Jamie McAvoy
Staff Writer
In an effort to accommodate the growing needs of the University, the Honors Program will likely be changed to a college, capable of granting degrees.
USM is working on the honor’s curriculum as part of revisions to the general education program. The proposal to have the new curriculum approved will go before the Faculty Senate during this academic year after it is reviewed by the general education council. The plan is that the Honors Program will become one of the pathways through general education. So when that someday soon arrives, all of a student’s general education requirements, including their core requirements, will be fulfilled through Honors College.
It’s not unusual for an honors program to become a college. Other universities, like the University of Maine in Orono, have developed their own programs into colleges and USM is part of that trend. “Many other public schools besides USM have reached a point where small programs are not satisfactory for the student body: they’re no accessible enough, they don’t reach out broadly enough, there’s no enough faculty or classes or whatever. This is not uncommon, it’s a historical trend,” says Janice Thompson, Director of the Honors Program and Professor of Nursing.
This month also marks the 20th anniversary of the Honors Program here at USM. It is also the year that commemorates the binding of all the thesis projects completed by honor students during those years. Students will have the opportunity to have their theses housed at the USM library making them available to the general public. “We are probably one of the few areas on campus that take a formal thesis project to that level of completion,” says Thompson. She added, “We’re excited about Honors College. We think it’s going to offer a lot more opportunities for our students. Those things you imagined yourself wanting to be in your future life Honors prepares you to do. It’s a good thing to offer that to more than just a small cluster of students.
“We’re excited about Honors College. We think it’s going to offer a lot more opportunities for our students.”-Janice Thompson, Director of the Honors Program
Every student at USM should have that opportunity and we’re trying to make that available.”
The program will be hosting its anniversary party at the end of the month in the Glickman Family Library where copies of the students’ bound theses will be on display followed by a reception at the Honors House. Janice Thompson, Director of the Honors Program, and Kaitlin Briggs, Director of Thesis Research, will be addressing current students, faculty, and alumni of the Honors Program at the reception.
Jamie McAvoy can be reached at [email protected]
Honors Anniversary
Time: September 30th at 5:30 p.m.
Place: Glickman Family Library, 7th floor.
Contact: RVSP Beth Round by September 26 by calling 780-4189