Sophomore elementary education major Cole Brown was a fan of honors education from the get-go. In fact, the Newtown High School graduate only applied to colleges with strong honors programs, designed for academically talented and highly motivated students. (In addition to Southern, he was accepted to programs at Eastern Connecticut State, Hofstra, and Salve Regina.)
“Out of all these honors programs, Southern’s was the most interesting,” says Brown. “The others instantly accepted or denied you based on GPA and similar considerations. Southern had a full screening process, including interviews and an essay day. You knew there was depth to the program.”
In contrast, Southern’s Honors College initially wasn’t on Katelyn Miller’s radar. Miller, now a graduate of Southern’s Class of 2023, had planned to attend the State University of New York Oswego but didn’t receive enough financial aid.
“There was a point when I didn’t think I could afford college. But I applied very late to Southern through rolling admissions,” says Miller. The deadline to apply to the Honors College and receive scholarship support had passed. But Miller, who had earned an honors diploma in high school, was unfazed.
“Truthfully, I was jaded by the word honors. I thought if I did my best, did everything correctly, opportunities would open for me — and that didn’t happen,” she says.
Flash forward to Miller’s first semester at Southern. She was excelling, and a professor, noting her academic promise, repeatedly suggested she belonged in the Honors College. Miller’s response: thanks, but no thanks.
Eventually, that same professor made an appointment for Miller to meet with Professor of Music Terese Gemme, then director of the Honors College. “She was amazing: kind, calming, encouraging,” recalls Miller, who majored in biology. Miller successful applied and then transferred into Honors, albeit initially without scholarship funding.
Brown and Miller, with their unique academic journeys, both found success in the Honors College. Brown hopes to complete his undergraduate and master’s degree in five years. He’s had a 30-hour placement in a kindergarten classroom, is an executive board member of several student organizations, and tutors at Southern’s Center for Academic Success and Accessibility Services (CASAS).
Meanwhile, Miller is pursuing a graduate degree in ecology and evolution at Sacramento State University in California, where she’s researching the roosting behavior of bats. She first studied them at Southern, then gained more undergrad research experience working at the Connecticut Experimental Station. (She’s credited on a soon-to-be-published academic paper on plant pathology in apple trees.)
Ultimately, she plans to earn a doctorate and become a professor — providing the “special level of support I received as an undergrad,” she says.
“I cannot emphasize this enough; without the Honors College these opportunities wouldn’t have been possible,” says Miller, who is the first in her family to graduate from high school as well as college.
Designed for Success
Both students’ academic success is telling, reflecting the Honor College’s historical student-retention rate of well over 90 percent — a figure on par with many highly selective, private colleges and universities.
About 150-plus students are enrolled in the program and plans are in place to expand its reach. “We have ambitious but realistic plans to double the size of the Honors College in about five years,” says Sarah Roe, associate professor of history, who is leading the charge. Since August, she’s served as director of the program, succeeding Gemme who expertly guided the Honors College for 22-plus years. The new Honors College team also includes assistant directors Miranda Dunbar, professor of biology, and Darcy Kern, associate professor of history. Gayle Bessenoff, associate professor of psychology, is the university thesis chair.
The Honors College, which launched in 1982, will retain many of the components that have long supported student success.
- First-year and transfer students can apply and may select any major.
- Honors courses, which generally are interdisciplinary in nature and team taught, replace most of the all-university required courses.
- Class size is limited to promote student-faculty interaction and dialog. First-year honors courses typically have 15 students; upper-level honors courses are designed for under 20.
- Students complete an Honors Capstone focused on study abroad, thesis research, or community service.
The Honors College will continue to offer significant financial incentives as well. Honors students receive generous scholarship support throughout all four years of their undergraduate education.
So, what else can Honors College students expect? “Basically, our goal is to provide what each student needs to succeed. We are looking at students holistically and meeting them where they are,” says Roe.
She notes increased interest from commuting students, some of whom are traveling from outside neighboring areas. Many students also are entering the program with extensive college credits earned in high school.
“We don’t want to ask them to take classes that are reminiscent of those they’ve already taken or to hold off on research. I don’t like to dampen people’s motivation,” says Roe.
Exemplifying this commitment, HON 270 (Scientific Investigation) has been revised. “We are adding a lab component so students can participate in actual research alongside the faculty member teaching the course,” Roe says.
The leadership team also is focused on building a sense of community — particularly important after the forced isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic years. The program offers a living-learning community for Honors students in the West Residence Complex.
The Honors College Library, located in Engleman Hall, also was updated with comfort in mind, offering complementary refreshments and even holiday decorations. A self-service keypad entry to the Honors College library will further extend access for students.
First-year student Hauwa Mahe, who commutes from Waterbury, appreciates the effort. Directly admitted to the nursing program, she came to Southern with about a year’s worth of college credits earned during high school. From her first semester, she’s visited the Honors College Library almost daily. “It’s a great spot to study, relax, and talk to someone,” she says.
Among other recent Honors College developments: more educational and social events held on and off campus as well as on weekends; Honors College-branded apparel; and a bi-weekly online newsletter highlighting important deadlines and events. The latter includes everything from a stress-reducing casual paint night to a seminar on quantum physics. “It’s an energy we are trying to create — a sense of belonging and engagement,” says Dunbar.
Students are feeling the good vibes. Recently, we caught up with several, who shared their thoughts on the many benefits provided through the Honors College.
- Priority registration is a tremendous benefit says Arthur Baldon De Oliveira, a senior who is majoring in biology and minoring in medical Spanish: “We are almost guaranteed to get into any classes we want — and that’s not only for Honors courses but for every class.” Baldon De Oliveira, who came to the U.S. from Brazil, speaks three languages: Portuguese, Spanish, and English — the latter being the most recently acquired. He lauds the Honors College’s emphasis on writing, which begins in freshman year. “We write a lot. Read a lot. Debate a lot. . . . After Honors 150 [Introduction to Critical Inquiry], I could write anything I needed to be successful in my college classes,” he says.
- A flexible capstone focused on study abroad, thesis research, or community service helps students meet their career goals. Psychology major and film studies minor Heather Rae Gaydowen found her focus in thesis research. She’s working in the Stress, Anxiety, and Wellbeing Lab led by Christopher Budnick, assistant professor of psychology, and will study maladaptive daydreaming in the workplace for her Honors thesis.
- International travel opportunities also abound. In June 2024 under Roe’s direction, the Honors College offered its first international education experience. Based in Barcelona, Spain, the two-week program allowed Honors College students to earn up to six credits. Junior Anna Vilenski also is focusing her Honors capstone on the trip, creating a stunning portfolio complete with poetry and intricate artwork. A business administration major with a minor in arts administration and cultural advocacy, she hopes to build a career in marketing for museums, arts organization, and other non-profits. “I am so thankful for the professors’ willingness to let me focus on creativity,” says Vilenski. “It encouraged me to pursue a path I was interested in but hadn’t pursued.”
- Looking forward, a new study abroad program in Belize will let students participate in one or more projects focused on reforestation and conservation, women’s collectives, ecotourism, and/or curriculum development and outreach in village schools.
- Nursing major Berenice Giron lauds the depth of the Honors courses. Hon 398 (Artistic Responses to Genocide) was a particular standout. The course explored history, memoir, art, politics, and popular thought. “It was a class that quite literally shook me to the core,” says Giron, who is minoring in Spanish.
- For nursing major Javen Jaranilla the challenging curriculum is a standout. Jaranilla, who commutes from New Haven, was in the honors program at Hillhouse High School and welcomes the opportunity to focus on critical thinking and writing. “I have high expectations for myself,” she says. “I’m always looking to learn more.”
