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Senate unanimous in endorsing honors program

From Inside Purdue

 

University Senate on Jan. 26 unanimously approved a proposal for a University Honors Program.

Modeled after the Chancellor’s Scholars program at the University of Illinois, Purdue’s University-wide program will work collaboratively with honors programs that exist in several Purdue schools.

Each year, the Chancellor’s Scholars program at Illinois admits about 125 new freshmen, and first-year sophomores as space allows. The students may be from any undergraduate curriculum. The students remain in the program throughout their undergraduate careers provided they make steady progress toward completion of their courses and maintain a 3.3 minimum grade point average.

According to Margaret Moan Rowe, vice provost and chair of the 18-member task force that created the program proposal, many provisions of the Purdue program have yet to be determined.

"The program will need to be fleshed out by the faculty director who will work with the curriculum committee," Rowe says.

The program’s faculty director will be chosen from nominations currently being solicited by the Office of the Provost from all faculty on the West Lafayette Campus. The director will work with a faculty curriculum committee to oversee the program.

Current plans call for the program to begin some exercises this fall, but to be fully developed by fall 2005.

Rowe says the proposal was the result of collaboration among a diverse group of faculty and administrators who brought many points of view.

"That was one of the most heartening things about the whole process," Rowe says. "The group acted as a community of concerned colleagues and worked inclusively.

"The result keeps Purdue faithful to its own land grant tradition. We are concerned about all students, including very high-achieving students."

Also endorsed by President Martin Jischke and Provost Sally Mason, the program aspires to:

  • Attract students with exceptional potential who will thrive in a nurturing and demanding academic community.

  • Beckon imaginative and enthusiastic faculty from across the University to a great adventure in learning.

  • Collaborate with existing honors programs in the schools of agriculture, engineering, consumer and family sciences, liberal arts and science. Students can participate in programs at the University, school and departmental levels.

    Members of the Honors Task Force are:

    • Gary Bertoline, ITaP associate vice president for visual data mining research and professor of computer graphics.

    • R.L. Bill, associate professor of basic medical sciences.

    • Ann Blakley, honors student in the School of Liberal Arts.

    • George Bodner, Arthur Kelly Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Education.

    • Beth Burnett, director of advising, School of Science.

    • Brian Harley, director of Programs for Study Abroad.

    • Peter Imbrie, assistant professor of engineering.

    • Cheryl Kern-Simirenko, associate dean of Libraries.

    • Gerald Lynch, associate dean of the School of Management.

    • Holly Mason, associate dean of the School of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences.

    • Sidney Moon, associate dean of the School of Education.

    • Alastair Morrison, associate dean of the School of Consumer and Family Sciences.

    • Russ Mothershead, former honors student in the School of Agriculture.

    • Margaret Moan Rowe, vice provost and professor of English.

    • Christie Sahley, associate dean of the School of Science.

    • David Santogrossi, associate dean of the School of Liberal Arts.

    • Candiss Vibbert, executive assistant to the president.

    • A. Dale Whittaker, associate dean of the School of Agriculture.

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