Green Sheet Proposal Submission Deadlines:
- For Fall 2023 courses: Friday, October 13, 2023, at 4:30 p.m.
- For Spring 2024 courses: Friday, March 1, 2024, at 4:30 p.m.
- We encourage discussing your plans with an Honors advisor and submitting your materials early.
Occasionally, Honors students are eager to do more in-depth work in a class for which no Honors component is available. In such situations, Honors students may collaborate with the instructor to develop a petition for Honors credit to be added to the class through what is called a “Green Sheet Proposal.” The goal is to create an enriching Honors experience that goes above and beyond the regular course requirements. The hallmarks of an Honors experience are:
- A richer understanding and appreciation of the course topic
- Increased contact with the course instructor
- Experiences that enhance mental flexibility and explore diverse perspectives to a topic
A Green Sheet Honors project must be completely separate from existing course requirements and assignments. The Honors Program will not, for example, approve an Honors a project that is a longer version of a paper from the course syllabus.
Students submit a written description of the agreed-upon project plan as part of the Green Sheet Proposal; the proposal serves as a contract between the student and instructor that is ratified by the L&S Honors Program.
Steps to Green Sheet a course:
- Review information about Green Sheets and examples of Green Sheet projects. We strongly encourage you to discuss your plans and any questions with an Honors Program advisor.
- In the first few weeks of the semester, discuss your interest in a Green Sheet project with the course instructor. Instructors are encouraged, but not required, to allow an eligible student to complete a Green Sheet project.
- Coordinate with your professor to determine the details of your project and prepare responses for the Green Sheet proposal form. We recommend typing out the answers in a document that your instructor can review, and then pasting the responses into the online form.
- Generate and save a Course Change Request in the MyUW Student Center to request that Honors be added to the course. You will upload a PDF of the Course Change Request as part of the Green Sheet proposal form. No signatures are required to submit the Course Change Request form. Please DO NOT send the form directly to the L&S Deans.
- Before that semester’s Green Sheet Proposal deadline, complete the Green Sheet proposal form.
Frequently Asked Green Sheet Questions
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Am I qualified to propose a Green Sheet?
Before submitting a Green Sheet proposal, check that the following are true for you. Exceptions may be made for Honors in the Major students.
- You are currently declared as an L&S Honors student (Honors in the Liberal Arts or Honors in the Major).
- You have previously completed an Honors course (Honors Only, Accelerated Honors, or Honors Optional) with a grade of B or better.
- You are only submitting one Green Sheet Proposal for this term.
- You have completed fewer than four previous Green Sheets.
If you have questions about any of the above criteria, please contact advisor@honors.ls.wisc.edu.
Is the course I'm thinking about eligible for a Green Sheet?
In order for a course to be eligible, the following must be true:
- The course carries Letters & Science (LAS) credit.
- The course is not being offered as Honors Optional or with an Honors Only or Accelerated Honors section this semester. There is also no equivalent Honors course being offered (e.g. Poli Sci 120 vs Poli Sci 182).
- The course takes place during the fall or spring semester or is a summer course lasting at least 8 weeks.
- The course is not an independent study, directed study, research credits, or an internship.
- The course instructor agrees to allow Green Sheets and approves your proposal.
Is it possible to receive dedicated (Automatic) Honors credit with a Green Sheet?
Successful Green Sheet proposals result in the Honors Optional component being added to a course for an individual student. It is not possible to earn Automatic Honors through the Green Sheet process.
Can I get breadth credit for a class with a Green Sheet?
If the course is already affiliated with a breadth category, you will get the corresponding Honors breadth credit.
Can I do a Green Sheet even though I have never taken an Honors course?
Green Sheets are intended to be used in exceptional circumstances. Devising an appropriate Honors project for a Green Sheet is more feasible once a student has taken an Honors class. However, there are some circumstances which warrant exceptions, such as when a student is declared Honors in the Major for a major that does not offer many Honors classes or has restrictions on enrollment. If this is the case, we suggest you make an appointment with an Honors advisor to discuss your particular situation and your options.
How many Green Sheets can I do?
Students pursuing Honors in the Liberal Arts can do a maximum of one Green Sheet per semester and no more than four Green Sheets during the course of their degree. Students pursuing Honors in the Major for a major with limited Honors course offerings may be able to exceed these maximums.
What makes for a successful Green Sheet?
Ideally, Honors projects are semester-long learning processes that enhance regular course activities and promote qualities from Professor William Cronon’s “10 Qualities of a Liberally Educated Person.” The Honors Program encourages Honors projects that are creative and substantive without causing undue burden on the student or instructor. A little initiative can go a long way to make a Green Sheet Honors project a rewarding experience, not simply “extra work.”
What are examples of Green Sheet projects?
Consider some of these ideas:
- Create a film, musical composition, short story or painting, podcast or webpage. (Examples: modernize a German fairy tale or write a series of poems or songs reflecting Aztec narrative style or Cole Porter’s literary approach).
- Attend lectures, films or departmental colloquia and participate in discussions on topics relevant to the course. (Examples: participate in series offered by UW programs such as the Center for the Humanities, the Havens Center or the Law School).
- Visit or volunteer at sites related to your class and keep a journal about what you observed or learn. (Examples: analyze the physics of an exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, tour Dane County to study glaciated and unglaciated regions, study works of art at the Chazen Museum of Art, observe ongoing research or treatment activities at UW Health Services or Hospital, or volunteer with a community organization or nonprofit).
- Conduct an in-class presentation, lead discussion section for a week or prepare a handout or other visual aid for distribution to class members.
- Meet with your professor once a week to discuss additional readings and events related to the course material.
Looking for more ideas?
Please take some time to review Green Sheet Proposal summaries and examples from previous semesters.
What happens after I submit a proposal?
- The L&S Honors Program Advising Team will evaluate completed proposals for eligibility, completeness, and appropriateness of the described project. Proposals are typically reviewed within two weeks of the submission deadline.
- If the proposal does not fulfill the requirements and expectations for an Honors experience, or if clarification is needed, you will be given the opportunity to revise and resubmit the proposal. If the revision is not received by the new deadline, the Green Sheet proposal will be automatically rejected.
- Upon approval of a Green Sheet proposal, the Honors Program will process the necessary paperwork to have the Honors designation added to the course and will send confirmation to you and the course instructor. The course will be recorded as an Honors Optional course on your transcript.
What happens if I can't finish my Green Sheet project?
In the rare cases that a student cannot or does not successfully complete an approved Green Sheet project, the student must generate a new Course Change Request to remove Honors from the course and submit that CCR to L&S Academic Deans Services. Honors should be removed before the student receives a final letter grade.