MEET YOUR NEW HONORS COORDINATORS

John Fox, Co-Coordinator

Dear Honors Students,

Welcome to the Honors Institute.

My name is John Fox, and Fatima Jinnah and I are your new honors coordinators. I am honored to receive the torch from Sam Connell and Tracee Cunningham as they pursue other interests, and I am thrilled to start this new position. This is your bi-weekly newsletter, where you will receive vital information on workshops, classes, symposia-- really, all things honors and perhaps even more. There will be a lot of information passed on to you but I'd like to personalize this a little more. I have a few ideas, but if you have more send them our way.

I've been teaching at Foothill College for 15 years. Teaching sociology at a community college like Foothill was one of the best life decisions I've made. I teach Honors Introduction to Sociology (SOC 1H) in winter quarters and sometimes an Honors Seminar in Sociology (54H) in spring. To me, honors classes are opportunities to dig deeper into course material and discovering new insights. Honors is for everyone, especially if you have a passion for learning and being a part of a community. As a former student of mine said when I asked what it means to be an honors student: "It means we're up for the challenge."

I'm up for the challenge as well, and I hope to get to know you better in the coming year!

John

Fatima Jinnah, Co-Coordinator

My name is Fatima Jinnah and this is my 18^th year as an Honors Counselor.

I took Honors and AP courses in high school and loved my experience. I have lifelong friends who I met through those classes. These classmates, who turned into friends, were outside of my neighborhood so it was our enjoyment of learning and challenging ourselves that brought us together. Unlike high school, where we had to apply and take tests to get into the AP courses, at Foothill College, our Honors courses are what we call “open access”. That means, these Honors courses are for everyone who wants to challenge themselves, dive deep into a subject matter, and meet people who enjoy learning. If you’re not sure the program is for you, come talk to me and I can put you in touch with Honors students who can give you the student perspective. Or, join our club, Honors Connection. Through my years with our Honors Institute, I’ve met people from all backgrounds who created a community through the friendships they developed within the Honors program. I’ve loved every year that I’ve worked with Honors students and I’m excited to meet you and work together this year!

OUR MISSION

The mission of the Foothill College Honors Institute is to nurture student growth by cultivating intellectual curiosity, fostering educational aspirations, and promoting engagement through an inclusive community dedicated to scholarly excellence and social consciousness.

The Foothill College Honors Institute is dedicated to advancing equity in education for all and our courses are open to the general public.

We do not require a separate program application to enroll in honors courses. Unless there is a prerequisite, students can enroll in honors courses through the regular registration process through https://myportal.fhda.edu.

Please visit https://foothill.edu/honors or e-mail us at honors@foothill.edu for additional information about the program.

HONORS ORIENTATION

If you want more information (you do), then come to an Honors Orientation during the next weeks. Our first one is Tuesday, September 16th, in room 3305 at 3pm, immediately following the new student orientation. We will also be tabling the same day so come find us and say hi!

HONORS CLASSES STILL OPEN!

There are plenty of Honors seats open in Anthropology, Art, Biology, Counseling, Economics, English, Music, and Photography. Take a look and enroll today!

Attention Students interested in the UCLA TAP program

For those aiming to transfer to UCLA in Fall 2026, the UCLA Transfer Alliance Program (TAP) will be hosting a webinar on October 9th, 2025 at 5:30pm on Zoom.

UCLA TAP INFORMATIONAL WORKSHOPS

In addition to the UCLA TAP webinar, it is required that all students who are filling out the admissions application to UCLA this Fall, and want to get TAP certified in the winter quarter, attend an informational workshop led by the Foothill College Counseling team.

All workshops are 45 min long. Again, these workshops are REQUIRED for UCLA TAP certification. The dates are:

• Monday Oct 13th 11am in person room ADM 1943 (the conference room behind the Honors Institute office)
• Thurs Oct 16th 5pm on Zoom
• Friday Oct 17th 10am on Zoom
• Monday, Nov 3rd in person (the conference room behind the Honors Institute office)

HONORS TRANSFER COUNCIL OF CALIFORNIA

VIRTUAL TRANSFER FAIR

The Honors Transfer Council of California (HTCC) partners will colleges and universities nationwide to support community college honors students in their quest for transfer. They will be hosting a virtual transfer fair on Friday, October 9th, 9am-2pm. There will be workshops 9am-Noon (schedule TBA) followed by reprentatives from colleges and universities at their vitual tables Noon-2pm. Register here.

UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) for Students Applying for 2026–27 Admission

Six University of California (UC) campuses offer guaranteed admission to students from all California community colleges (CCC). Interested students must meet both the shared TAG criteria as well as campus-specific requirements to qualify for a TAG. By participating in a TAG program, students can ensure their admission to a specific UC campus. Take a look at the TAG requirements and submit your TAG application by Sept 30th!

JOIN THE HONORS CONNECTION CLUB!

The first club meeting is Monday, September 29th at Noon in Room 3305 (John Fox's classroom) and meets the second and fourth Monday of the month thereafter. Come and meet interesting people engaging in stimulating conversations as we grow the honors community at Foothill.

Heritage Months

October is Latiné Heritage Month

November is Native American Heritage Month

At Foothill, we are proud of our designation as both an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and an Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Through our Foothill mission and values, we aim to serve our students by embracing inclusivity and building strong communities. Our Heritage Month Series is a strong part of bulding community at Foothill College. For information on how to become involved in Latiné Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month, or any other Heritage Month email Victoria Strelnikova at strelnikovavictoria@fhda.edu

Honors Counseling Fall 2025

One of the benefits of being a part of the Honors Institute is having dedicated counselors and additional times to meet with counselors, which are only available to students who are part of the Honors Institute.

Fall Quarter Quick Question Drop-In Hours:

Week of Sept 22 - 26th

Meet Virtually with Fatima, Honors Co-Coordinator on Tuesday Sept 23rd from 10:30 a.m.–Noon

Meet in person Wednesday Sept 24th, 10:30-11:45am with Fatima, Honors Co- Coordinator, in the Counseling Office. Check-in at room 8300.

Meet Virtually with Fatima on Friday Sept 25th from 12-1pm

Questions? CONTACT US BY EMAIL

Email us at honors@fhda.edu

HONORS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION



If you transferred already and want to help future Honors Transfers, then let us know -- We are creating an Honors Alumni Association. We will reach out to you individually because we are interested in maintaining connections for our students.