Whiteside Natural history Museum fossil preservation lab Honors students participating in a Sikes Lake cleanup event Honors student preserving a fossil at the Whiteside natural history museum.
Introduction

The Redwine Honors High School Academy (RHHSA) is a challenging three week immersive academic experience for outstanding high school students who have completed their sophomore or junior year and will return to high school. The curriculum will include a shared theme between Computer Science and Art Appreciation courses that focus on our digital and popular culture. Entitled Portals: The Intersection of Art and Computing, this theme will explore the use of computing technology in the digital age and how it is reflected artistically in popular culture. This experience will include off campus excursions and experiential learning opportunities.  Students will be chosen from Texas and the surrounding region. The academy will take place June 6-24, 2022. Upon successful completion of the Academy, students will:

  • receive six hours of university credit
  • recognition of completion of the academy on the student’s transcript
  • acceptance to MSU Texas Redwine Honors program as entering freshmen, including an academic scholarship

RHHSA offers students a chance to know and make friends with other enthusiastic, energetic students with high intellectual capacities. The interaction of students with different backgrounds is key to a successful transition from high school to college.

The Academy provides students, faculty and staff with an opportunity of discovery and to exchange ideas in a collegial atmosphere. Supportive faculty work closely with the students in classes, seminars, and extracurricular activities. Speakers, performers, films, field trips, special events and recreational activities offer students an array of stimulating activities that provide fun and enjoyment, as well as learning opportunities.

Program Costs
  1. Field Trips and Excursions = Free
  2. Academy Application Fee = Free
  3. Tuition = $500.00
  4. Lodging = $290
  5. Meals = $350
  6. On Campus Total = $1140
  7. Commuter Total = $500
Mission

The mission of the Redwine Honors High School Academy is to challenge, educate, and prepare students for college and beyond.

Academic Program

The Academy seeks to reward excellence, broaden horizons, and expand vision. Its academic program stresses the development of each student's critical thinking abilities, adaptability, creativity, and self-confidence. Additionally, the academy provides high achieving students the opportunity to complete dual credit courses taught as honors sections that can be applied to their degree plan.

All students are enrolled in a learning community entitle Portals: The Intersection of Art and Computing which includes a computer science and an art appreciation course. Both courses are MSU core curriculum courses and will count toward most degree plans. These courses will share a common theme and jointly explore this theme in their exploration of the intersection of computing and art. The theme will be based on our modern digital culture and how it is manifested in the North Texas region. This experience will provide students with an opportunity to explore how art and computing influences the development of the world around them. Both courses will be taught by Honors faculty at MSU Texas that have extensive teaching experience and are some of the most dynamic and engaging faculty on campus.

The two courses offered this year are:

Computer Science 1023: Digital Culture
Instructor: Tina Johnson
ART 1413: Art Appreciation
Instructor: Jason Bly
Student Life

A rich, diverse range of recreational opportunities, cultural and artistic events, field experiences, distinguished speakers and classroom guests will enhance the academic curriculum. This intensive educational experience will be supplemented by hands on learning that will continue in the form of off campus excursions. Faculty members and residential counselors participate in enrichment activities with students. RHHSA students live in a residential college dormitory with separate quarters for men and women. Students learn about themselves and others as they experience what it means to be part of a high achieving learning community. They develop meaningful friendships, even in the 3 weeks they live and learn in the Academy.

Application Requirements

All students applying for the RHHSA should possess the following characteristics:

  • 3.5 cumulative GPA (on a 4-point scale) or
  • 1200 SAT composite score (English and math) or 25 composite ACT score
  • Be at least 16 years old, prior to the beginning of the Academy
  • Provide proof of current Meningitis vaccination
Deadlines

May 31, 2022: Applications must be postmarked
June 3, 2022: All applicants notified by email

Academy Expectations

Since community building is central to a student’s experience in the Academy, there is an overriding philosophy of freedom coupled with responsibility that permeates student daily life. Law, safety and common concern for the total community govern the program’s few regulations.

  1. Willful behavior that is consistently abusive or demeaning to other members of the community, or that interferes with the academic or enrichment goals of the Academy, will not be tolerated.
  2. Drugs, including alcoholic beverages, are not allowed.
  3. Criminal behavior, such as deliberately pulling fire alarms, activating sprinklers, or bringing firearms to campus, is not tolerated.
  4. Willful behavior that is potentially harmful to the individual or community is prohibited.
  5. No open flames are allowed inside buildings (e.g., candles, incense burners, lighters, matches, etc.).
  6. Student automobiles (on campus students) or other vehicles (including bicycles and skateboards) are prohibited, as is riding in unauthorized vehicles, or leaving campus for unauthorized trips.

All of these regulations will be firmly enforced. A student will be dropped from the Academy and sent home for violation of any of these regulations. The student's school will be notified and no university credit will be awarded.

Attendance Requirements

Before applying, students and their parents or guardian should understand that students are expected to attend for the full three weeks of the RHHSA. The Academy is built around an exciting, enthusiastic community of students who need continuity to grow intellectually, creatively, and personally.

Each student must sign a contract agreeing:

  1. To arrive on time and attend the courses;
  2. To participate fully in classes and the life of the community, including any off campus excursions.

Students who fail to meet these requirements will be in violation of their contract with the RHHSA. They may be dropped from the Academy, their schools will be notified, and no university credit will be awarded. Individual exceptions for illness and family emergencies will, of course, be considered.

Honors students working in the ceramics lab Dr. Vandehey holding gamenight. Honors students and faculty meeting.