Revamped ISU honors curriculum debuts in fall

The ISU campus is undergoing many visible changes: completion of a new student recreation center, renovations for the College of Education move and a new baseball stadium; but the new curriculum for the University Honors program adds an academic dimension to the evolving campus.

Greg Bierly, director of University Honors and professor of geography, said that the new honors curriculum contains substantial changes and provides a developmental structure to the program, a sequence of courses and three concentrations: global, leadership and civic engagement, and honors within the student's major.

"The different elective paths can be suited to different student interests," Bierly said, adding that the new program includes incentives for study abroad, allowing students to take advantage of globalized programs.

The new curriculum takes effect in the fall for all incoming honors students, and continuing students have the option to stay under the previous requirements or petition for a transfer into the new program.

The biggest challenge, Bierly said, is that the old program earned general education credit on a class-by-class basis, but now the 4-course block will satisfy a block of general education requirements.

"[The new curriculum] will probably necessitate a little more planning or strategy, and thinking about it intentionally," Bierly said, adding that he hopes advisement can handle any scheduling issues.

At the end of the 2008-2009 school year, 516 students were enrolled in the honors program, including May graduates. Bierly estimated that between 130-150 incoming students are expected to enter the program in the fall, which reflects active efforts in promoting the new program and recruiting students.

Students in the honors program are offered honors housing, priority registration, peer advisers, opportunities for additional research and leadership programs and smaller classes.

Amanda Didier, a junior life science major and honors student, said living in the honors housing in Rhoads Hall was beneficial.

"I would definitely say it helped," Didier said, "because I was around people I felt I could relate with, but at the same time, there are people in there not in the honors program."

Rhoads also houses some students not in the honors program because some rooms would otherwise be left vacant.

Offices for the honors program are located on the first floor mezzanine in Rhoads, so students can easily get the help they need, Bierly said.

Rebecca Campbell, a junior nursing major and honors student, said she didn't think the honors housing helped her, but having the offices in the same building was very useful.

"Being close to the honors office is really nice," Campbell said. "If you need to talk to someone, you're right there."

Campbell thought that at ISU, she might be surrounded by people who barely made it into college, but the honors program helped surround her with people of similar levels in terms of academics, motivation and dedication.

Bierly said the faculty and class design are a major part of what makes the honors program valuable for students.

"Students benefit from high-level, small classes focused around interdisciplinary topics with like-minded students that are high-achieving, and faculty that are selected to be particularly good at being dynamic and stimulating conversationalists," Bierly said.

He said workshops and mentoring also help prepare students for graduate school and professional careers.

"Because a lot can be expected of the students, they can do more than just sit in a lecture room," Bierly said. Students have the opportunity to get field experience, go to museums, take road trips and work in laboratories.

Other revisions to the honors curriculum include an increase from 18 to 30 required hours of honors course credit, an increase from two to four core courses and a boost to a 3.25 minimum overall GPA. The 3.0 GPA in the honors curriculum remains the same.

Bierly said these adjustments respond to a review conducted by the National Collegiate Honors Program and a comparison with honors programs at other universities.

"We've tried to balance a program that nests within one's degree program with one that provides something really special," Bierly said.