HFC Retreat  -- Friday, Oct. 22, 1999

Present:

Michael Arnush, Sue Bender, Phil Boshoff, Jon Ramsey, Amelia Rauser, Anita Steigerwald

Absent:

Tabitha Orthwein

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Michael announced that Amelia, Sue and he will participate in a panel at the January AAC&U conference in Washington, DC, with representatives from Mt. Holyoke and Swarthmore; the focus of the panel's comments will be on the role of Honors programs in liberal arts institutions. Jon and Ruth will prepare a "Communications Packet" ready for distribution at the conference.

Leadership Gifts meeting- Nov 19th;Jon & Michael will attend. Sue noted that one possible conflict with issues related to an HF endowment is the notion that if the HF is not intended to be a long-term program at the College then an endowment is inappropriate.

Evaluation Forms - members of the Council are to reply by email if they foresee the need to alter any of the questions on the evaluation forms. One suggestion was made and noted (replacing #5, which currently reads "Is there anything else you would like to say about this Honors experience" with "What do you consider the strengths and weaknesses of the program?"). Rebecca will work with the Registrar's office to computerize these forms.

The retreat focused on the 300-level curricular offerings and the need to provide sufficient opportunities at the 300-level. The Council discussed the following:

• HF students will be advised to pursue particular courses and/or other experiences in their majors that departments have already earmarked as "Honors."

• The Council will forward to the Curriculum Committee a proposal for Honors independent study at the 300-level (HF371/372).

• Faculty will be encouraged to continue to develop courses that don't necessaily qualify as the departmental/program Honors capstone at the 300-level as Honors, either as 1-credit add-ons (as with EN351) or as 3- or 4-cr. Honors courses.

• The HFC will continue to work on developing a one-credit 300-level Honors capstone that may be required of all HF students in the senior year. Considerable debate ensued as to who might plan this course and the matter was left unresolved.

The Council also wrestled with the need to have each academic program contribute at least one HF course annually. The Council identified programs and faculty who might be willing to develop HF courses:

Roy Rotheim (Business), Judy Halstead (Envi. Studies), Jennifer Taxman (Library), Paty Rubio (Women's Studies; Spanish),

Terry Diggory (LSI), Nicola Denzey (Religion), Matthew Hockenos (Int. Affairs), Ron Seyb (Government), Mehmet Odekon (Economics), Bill Fox (Soc., Anthro. and Soc. Work), Rob Linrothe (Asian Studies), Giuseppe Faustini (For. Langs. and Lits.), Gautam Dasgupta (Theater), Mary DiSanto Rose (Dance)

[added since the retreat: Denise Smith (Exercise Science), Holley Hodgins and Denise Evert (Psychology), Tom Denny (Music), Mark Youndt and Gary McClure (Business), Monica Raveret-Richter (Biology)]

The Council will extend invitations to these faculty to meet with the Council to develop HF courses.