC Foundation in their memory. The endowment assists PSC in offsetting the high cost of smaller class sizes, seminars, travel scholarships, and other unique opportunities associated with the Robinson Honors Program.

Apply to the Robinson Honors Program

CATEGORY OF STUDENT:

ASSESSMENT

CRITERIA/SCORE:

New College Students

HS GPA

3.5
(unweighted)

ACT

24

SAT

1150 (prior to March 2016) / 820 (after March 2016)

PERT

125 in all sections

 

GED

170 in all sections

 *Students must meet only ONE of these criterion.

Current Students

(Including Dual Enrollment and Transfer)

Completed 12
college credit hours
&
Cumulative GPA

3.5
(unweighted)

*We encourage students to join the Robinson Honors Program during the first year. Students further in their college career may still join, but they may have a difficult time completing the required Honors courses before graduation.

Apply to the Robinson Honors Program

For consideration for the Robinson Honors Program, complete the application via the Microsoft Forms link.

You can also download the application and submit it to:

 

Amber Carey
Robinson Honors Program Coordinator
honorsprogram@pensacolastate.edu

Robinson Honors Program Benefits

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BENEFITS:

  •  Specialized Honors advising
  • One-on-one mentoring from Honors faculty
  • Exclusive use of the Robinson Honors Room in the  library, a place for Honors students to study and collaborate on campus
  • Study abroad opportunities and travel scholarships
  • Interdisciplinary approach that will help you achieve a greater understanding of all your courses
  • Competitive edge for scholarships
  • Leadership development and career planning skills
  • Academically gifted peers and faculty that challenge you to reach your maximum potential
  • Robinson Scholar designation on official transcript
  • Notation on official transcript of Honors credit earned for each course
  • Robinson Honors Program graduates will receive the program graduation designation on their transcript

 

PURSUE YOUR PASSION. FIND YOUR PLACE.

Robinson Honors Program Curriculum

Honors components:

Honors Components and Course Offerings (tentative):

You may register for any ONE of the following courses, then request from the Honors Program Coordinator to take it the accompanying Honors component for that semester. Students may only receive the Honors component Honors credit for one course.

The Interdisciplinary Honors Component is offered every semester, including summer, and is designed to work with most general education humanities, literature, business, and social science courses. It is designed to help fulfill the need of students to complete three Honors courses when they cannot take the Honors components offered that semester.

 

Fall Semester Curriculum Offerings:

Humanities Honors Component (ONE of the following):

ARH 2000 Humanities Art (For Non-Art Majors)

HUM 2020 Intro. to Humanities

 

Earth and Environmental Sciences Honors Component (ONE of the following):

CHM 1045 General Chemistry I

EVR 2001 Intro. to Environmental Science

ESC 1000 Earth Science

 

American Literature Honors Component (ONE of the following):

AML 2010 American Literature to 1870

AML 2020 American Literature from 1870

AML 2600 Intro. to African-American Literature

LIT 2090 Contemporary Literature

 

Spring Semester Curriculum Offerings:

Biology Honors Component (ONE of the following):

BSC 1005 Introduction to Biology

BSC 1010 Principles of Biology

 

American History and Government Honors Component (ONE of the following):

AMH 2020 American History from 1877

POS 2041 American National Government

AMH 2010 American History to 1877

AMH 2091 African-American History and Culture

 

Social Sciences Honors Component (ONE of the following):

PSY 2012 General Psychology

DEP 2004 Human Growth and Development

SYG 2000 Introduction to Sociology

 

Summer Semester:

Check with the Honors Program Coordinator about the availability of summer Honors courses.


* It is the intention of the Robinson Honors College to adhere to the proposed schedule of courses. However, circumstances may arise which prohibit the fulfilling of this endeavor. Therefore, this schedule is subject to change. When possible, Honors students will be notified of any change in advance of its occurrence.

 

*Must successfully complete at least three Honors components and the IDH 1022 Honors College Forum course to graduate with an Honors diploma.

Honors Components: Several courses at PSC may be taken for Honors credit by adding an Honors component to the course. The Honors components are online-based components that students take in addition to their regular class. This means that you can register in any section of an Honors course—face-to-face or online—and the Honors portion of the course will be taught online via PSC’s eLearning platform, Canvas. This makes it possible to take Honors courses at times that best meet the demands of your schedule.

  • Students should expect 12-15 additional hours of work and should be designed to enhance understanding of the course material.
  • Students can only enroll in Honors components for the courses that they are currently taking.
  • Students register for the regular portion of the course the same way they register for other courses, then must speak with the Honors Coordinator to enroll in the Honor component for the course, if it is offered that semester.
  • Upon completion of the component, the Honors faculty member will recommend or not recommend the student for Honors credit based upon their work in the course.
  • Any student receiving a B or higher in the regular course and a satisfactory in the Honors component, will receive Honors credit on their transcript for the course.

 

Honors Courses:

  • IDH 1022 Honors College Forum
    • Exclusively available to Robinson Scholars
    • Free to Robinson Scholars (scholarship provided)
    • Focuses on developing leadership, academic, and career-oriented skills to help Honors students succeed
    • Currently offered each fall at night and each spring during the day to accommodate student schedules
    • Contact the Honors Program Coordinator for more information and to be enrolled in this course

Remaining in the Program

Requirements:

To maintain good standing in the program, students must:

• Complete successfully one Honors component or course each academic year or must have completed all three required courses at that time.
• Students must accumulate at least twenty points each academic year to remain in good standing in the Honors program. (See Extracurricular Activities for more details.)
• Students must maintain a GPA of 3.25 or higher.
To graduate from the program, students must:
• successfully complete three Honors components.
• fulfill the IDH 1022 Honors College Forum course (1 credit hour) requirement.
• attain a total of 25 service hours.
• maintain a GPA of 3.25 or higher.
• graduate from PSC with an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree or a Bachelor´s of Science (B.A.S.) degree.

 

Good standing:

       Academic Probation:

Upon acceptance to the program, students must maintain a GPA of 3.25. Failing to do so will result in the following actions:

• Student will be placed on probation for one academic semester.
• Student must raise their GPA to 3.25 by the end of the probation semester or risk becoming ineligible for the Robinson Honors Program.

 

Extracurricular Probation:

Upon acceptance to the program, students must achieve 20 extracurricular points per academic year. Failure to do so will result in the following actions:

• Student who do not earn five extracurricular points in a semester may be placed on probation for the following academic semester.
• During the probation semester, students must complete all required extracurricular points to regain good standing. If they do not achieve this, they may be dismissed from the Honors program.

Earning Extracurricular Points

Event Type Points
Attend an Honors-recognized presentation 2
Organize an Honors-recognized lecture 4
Attend a conference locally 3
Attend a conference outside of the Pensacola area 4
Present at a conference 6
Organize a community service activity 4
Volunteer: 1 point /4 hours up to 8 points per organization 1-8/ academic year
Serve as an active officer in a student organization 5/semester
Receive a full-tuition scholarship at an accredited institution 5
Accept membership to an honors society 2/ membership
Appear in a PBS College television interview or activity 3
Serve as a Peer Mentor in the college´s Peer Mentoring Program 5/semester
Serve as an official Peer Advisor or Student Ambassador 4/semester

Extracurricular Point Requirements 

  • Students must accumulate 20 points per academic year.
  • Students may suggest events or activities to be included in their extracurricular activities point total. Suggestions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Honors Program Coordinator.
  • All on-campus events sent out by email by Student Activities or The Lyceum are Honors-approved events, unless otherwise notified.
  • Contact the Honors Program Coordinator for any questions about extracurricular point requirements.

Honors Degree Requirements

To graduate from the program, students must:

• successfully complete three Honors components.
• fulfill the IDH 1022 Honors College Forum course (1 credit hour) requirement.
• attain a total of 25 service hours.
• maintain a GPA of 3.25 or higher.
• graduate from PSC with an Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree or a Bachelor´s of Science (B.A.S.) degree.

Meet the Honors Faculty

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Honors Program Director: Assistant Professor Amber Carey
Phone: (850) 484-1360
Email: honorsprogram@pensacolastate.edu
Building 14, Office1475

Amber Carey received her B.A. in Spanish and Criminology, with a minor in Italian, from Auburn University in 2003 and an M.A. in Hispanic Studies from Auburn University in 2005, where she taught courses as a graduate teaching assistant.  Additionally, she also has over eighteen hours of graduate coursework in Criminal Justice from Florida State University. Ms. Carey has studied abroad in Salamanca, Spain, while taking courses from University of Salamanca and in Playa del Carmen, Mexico at a language immersion school.

Ms. Carey has taught Drugs and Behavior, Research Methods, and currently teaches Beginning Spanish I and Beginning Spanish II here at Pensacola State College.  She will teach the Honors College Forum course, a requirement of the Robinson Honors Program.  Her research interests include language acquisition, Relevance Theory and the construction of idioms, sociolinguistics, drug policy and history in the US, and leadership development initiatives.

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Honors Faculty: Andy Barbero
Email: abarbero@pensacolastate.edu

Andy Barbero is starting his fourth year at Pensacola State College. He serves as Instructor of History and Humanities, as well as Lyceum Series Director. He also teaches our American History and Government Honors component. He holds bachelors and master’s degrees in history, and is in the final stages of his doctorate in history at Southern Illinois University. His work has been published in the Journal of American History, Peace and Change: A Journal of Peace Research, and other academic outlets. He is the current chair of the Organization of American Historians Committee on Community Colleges, and is a former Vice President of the Peace History Society.

Mr. Barbero teaches courses primarily in US history and African American history, and his research focuses on twentieth century movements for peace and social justice in the United States. In his spare time he enjoys the outdoors, as well as traveling to concerts and music festivals.

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Honors Faculty: Lauren Baugus
Email: lbaugus@pensacolastate.edu

Lauren Baugus is an instructor in the English and Communications department. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of South Alabama, where she completed a thesis project on Ernest Hemingway’s short stories, and a master’s degree in English literature from Florida State University, where her research focused on English gothic short fiction. She has taught at Pensacola State College since 2010. In her spare time, she enjoys CrossFit, quality time with her family, membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution, and reading. Her specific interests are history, biography, and literary fiction, which often allow for new connections to content area material in her classes. She was inducted into the Academy of Teaching Excellence at PSC in 2023. In the classroom, Mrs. Baugus has a passion for seeing students feel confident in their writing abilities and make connections between literature and their own circumstances and experiences. She hopes that students will see the value of writing and literature not just as college students but throughout their lives and careers. She has worked with the Robinson Honors Program since 2022 and hopes to challenge students to deepen their understanding of how literature reflects its own time and our own.

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Honors Faculty: Richard Carr
Email:
rcarr@pensacolastate.edu

Richard Carr is an instructor for sociology and psychology courses and is the Faculty Advisor for Active Minds at Pensacola State College. He received his Associates in Arts from Pensacola State College in 2004 and a Bachelors of Arts from the University of West Florida in psychology in 2007. In 2010, he obtained his Master´s in Psychology from University of West Florida and has just completed eighteen graduate hours in sociology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Mr. Carr is a member of Psi Chi National Honor Society and is a Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society member. He teaches General Psychology, Human Growth and Development, and Introduction to Sociology, as well as our Social Science Honors component, at Pensacola State College. His research interests lie in exploring the psychology of religion and spirituality and human sexuality. He enjoys going to the gym, camping, kayaking, songwriting, playing the guitar, and binge watching Netflix with his wife.

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Honors Faculty: Rick Dunn
Email: rdunn@pensacolastate.edu

Rick Dunn, an Assistant Professor of Social Sciences, received his Associate of Applied Science in Resource Management Technology from the Community College of the Air Force while on active duty in 1986. In 1989 he was awarded his in B.S. (Magna Cum Laude) in Finance from Wright State University. In August 2000, he completed his Master of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of West Florida. Additionally, he has also achieved eighteen hours of graduate work in Sociology from the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Rick has facilitated General Psychology, Drugs and Behavior, Research Methods, Introduction to Sociology, and Human Growth and Development courses here at Pensacola State College.  He assists students who wish to achieve the Robinson Honors Program credential in the Social Sciences Honors Component.

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Honors Faculty: Jen Ehrhardt
Email: jehrhardt@pensacolastate.edu

Dr. Ehrhardt received her B.A. in Public Relations, an M.A. in Communication, an M.B.A. with a focus on Human Resources, and an Ed.D in Education with a focus on Instructional Technology from The University of West Florida. She has taught at The University of West Florida as well as acted as a corporate trainer for Navy Federal Credit Union, Gulf Power, General Electric, and Escambia County School District via Pensacola State College.

Dr. Ehrhardt is an Academy of Teaching Recipient of 2008 and graduated from the inaugural class of the President’s Leadership Institute in 2012. She started her career at Pensacola State teaching in the Communication discipline, teaching Public Speaking, Basic Speaking and Listening Skills, Interpersonal Communication, and Survey of Mass Communication. In addition, she has taught Student Life Skills and Introduction to Technology for Educators for the college. She currently teaches for the Business Department. She has taught Introduction to Business, Principles of Management, Business Ethics, Business Communication, Customer Service, and Human Relations.

Her academic research interests are online student attrition and student teamwork. She also studies geology and dinosaurs of the Southwest after working as a tour guide at Bryce Canyon National Park for two summers. When not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, gardening, crafting, and running her own Airbnb.

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Honors Faculty: Caren Garrity
Email: cgarrity@pensacolastate.edu

Dr. Garrity received her Doctorate in Earth and Space Science from York University in Toronto, Canada. She completed seventeen expeditions to the Arctic and four to the Antarctic where she is known as Snow Mouse. She missed her interview to be a Canadian Astronaut since she was in the Antarctic and could not return home in time. Most of her career of 21 years as a scientist was spent in the Arctic and Antarctic looking down at the Earth using satellite data to map sea ice in aid of navigation and research. She guided the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard ships to the North Pole, for the first time, across the Arctic Ocean, making history on August 22, 1994. Her educational methods consist of developing both intellectual and behavioral skills to ensure student success in academic and professional pursuits. When she is not preparing for class, emailing students, or upgrading science news, she is working out at the gym, and scouting the forests and waters in her backyard. Locally, she is a member of the Blackwater Pyrates and in application mode for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, station Destin, FL.

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Honors Faculty: Randall McClellan
Email: remcclellan@pensacolastate.edu

Dr. Randall Evan McClellan joined the PSC faculty in 2019 after earning a PhD in Physics from

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2016 and working for three years at Jefferson Lab as a post-doc. In his research career, Dr. McClellan has contributed to 28 published scientific articles, 3 of which were published in Nature. Dr. McClellan has been described as a knowledgeable, patient, and enthusiastic instructor of physics. He was awarded PSC’s “Outstanding New Faculty Member Award” for the 2020-2021 academic year.

In labs and honors projects, Dr. McClellan is excited to teach his students to use statistical rigor in reporting experimental results.

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Honors Faculty: Brian Rucker
Email: brucker@pensacolastate.edu

Dr. Brian R. Rucker is a graduate of Pensacola Junior College (now PSC), who went on to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history at UWF, and then obtained his Ph.D. in history at FSU. He has been teaching at PSC full time since 1996, and he teaches several upper-level courses at UWF. Dr. Rucker has authored or edited over fifty scholarly books and articles related to Florida and Gulf Coast history, and he has been president of the Gulf South Historical Association twice.  He leads numerous field trips each year to interesting historical and natural sites across the West Florida region and beyond. He hopes to inspire students to find the same passion for history that he has, and to learn and have fun at the same time.

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Honors Faculty: Melissa Sears
Email:
msears@pensacolastate.edu

Melissa Sears is an Associate Professor in the Natural Sciences department at Pensacola State College, as well as the Biology Club Advisor. She obtained her Bachelors of Science with Honors in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Nicholls State University in 2005 and her Master´s in Science in Marine Biology from Nova Southeastern University in 2008.

Ms. Sears is an Academy of Teaching Recipient for 2017 and graduated from the President´s Leadership Class of 2016 at Pensacola State College. She teaches Introduction to Biology, Introduction to Biology lab, Marine Biology, Marine Biology Lab, and our Biology Honors component. Her research interests include sea turtle and manatee populations and her hobbies outside of work are photography and travel.

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