A task force of 13 AU community members will review the Honors curriculum in the next eight weeks as part of AU’s cyclical review system.
The program was last reviewed in 2001.
Vice Provost Lyn Stallings will head the Honors Program task force with a faculty member from each of the six schools, and a sophomore and a senior in the program.
Interim Honors Director Michael Manson said his top concern for the task force is the number of Honors credits students in the program must take to graduate with honors.
Students must take 30 Honors credits, complete a capstone project and maintain a 3.5 GPA to graduate with honors.
Another important goal for the task force is to improve the Honors Program appeal to prospective students.
“[I want students to say] Oxford is a fine school, but at the Honors Program at AU I have the unique opportunity to do X or Y,” Manson said.
Honors sophomores and seniors turned in applications to serve on the task force Sept. 9. The faculty members are either leaders in their schools or recommended by the deans of their respective school and the Honors faculty advisors.
Manson said he would like to see the current Honors colloquia forums remain in the curriculum.
Colloquia are courses designed by professors to work with 20 students to brainstorm about the professor’s current research and passions.
Manson feels these colloquia allow students and faculty to step outside the box in terms of class discussions.
“I would be surprised if nothing about colloquia is implemented,” Manson said.
The task force will have fully reviewed the Honors curriculum by December and will go forward from there to develop new programs, activities and classes, according to Manson.
He said he is excited for the “blank check” the task force is given to focus on improvements.
“We have a program other universities would love to have,” Manson said. “We don’t have anything to fix.”
