In 1961, President Millett founded the University Honors Program, and over 150 first-year students enrolled in it. One year later, honors courses were offered in almost every department on campus, a student advisory council was formed, newsletters and coffee hours created, two residence halls opened, and a part-time director appointed. The number of students in the program continued to expand for the next ten years, reaching a total of 1000 students in 1970.
Two years later, the political climate of Miami shifted, and the UHP was eliminated and replaced with a “General Honors Curriculum,” which consisted of regular courses supplemented with special projects, was directed by a faculty committee, and was open to any student. In 1982, a formal program was reinstituted with a new director appointed, advising options, student board, a first-year colloquium, and a co-educational honors residence. Over the next decade, a new full-tuition merit scholarship program (Harrison Scholars Program) was instituted, endowed research funds secured, and a summer internship program developed. Approximately 15-20 honors courses were offered each year.
As a result of increasing competition for high-ability students from other institutions across the region and nation, Miami decided in 2000 to assess the University Honors Program again. After benchmarking against exemplary honors programs and colleges, the UHP was expanded to include a new faculty mentoring program, a more expansive set of requirements, an array of new courses, a tuition waiver for summer study, and the development of two tiers of students, who would have varying levels of requirements. The staff was increased from two positions to nine (including a full-time director).
Since that time, the program expanded the size and diversity of the program. Today, it serves 1800-2000 students. It features its own holistic admission process which includes consideration of standardized test scores as well as a dozen other dimensions, and a host of new recruitment strategies and events. As a result of these efforts, the number of both first-generation students and students of color has increased. The program also changed its name to the “University Honors & Scholars Program” to reflect a new responsibility for both the Harrison Scholars Program and a new, co-curricular Oxford Scholars Program (renamed the University Scholars Program in 2007). The program opened three additional honors residence halls for students at various stages in their careers, and created a developmental plan for all halls that links student learning and programming expectations. A new mission underscoring the development of students’ scholarship, leadership and service abilities was also enacted. |
