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Become an agent of change in your community. Each semester, make a difference. More meaningful than the notion of “service hours,” the Community Action Challenge asks you, as a citizen scholar, to outline the scope of your concerns and dreams, explore what it takes to have a lasting impact, and transform your community and yourself.

Each semester, as you meet the Community Action Challenge, you will use the university’s platform for community engagement – GivePulse. GivePulse is your direct connection between our campus and our broader community. It is a powerful vehicle to identify volunteer opportunities, supply drives, fundraisers, and other opportunities to engage. It also allows you to see your collective impact as well as how individual efforts make a difference in our world. Go to UM GivePulse and log in using your MyOleMiss credentials. Browse for opportunities that are appealing to you. You will provide a short summary of the impact in the Review, Reflect, and Feedback portion of the impact in UM GivePulse in order to record the impact of your experiences as an agent of change. Make sure to tag the SMBHC. Many SMBHC students are deeply involved in the philanthropies of campus organizations or choose to continue a long-standing habit of volunteering with local organizations. Others find their own, often highly individual, avenues for using their gifts to meet community needs. In many cases, experiential or service-learning courses, or even internships, clearly meet the Challenge. Students wishing to volunteer time to a local service organization to fulfill the Community Action component will find numerous opportunities through UM GivePulse. Opportunities are also announced in the SMBHC weekly newsletter, but it is your responsibility to name your community, identify a need of concern to you, and find a way to bring your particular gifts to meet that need. The SMBHC expects students to complete and record at least 10 hours of Community Action per semester.

CAC hours must be fulfilled during the fall and spring semesters, while the student is enrolled in classes. CAC hours should be logged by the last day of the fall and spring semesters. Students are exempt from CAC during a semester in which they are studying abroad or interning/co-oping, and they may be exempt for one semester during which they are working on their Honors Capstone.  CAC is a per-semester requirement.

Missing two consecutive semesters of CAC can result in dismissal from the SMBHC.

The SMBHC and UMMC have partnered to allow a limited number of honors students to observe physicians in a clinical environment. Each honors student selected will be able to participate in one or two 2-week rotations during the summer or one 2-week rotation in January. You will participate in this experience with rising M3s (third year medical students) from UMMC. You will also have the opportunity and expectation of helping at the Jackson Free Clinic on Saturday mornings, gaining further experience. For more information, email Dr. John Samonds at jsamonds@olemiss.edu. To be considered for this experience, you must: be a rising junior or senior in the SMBHC; have at least a 3.50 GPA; be in good standing with the SMBHC for your year; show evidence of pursuing a career in medicine; and exhibit professionalism indicative of a medical student.

If you identify as a first-generation college student (for example, you are the first person in your immediate family to attend a college or university), you should join the First-Gen Student Network! Throughout the academic year, you can attend events and enjoy resources catered to the first-gen experience, ranging from events such as getting to know other first-gen students on campus and learning from first-gen alumni to learning how to apply for national scholarships. Event and resource announcements are sent by email and shared on social media. To sign up, learn more about the organization, and connect with other members, follow @firstgen_network on Instagram. The First-Gen Network began in the SMBHC but now reaches all UM first-gen students. The First-Gen Network welcomes ALL, regardless of first-gen status. Whether you’re a first-gen student or not, you will meet new people, engage in fun activities, and learn more about your peers.

Established in 2018, HoCoMEC fosters an environment that promotes interconnectivity, cultivates greatness in academia, and generates a respectful community that opens dialogue for minority students within the SMBHC. Join HoCoMEC and learn about the executive team and events throughout the academic year by following their Instagram account @umhoco_mec. All honors students are welcome!

The Honors Senate serves as a representative body of honors students. It acts as an intermediary between students and the administration, and advises the Honors Council, representative faculty who determines Honors College policies and procedures. The Senate also organizes educational, social, and fundraising activities. The Senate consists of up to eighteen senators, four from each class and two Honors Scholars Program students, led by a Student Director and an Assistant Student Director, who may also be a senator. Elections for freshman senators take place in the early Fall semester, and the other positions are elected in April for the upcoming year. Follow @umhocosenate on Instagram for Senate updates and events.

Thanks to a partnership with the UM School of Law, SMBHC juniors and seniors are able to get a taste of law school before they graduate by taking Hon 350 followed by any section of Hon 550/551. 

HON 350, Introduction to American Law and Reasoning—a course intended to provide a broad introduction to American law and legal reasoning and give Honors students a taste of law school before they make that commitment. 

HON 550, 551 Honors Advanced Studies in Law—various courses being taught that semester in the UM School of Law, selected by Law School faculty to be offered to undergraduate honors students who have completed HON 350.