1. University Honors Program Update
Provost’s Executive Council
September 24, 1998

2. Overview of Initiatives
Academic Program Review
Making Honors an Intellectual Crucible
Bringing Chairs and Deans into the Loop and Expanding the Faculty Base
Revising the Alison Scholars Program
Enhancing the Academic Experience
Rethinking Program Governance
Expanding Academic Advising

3. Academic Program Review
Goals:
Carefully examine content, structure, and size of the program (including course size)
Identify program gaps and get concrete suggestions on addressing them
Provide input to a 3-5 year strategic plan
Self-Study already under way
Writing Fellows Program being rethought

4. Academic Program Review
Make-up of Review Team
3 external members
Attempting to get honors director at Indiana University, member of Boyer Report Committee (or other prominent staff at Carnegie Foundation), and faculty in humanities from liberal arts institution
3 internal members
Carol Hoffecker has already agreed
Review will occur in spring

5. An Intellectual Crucible
Goal 1:
Make Honors Program the context for intellectual experimentation in teaching and learning—it’s the legacy
Goal 2:
Make Honors Program a model for integrating curricular and co-curricular with research, study abroad, or internships, in an interdisciplinary environment

6. An Intellectual Crucible
Increase visibility of advanced honors certificate
Make completing Honors Degree more attractive
Re-emphasize Honors Forum courses as avenue for experimentation and recruitment of additional faculty

7. Chairs, Deans, and Faculty
Two major problems in past:
Insufficient communication with Chairs and Deans
“Exclusive” nature of the Honors Faculty
Problems being rapidly addressed by Ann Ardis, who has been meeting with Chairs of all Departments that have Honors Degrees or significant number of courses

8. Chairs, Deans, and Faculty
Goals:
Deal with Chairs, not individual faculty, in negotiating honors courses
Significantly broaden base of faculty who teach honors courses
Make teaching honors courses a reward; end “entitlements”
Keep Deans informed of programmatic issues

9. Alison Scholars Program
Current Alison Scholars Program is not living up to expectations
Focus groups and discussions were conducted during Spring 1998
Proposed new program:
Selection would occur at end of first year
Alison Scholars would have same status as Dean’s Scholar in terms of flexibility in constructing majors

10. Enhancing the Experience
Existing co-curricular activity is working well and is strongly supported by students
Gaps in co-curricular programming (e.g., lecture series, etc.) need to be addressed to compete with top rank institutions

11. Enhancing the Experience
Proposal being developed by Bill Frawley, Alvina Quintana, Ann Gibson, and others to create 1- or 2-semester sequences of related public events
Additional ideas include resumption of University Forum series, linkages to departmental colloquia, and more faculty programs in residence halls

12. Enhancing the Experience
Expand current opportunities for trips sponsored by Honors Program but open to all UD students, especially to faculty-led programs (e.g., art exhibitions)
Working with Development Office on fund raising to endow these activities where appropriate

13. Rethinking Governance
Currently have two groups:
Honors Advisory Committee
Honors Faculty Committee
Role and function of each is unclear and overlapping
Will be a focus of the APR

14. Expanding Advising
Primary academic advising for Honors students done by faculty (e.g., 44 faculty advised 522 incoming students at NSO this year) supplemented by staff
Numbers of faculty advisors has been increased by 30% since 1996, with focus on senior faculty

15. Concluding Points New leadership has re-invigorated the program
APR likely to chart new directions to strengthen program
Broader faculty base identified through Chairs will connect honors degree programs to departments
Honors will play major role in creating exciting learning opportunities