Honors College Develops

By Broadside Contributor Kerri Buschbacher

George Mason University has decided to embark on an endeavor to bridge the gap between the communication and cooperation of its two-year Honors Program in General Education and four-year University Scholars Program experience. Effective July 1, Mason will house its own Honors College, aimed to combine the two programs into one umbrella of framework and concrete organization.

Personalized advising, as well as Mason’s Postgraudate Fellowships and Scholarships services and the Undergraduate Apprenticeship Program, also are expected to be housed within the college.

According to Vice Provost of Academic Affairs Linda Schwartzstein, the idea of an Honors College has been discussed for the past four years as a way to further build on, strengthen, raise visibility and provide opportunities and challenges for students.

Schwartzstein says that in the current setup of both the Honors and Scholars Programs, each reports to a different place, allowing for a loss of visibility and communication to manifest. Additionally, with the budget cuts facing the university, the creation of an Honors College may reduce the duplication of efforts and allow for one unified and focused institution.

Schwartztein says the pursuit of an Honors College at Mason also aims to attract more high-achieving transfer students. As the current Honors Program in General Education lasts only two years, many transfer students may overlook Mason for the opportunity to participate in a four-year Honors Program or College elsewhere; Mason hopes to address this with this new development.

Students enrolled in the new college will have the opportunity to participate in the Honors College Living Learning Community. The Honors LLC for the next academic year will be located in the Northern Neck Residence Hall.

Leadership of the new Honors College will involve current key faculty members involved with the Honors and Scholars Programs. Zofia Burr, Director of Honors Program in General Education will serve as Dean, Kathleen Alligood, Associate Director of the Honors Program in General Education, as Associate Dean, and Erek Perry will remain the Director of the Scholars Program. Director of Fellowships and Undergraduate Apprenticeship Program will coordinate her programs under the new umbrella.

As many of the details of the Honors College are still being finalized and debated, administration has created many opportunities for students to meet in focus groups with Mason faculty to discuss their various concerns or add their input with regards to the formation of the college. More student-involved discussion will take place through continued open office hours with Burr, and steps are being taken to develop and Honors College Student Advisory Board.

The website for the Honors College goes online March 1. Details in development, implementation and student participation are expected to be finalized as weeks progress.