Greetings from Honors,
MARY BURDGICK
p the trains year in Honors. Just to kee sy bu er oth an d ha ve ha , we for them t of this edition of the Forum candidates, run orientation 00 40 ong am m fro ts den As you can see from the res oming stu s of sophomores, provide m staff must select 500 inc for all freshmen and hundred y nit mu running, the Honors progra com ng rni lea ing Fellows program, the fall, oversee a liv ts, run the Honors Summer den stu 00 all summer and Kickoff in 18 to ing vis ad ge of scholarship, personal academic courses, oversee a wide ran s nor Ho 0 10 n tha re mo on with Honors coordinate an array of thesis process and graduati ior sen the ge na ma s, itie Library. award, and grant opportun archive all their theses in the d an A, LS in ns tio tra cen con nt team, but they could for students across all of the permanent staff is an excelle all sm r Ou e? don get s thi work by the kind of rich How does all they are supported in their ly, ate tun For ne. alo s thi The Honors team never accomplish gan is so good at assembling. chi Mi of y rsit ive Un the nt assistants, and capable network office, orientation, and reside ate du gra der un s, tor cep pre culty Council, includes graduate student pment staff, the Honors Fa elo dev d an on, ati ent ori o meet annually to provide college technical, admissions, up of dedicated alumni wh gro a cil, un Co ory vis Ad s and the Honor n Arbor. t with the world beyond An me with advice and contac effort to been pursuing a coordinated ve ha we , ago rs ff yea cko ee Ki thr at y Tim McKa duating with Honors. We Since I began as Director pleting senior theses and gra com ts den stu session, of er mb nu sporting his “Greek Life” the increase campus. At each orientation on y da t firs ir the m fro h s pat T-shirt. learning and where I encourage students down thi discuss what they dream of We e. tur pic big the out ab er Fellows - students th incoming students several current Honors Summ to m the uce I spend an hour talking wi rod int I s. nor ly original rs: graduating with Ho make creating their own tru p hel d an s ces pro expect them to be in four yea the on e fac thesis projects – who put a hard at work on their own le. rs seem possib s - holding sessions each scholarship in just a few yea did not enter through Honor o wh s ces pro sis the the to and making it clear recruiting students rsue Honors concentrations pu to m the We have also begun actively ng agi our enc – has also allowed us their first year strongly ing sophomores in this way inn beg g tin rui fall for students who finish Rec . all m graduates have s community are open to the plish. Numbers of Honors om acc to ed ggl stru that the doors to the Honor g lon ve ha s, but I won’t our students – something we mber ever. This is great new nu t ges lar the d an se, to increase the diversity of rea % inc 2008 to 388 in 2011, a 40 h the last decade. begun to grow, from 282 in n the typical number throug bee d ha at wh ng bli dou 0, 60 s began with efforts to be satisfied until we surpas erience at Michigan. This exp ic dem aca the tify an on supported involved in efforts to qu to include a Gates Foundati wn gro s ha d an s, For some years, I have been rse cou s rses each term. If you’re ns in our introductory physic students who take these cou 00 measure student learning gai 19 the of h eac to ack db that site you can read about advice and fee aker.umich.edu/ecoach. At em /sit project to provide tailored p:/ htt at ine onl t jec is project is a unique re about that pro ently gave on the topic. Th rec I r interested, you can learn mo ina sem a tch wa n makes possible. t describing it, or eve t the sort of thing Michigan jus – on ati the system, listen to a podcas nic mu com lth d experts in public hea Comprehensive collaboration of physicists an ing, we joined forces with the spr st La s. nor Ho on ent rem Committee ed this penchant for measu A Instructional Technology LS the m fro nt gra re More recently, I have impos ctu Infrastru we have hired a new staff ed a New Initiatives/New iversity. Using these funds, Un Studies Program and receiv the h oug thr ss gre pro ing tools that allow us dy of our student’s ve on students. He is build ha P CS d to pursue a quantitative stu an s nor Ho t pac ny aspects of their d on measuring the im . We’ll use these to explore ma not do o wh ts member, Zac Nichol, focuse den stu r ila uirements, what er through Honors to sim y choose to meet college req the how , nce ma for to compare students who ent per om ssro p to move rsity: their course choices, cla ng analytics project will hel rni lea s thi e hop We . ate progress through the Unive du they gra and what they’re like when concentrations they choose, happening on campus. at’s wh of understanding ter bet a ard this vitality, the tow e leg col ole the wh students provide the seeds of eat Gr ng. ivi thr is m gra i gives us the show, the LSA Honors Pro support of our loyal alumn ued tin con the d As I hope this Forum will an it, re rtu University of Michigan nu intellectual resources of the ward. flexibility to keep moving for
st Many thanks, and all the be Cheers, Tim McKay
for the coming year.
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