The Jesup Scott Honors College will be restructured in the coming weeks, but the changes should be “seamless” for students, Interim Provost Scott Molitor said.
“Honors is not an academic discipline,” Molitor said, explaining the plan is “to reorganize the college itself so that the faculty will go to their academic homes. We intend to continue offering an excellent honors program and experience. It’s just a matter of where faculty belong, and how it’s administered.”
Dr. Ashley Pryor, Associate Professor of Humanities, is currently housed in the Honors College and will “fold into the existing structure” of the Department of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Letters, where she will continue teaching generally the same courses she does as a member of the Honors College.
“Faculty should have academic homes that reflect their expertise and their discipline,” Molitor said.
“We will still deliver an Honors program, students will still receive an Honors medallion, the program will still be called the Jesup Scott Honors College,” Molitor said. The difference is there will be no Honors administration or exclusively Honors faculty.
Molitor said current Honors students should not notice a change this year, but there may be changes in the future. “Curriculum always changes, there may be discussions about revisioning the honors program,” he said. Any changes to the Honors program will only affect new students, according to Molitor. “Currently enrolled students will be able to finish the program as it is.”
Molitor will present the proposed changes to Faculty Senate later this month. Barring any major complaints, the changes would take effect starting with Spring Semester, he said.
“Honors is not going away,” said Dr. Linda Rouillard, President of Faculty Senate. The change is mostly structural, she said.
