Assessing Social Justice as a Learning Outcome in Honors

Whether at public or private, secular or faith-based institutions, questions of social justice and civic engagement are an increasing focus of attention in honors education. The emphasis on modes of learning that are, in the terms of the National Collegiate Honors Council’s 2014 “Definition of Honors Education,” “measurably broader, deeper, or more complex” has encouraged the enhancement of experiential opportunities, including the exploration of “enduring questions” through service-learning, immersion experiences, and community-engaged research. Such opportunities play an important role in the holistic view of student development that is a general hallmark of honors education. If honors is, in part, about enriching a student’s worldview by providing a unique educational experience, then understanding the “self” as an inhabitant of larger social institutions should be a significant part of that education