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| Honors
Forum Annual Report |
| AY
2000 |
The Honors Forum completed its second year of implementation of the curriculum
and co-curricular planning in MAY 2000, during which a number of developments
in curricular, administrative and policy areas occurred. In short, the
HF focused on broadening the spectrum of course offerings, sharpening
its public
profile, enhancing support for student experiences in curricular and co-curricular
venues, and adjusting to the steady growth of the program. At the conclusion
of the academic year the Honors Council (HFC) faces a number of critical
issues that will require attention during AY 2001.
CURRICULUM
Course Development
The HF witnessed a surge of interest among the faculty this past year in
developing courses, and so the HFC fielded 31 courses (20 fall, 11 spring)
in 15 disciplines, up from 16 courses in 13 disciplines in the HF’s initial
year. Enrollments were solid but in some areas less than anticipated; clearly
the HFC together with the teaching faculty need to make a more concerted
effort to convey to the entire student body the benefits of enrolling in
an HF course. In addition, the HF curriculum has not yet achieved a balance
among academic divisions, lacking particularly in courses in the sciences.
In fact, the HFC concluded that on the basis of numbers of students and
interest in diverse curricular opportunities, the HF needs to field on average
one course per discipline annually by the end of AY 2001; to that end the
HFC met with approximately 20 faculty across the campus whom the Council
targetted as likely participants in the program. At these roundtable discussions
members of the Council worked with the faculty to identify mechanisms for
identifying and developing HF courses – e.g., BU107, BI190; in other words,
courses that appeal particularly to highly motivated first-year students.
It is too early to tell if this strategy was effective, but the HFC remains
concerned that the curriculum develop as broadly as possible.
Reconfiguration
As the faculty moved towards reconfiguration the HFC realized that what
had been the preferred avenue for HF course development – the one-hour add-on
– would now emerge as the preferred avenue for departmental course revisions.
Accordingly, rather than elect to develop a 3-credit course into an HF 3+1
experience, faculty have chosen to develop 4-credit courses to meet departmental
needs. Reduced enrollments in HF courses (typically, no more than 15-17)
have also presented obstacles for those departments whose enrollment averages
are substantially higher. These two forces have contributed to the slow
development of courses in some disciplines in the arts, social and natural
sciences. For example, the data from the 11 academic programs that reconfigured,
supplied by Ann Henderson, sheds light on the problems the HF faces in recruiting
courses.
| ACADEMIC
PROGRAM |
PROJ.
HF COURSES 2000/01 |
PROJ.
HF COURSES 2001/2 |
| |
|
|
| American
Studies |
0 |
1 |
| Anthropology |
1 |
1 |
| Economics |
2 |
2 |
| English |
5 |
4 |
| History |
0 |
0 |
| Mathematics |
3 |
3 |
| Philosophy |
0 |
0 |
| Psychology |
0 |
0 |
| Religious
Studies |
0 |
0 |
| Social
Work |
1 |
1 |
| Sociology |
0 |
2 |
Four of these
programs have not folded the Honors Forum into their long-range planning;
the HFC hopes to work with the faculty teaching in these programs during
AY 2001 to develop possible HF courses.
To date, 15 academic programs have contributed to the Forum. These are outlined
below:
| ACADEMIC
PROGRAM |
HF
COURSES 1998/9 |
HF
COURSES 1999/2000 |
| |
|
|
| Art
(History) |
2 |
3 |
| Art
(Studio) |
1 |
1 |
| Chemistry |
1 |
1 |
| Classics |
1 |
1 |
| Economics |
1 |
0 |
| Education |
0 |
1 |
| English |
2 |
8 |
|
FLL |
2 |
1 |
| Geology |
1 |
1 |
| History |
0 |
1 |
| Liberal
Studies |
3 |
3 |
|
Mathematics |
2 |
4 |
|
Philosophy |
1 |
1 |
|
Physics |
1 |
1 |
| Sociology |
1 |
0 |
The HFC hopes to enlist HF courses from the following academic programs
that have not yet participated in the program: Asian Studies,
Biology, Business
(will contribute 1 course 2000/01), Computer Science, Dance (1 course
2000/01), Exercise Science, Government, Music, Psychology, Theater,
Women’s Studies.
The HFC will explore establishing dialogues with CEPP, the Curriculum
Committee and Academic Staff this coming year to address the
obstacles departments
face in contributing to the Honors Forum.
Study Abroad
The initial class of HF students entered their junior year, and a number
of them chose avenues of study overseas. Among them, a few elected to
pursue
an HF project, which entailed submitting a project proposal to the HFC,
identifying a Skidmore faculty member to serve as a mentor and reader,
completing
the course and submitting a final paper to the Skidmore faculty member
and the HFC. This process worked smoothly for the most part, although
there
are still some kinks in the system. Students are not fully aware that
they can craft an HF course while overseas; some programs are better
suited to
advanced, Honors work than others, and the HFC cannot always identify
these programs in advance; the HFC relies considerably on the Skidmore
faculty
member’s appraisal of the work and is concerned that its role is to rubber
stamp the final product. The Council will continue to address these issues
as more HF students move into their junior year.
Assessment
The Council developed a number of assessment tools in 1998/9 to determine
the strengths and weaknesses of the HF and continued to implement them
this
year. Students in HF courses fill out separate evaluations which are
then collated and analyzed statistically (see attached graphs); the results
indicate
that the HF courses are largely very successful in meeting their goals
of enriching the academic experience for highly motivated students. The
courses
also show improvement over last year’s attempts to extend the HF community
beyond the classroom: students note increasingly that they engage their
peers intellectually as a result of HF courses.
The Council also conducted open fora separately with HF faculty and HF students
to gauge what issues need attention. Many of the curricular issues outlined
above arose in the faculty forum, particularly the difficulty faculty face
in pursuing HF course development in light of reconfiguration. The Council
and the 30 faculty in attendance, with presentations from Mary Lynn and
Linda Simon, also discussed the need to emphasize quality over quantity;
that is, an HF course need not incorporate more material than a non-HF course,
but a deeper and richer examination of course-related issues instead.
The discussion with the students focused on the building of community within
the HF, and fashioning that community as inclusively as possible. Much of
the discussion centered on the relationship between curricular and co-curricular
activities; specifically, whether HF students should be required to attend
certain or some number of HF events. The HFC has been reluctant to make
events mandatory, although it did begin the year by outlining types of events
(HF organized, HF co-sponsored, HF recommended) and urging the students
to attend at least the HF organized lectures, performances, etc. Some students
noted that, as Honors students, they are often over-committed to a broad
spectrum of co-curricular activities in addition to their commitments to
academics, and expressed concern that they might be penalized because of
scheduling conflicts. Surprisingly, other students insisted that membership
in the HF includes a commitment to the co-curricular program and that some
minimal attendance should be mandatory. The HFC noted with some irony that
the HF students, like the Council itself, could come to no resolution on
this issue. Clearly, this requires further consideration.
ADMINISTRATIVE AND POLICY ISSUES
As the Forum continued to grow, approaching its maximum of 200-250 students
(projected for AY 20001/2), a broad spectrum of issues arose that the HFC
addressed. They included the following:
- The need for a common space for HF students, resulting in the opening
of the HF Lounge in Ladd Hall in September 1999. Equipped with a computer,
conference table and comfortable furniture, the Honors Forum Lounge served
as the venue for student meetings, small lectures and discussions, HF courses,
receptions, and HFC meetings.
- Publicity within and outside of the Skidmore community. SCOPE published
a flattering cover article on the Forum, which thus reached the alumni
and
parents. In addition, three members of the HFC organized and participated
in a panel on Honors with colleagues from Swarthmore and Mt. Holyoke
at
the annual AAC&U convention in January in Washington, DC. Members of
the HFC attempted to produce a second newsletter, although with mixed
interest
from the student members of the HF. By the end of the spring semester
a prototype for an electronic newsletter was in place, and will be folded
into the new webpages, under production during the summer of 2000. Finally,
the year closed with the development of a new HF brochure, in conjunction
with College Relations.
- The continuing presentation of the Academic Festival. For the second year,
the HF and Periclean co-sponsored the Academic Festival. Shifts in the scheduling
and compression of the presentations resulted in a higher average attendance;
Festival planners, which included HFC faculty and students, intend to propose
to CEPP that the College set aside one day late in the semester solely for
the Academic Festival.
- Staffing. The HFC welcomed one new faculty representative for a three-year
term (Ruth Copans), two new student representatives for one-year terms
(Kim
Helms and Francesca Cichello), and an ex-officio representative from
Admissions (Tabitha Orthwein, Associate Director). The Dean of the Faculty
named Phil
Boshoff, a member of the HFC, as the interim director for Spring 2000
when Michael Arnush steps off the Council. The DOF, in conjunction with
President’s
Staff, also authorized a one-year, part-time position of administrative
assistant to help with the burdensome task of providing administrative and
secretarial support for the Forum. The position, to be filled during summer
2000, will focus on such projects as the membership database, applications
for membership, evaluations, assessments, HF-hosted luncheons at Accepted
Candidates’ Days, Academic Festival and other major HF events. This individual
will supplement but not supplant the work done by the Forum’s new secretary,
Rebecca Burnham, whose efforts to coordinate the logistical support for
an ever-increasing program were particularly appreciated by members of
the
HFC and the director.
- Events. The Honors Forum hosted and co-sponsored a wide range of events
during the academic year, and the HFC worked to limit the number in an
effort
to emphasize quality. Highlights included separate roundtable discussions
with Margaret Pearson (History), Ken Storm and Manning Marable; co-sponsorship
of lectures by Richard Dawkins and Attallah Shabazz; a lecture by Tom
Denny
and a trip to NYC for a performance of Puccini’s Tosca; the HF annual faculty
lecture, by Mary Lynn of American Studies, on the "History of Honors at
Skidmore." In addition, the HFC hosted a welcome reception for 100 during
the first week of classes in September under a tent at the Surrey, and the
annual spring induction for the newest members of the HF (125 in attendance)
in Aikens Dining Hall; speakers included Linda Simon (English) and Alexander
Baron ’02. Some of the members of the Forum organized events – a series
of bus trips to SUNY-Albany to hear lectures in Biology, and an evening
of folk music – that enriched the co-curricular program as well.
- Curricular development. The HFC proposed and will implement HF101, Honors
Forum Colloquium, in Fall 2000. The course, required of all 30 incoming
HF students on a trial basis, will address the nature of research, competing
and complementary modes of inquiry, the intellectual demands of collaborative
and interdisciplinary learning, and the myriad forces that seek expression
and balance as we create a college community. Plans are also underway to
develop a complementary course for Spring 2001 at the 300-level which will
focus on research and methodology.
- Continuing membership. The HFC decided in the summer of 1999 to broaden
opportunities to join the HF. All students may apply in May, provided
they
have a GPA cum of 3.40; students who had lost their membership in the
HF due to insufficient semester-GPAs may also apply to re-join. The HFC
anticipates
selecting only a few new members via this channel annually, in order
to remain on target for the total membership. This year’s process resulted
in the addition of two new members to the Forum and one re-admittance.
- Student leadership. This year’s student leaders were strong on enthusiasm
but not particularly effective as organizers and motivators. Too often
the
members of the student leadership volunteered to contribute to various
projects, such as the still-nascent newsletter, only to see those contributions
never
or barely materialize. The HFC remains concerned about student commitment
to the planning of Forum events and will continue to work on this issue
during the coming academic year.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael Arnush
Director, Honors Forum
July 26, 2000
Honors Forum Council, 1999/2000
Michael Arnush, Classics; Chair
Susan Bender, Associate Dean of the Faculty
Phil Boshoff, English
Rebecca Burnham, Secretary
Katie Cella, '02, HF Representative
Ruth Copans, Acting Director, Scribner Library
Francesca Cichello, '02, HF Representative
Kim Helms, '00, Vice President, Periclean Honors Society
Tabitha Orthwein, Admissions (ex-officio)
Jon Ramsey, Dean of Studies
Amelia Rauser, Art and Art History
Anita Steigerwald, Dean of First-Year Students
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