For 50 years, the UConn Honors Program has offered opportunities for high achieving students to enrich their undergraduate education through advanced study, research, and co-curricular experiences. This year, slightly more than 500 new first-year students at the Storrs campus entered the Honors Program, making this our largest incoming class ever. Students at any UConn campus may apply to join Honors as sophomores or juniors, and we now have almost 2,000 Honors students across all years and campuses.

Throughout their Honors careers, students may earn Honors credits in a variety of ways, beginning with specially designed first-year seminars and culminating in the thesis project: an original piece of scholarship or creative project in a student’s major discipline. In the intervening years, students may take Honors versions of general education courses, interdisciplinary Honors Core courses, Honors courses and seminars within their majors, and graduate courses. When an Honors version of a course is not available, students may work with their instructors to design conversion projects to earn Honors credit. In all of these examples, students are prompted to engage in material at higher levels, delve more deeply into specific topics, or progress more quickly through standard curricula than they would do otherwise. They are guided through this journey by assigned Honors faculty advisors as well as the staff of the Honors Program.

Honors students are active outside the classroom as well. The friendships and connections established in the Honors First Year Residential Community and other Honors housing options are key parts of the Honors experience during students’ undergraduate years and beyond. The Honors community is also fostered through a robust selection of programming and events, many produced or advertised in partnership with other UConn departments. Additional opportunities for engagement, leadership, service, and connection can be found through several Honors student organizations.

The Honors experience depends on successful relationships with UConn faculty members. Please contact us at honors@uconn.edu or 860-486-4223 if you have questions about any of the following:

• The Honors conversion process, including designing meaningful projects
• Teaching an Honors version of one of your courses
• Interdisciplinary Honors Core courses
• Advertising your events to Honors students or co-sponsoring an event with the Honors Program

Faculty members also serve an important role in identifying current UConn students who would benefit from the Honors experience. Some of these talented students are unaware that they can apply to join Honors as sophomores or juniors or that they can be Honors students at the regional campuses. Encouragement from you—and offering to fill out the faculty evaluation form—can go a long way! Please direct them to our website at honors.uconn.edu for information about the application process and deadlines.

Join the Honors community! Follow us on Facebook (UConn Honors Program) and Twitter (UConnHonors) for updates.

Jennifer Lease Butts, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice Provost for Enrichment Programs and Director, Honors Program
860-486-0700
jennifer.lease@uconn.edu

Return to Enrichment Programs Faculty Update Fall 2014

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