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This fall marks the one-year anniversary of the transition of the honors program to a full college on campus. Charlie Slavin, director of the Honors College, said the switch from an academic program to a full-fledged college was successful, but not without growing pains.
“I was surprised how well it went,” Slavin said.
With the growth that accompanied the change, the college witnessed an increase in enrollment, a revised curriculum and the hiring of two graduate students to assist students with their academics.
With the expansion, the college has been able to bring more students to various conventions and visit more sites throughout the country and world. Slavin and a group of 40 honors students had the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. this past spring and toured the Pentagon, the Library of Congress, and other sites of interest. The group was in D.C. the day the war in Iraq officially began. It is these, and other experiences, that Slavin said are key ingredients to the honors curriculum.
The Honors College has been located in Colvin Hall for the past three years, and the move further facilitated the need for the program to transform to a college, according to Slavin. The building contains two classrooms, a small library, offices and living spaces for 35 students in the college. Soon, Balentine Hall will house honors students following its opening after eight months of renovation. It will contain classrooms, living spaces for around 100 students, as well as other resources that will work in conjunction with the facilities at Colvin. Academic resources in Balentine and Colvin are open at all hours to all members of the college, Slavin said.
One popular myth Slavin said he is trying to dispel is the idea that joining the Honors College requires a more cumbersome course load over the course of four years. Honors courses satisfy a majority of general education requirements, Slavin said. Currently, the college is working on information sheets for all 150 majors at the university to map out a four-year plan and suggestions for incorporating the Honors College into students’ educational experience, Slavin said.
Admission to the Honors College requires an invitation that is sent with a letter of acceptance to incoming first-year students. In choosing candidates for the college, Slavin said both he and the Admissions Office utilize a formula that seeks out specific academic accomplishment and talents.
“We’re looking for students in the top 10 percent [of their high school class] and with SATs on order of 1250 or better,” Slavin said.
He said the college attempts to create an open net, whereby those who want to join may and those who are not interested do not have to join. Some students not chosen during the admissions stage decide to pursue the college and are accepted if they qualify.
The college’s curriculum contains a myriad of opinions and ideas, Slavin said, and the college attempts to focus on a diverse experience that will hopefully shape and mold students and challenge them to think beyond the box.
“That’s what we’re going for …we’re trying to provide different perspectives,” Slavin said.
With the dawn of a new academic term, the Honors College now has one year behind it and the future lies ahead. Slavin, in his seventh year as director, said he is looking forward to pushing the boundaries of the college and exploring how much can be accomplished with the coming year.
