Honors Examiners

The Honors Program provides qualified Bates students with an opportunity to pursue the independent research and study necessary to achieve mastery of a specific topic within the context of a major. An oral examination in front of an honors panel is a valuable element in this process for it allows the candidate to discuss and defend this work before recognized professionals in the field. Honors thesis examiners are invited to participate in an Honors panel due to their mastery of their field and experience as educators.

The candidate’s Thesis Advisor works with the honors thesis panel members to schedule the date and time of the oral examination during the honors examination period in April. The outside examiner receives a digital copy of the thesis to review a minimum of 7-10 days prior to the examination. Panel members are then asked to submit an individual evaluation of the written component of the thesis prior to arriving on campus. These panel assessments will then be utilized when deciding whether to grant honors or not after the conclusion of the oral examination.

Examiners have the option of travelling to Bates or participating in the panel via zoom. The College welcomes visitors to our beautiful Maine campus in April, covering the travel and lodging expenses.

A member of the Bates faculty serves as the chair of the panel and runs the examination, which usually lasts about 90 minutes. Following the oral component, the panel deliberates about both the written thesis and the candidate’s grasp of related issues as discussed in the oral component. This final deliberation is key to the award. The written thesis is more heavily weighted (60%) than the oral component (40%); however, both are important aspects of the decision to award Honors or No Honors.

A celebratory meal with the Honors student, their Advisor, and the honors panel often follows the examination.

The college offers an honorarium of $250 to scholars serving as members of Honors panels.

Additional, detailed information is available on the Guidelines for Advisors and Panel Members 2025-2026 webpage on the Honors Program website.