Means of achieving goal: Expand Honors seminar/topics offerings; recruit additional Honors teaching faculty for seminars/topics and general education offerings; seek and receive student input concerning nature and kinds of current and future Honors offerings. In addition, the Honors Director will design and chair a National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) 2000 conference session entitled "Honors Programs at Mid-sized Institutions: Rewards and Challenges."

Results achieved: The past academic year saw the continued expansion of Honors Program offerings, highlighted by increasing enrollments as the result of the growing number of students who have joined the program. Numerous Honors seminars, topics courses, along with a good sampling of MSU general education courses, were offered by the Honors Program during the past academic year. Approximately thirty-five of the university’s most energetic and dynamic faculty members currently teach in the program. [Please refer to the list of Honors Program instructors and offerings enclosed.]

In spring 2000, the Honors Program Director sent letters to fifty-five MSU faculty, inviting them to teach in the Honors Program during the following academic year. The Director followed up by contacting faculty members individually, discussing with each individual the kinds of courses each might wish to teach. After instructors had arranged with their department chairs and deans to teach courses in Honors, the Director contacted department chairs and deans to ensure that faculty were able to teach in the Honors Program. Next, the Director prepared UPDs to be forwarded to chairs, deans, and Academic Affairs.

Periodically throughout the academic year, student input concerning the nature and kinds of future Honors offerings was solicited by individual instructors and the Director. Students had numerous opportunities to provide valuable feedback by completing self-assessments, course evaluations, and program/office evaluations. [Please see evaluations and assessments enclosed.]

Involvement in the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) has also been important to our Honors Program development. Suzanne Bunkers planned and chaired a NCHC 2000 session (title above) which drew 75 other Honors Directors. In addition, she conducted a survey of Honors Program Directors at mid-sized comprehensive institutions and presented the results at the NCHC 2000. The results will be published in the October 2001 National Honors Report. Along with Dr. Mark Anderson, Director of the Honors Program at SUNY-Brockport, Dr. Bunkers has organized three sessions for the 2001 NCHC convention. These sessions will focus on administrative, budgetary, and programmatic issues facing Honors Programs and Colleges at mid-sized institutions.

Means of achieving goal: Upon completion of fall semester 2000, send letter of invitation to each newly admitted MSU student who has achieved an ACT score of 25 and is in the top 10% of her/his high school graduating class. Meet with interested new students during summer orientation sessions. Promote Honors Learning Community (HLC).

Results achieved: During the past academic year, the Honors Program Director, working with the MSU Admissions Office staff, conducted an intensive recruitment program to attract graduating high school students to our Honors Program. During fall semester, Suzanne Bunkers met with Diane Berge to outline the system to be used in identifying students who meet the qualifications of having an ACT score of 25 or above and a high school class rank in the upper 10%. From January through April 2001, approximately 450 students who had been admitted to MSU and who qualified for the Honors Program were identified by the MSU Admissions Office. Subsequently, each student received a letter of invitation sent by the Honors Director. Of the students recently admitted to MSU and eligible to join the Honors Program, approximately 50% elected to attend MSU; of that number, 40-45 have joined or intend to join the Honors Program. Several new Honors Program members hold MSU Presidential Scholarships for the coming academic year. One new Honors Program member has been selected to receive the prestigious four-year Meredith scholarship.

In addition, in January 2001 the Honors Program Director reviewed the GPAs of current MSU students who had completed 24 or fewer credits and whose GPA was 3.40 or above at the end of fall semester 2000. Approximately 400 continuing MSU students were sent letters of invitation during January and February 2001. During the spring semester, Suzanne Bunkers held information sessions for interested students, then met individually with approximately 75-80 students to discuss the possibility of their joining the program. To date approximately 65 continuing MSU students have joined the program as the result of this recruitment effort.

During fall semester 2000, the Honors Program Director submitted an application to Academic Affairs to continue the Honors Learning Community (HLC) for a third year. This application was approved, and the director began working with First-Year Experience and Orientation staff members to plan and implement the 2001-2002 HLC. The 1999-2000 HLC enrolled six students; the 2000-2001 HLC enrolled twelve students; to date, nine students have enrolled in the 2001-2002 HLC. During each academic year, an Honors Program member has served as the student coordinator for the HLC, which is located on G-1 McElroy. The Honors Director and three other HLC instructors work closely with the HLC. [See enclosed proposal.]

Means of achieving goal: Meet individually with Honors students to evaluate credits and plan four-year programs of study; offer Honors 201, "Introduction to Honors," and Honors 450, "Senior Capstone"; assist students in identifying faculty advisors for their Honors senior projects; draw on resources of college and departmental advising services.

Results achieved: During the past academic year, the Director met individually with approximately 75-80% of all students enrolled in the program. Advising took many forms: transcript evaluation for PSEO students, high school graduates, continuing MSU students, and transfer students; completion and submission of substitution/waiver forms to the registrar’s office; Honors senior project advising and evaluation; Honors individual study project supervision; assessment of credits completed in preparation for graduation, Honors web site development, etc.

Recent recruitment and advising efforts have required intensive work on the part of the Honors Program Director, who has had sole responsibility for these efforts. Due to increased enrollments in the Honors Program, the advising load has become too heavy for the Director to handle by herself. Consequently, Dr. Bunkers has requested assistance from Dr. Rene Hersrud in identifying potential additional faculty who can serve as advisors. The Director awaits word from Dr. Hersrud concerning substantial assistance in advising Honors Program members during the coming academic year.

The Honors Program has provided information to college student relations coordinators, administrators, and faculty members who wish to learn more about how the program functions as an alternative to the regular MSU general education program. In addition, the Honors Director has met with prospective students and/or parents during college fairs, orientation sessions, presidential scholar interview sessions, etc. This work will continue during the coming academic year.

Means of achieving goal: Consult with Dr. Darrol Bussler, coordinator of MSU’s Service Learning; consult with Dr. Joe Kunkel, director of MSU’s Public Achievement program; implement service-learning component in Honors 202, "Exploring Honors" and other seminars; advise Honors students who wish to incorporate service-learning components in Honors courses and senior projects; request and obtain feedback from students who have participated in service learning Honors courses.

Results achieved: After consultation with Dr. Bussler and Dr. Kunkel, Dr. Bunkers continues to advise Honors Program members on ways to incorporate service-learning into course work and senior projects. During the past year, Dr. Bunkers advised fifteen Honors students on their senior projects; five included service learning and/or community service work. In addition, six Honors students took part in the Alternative Spring Break and other service learning opportunities, completing individual study Honors projects with Dr. Bunkers in conjunction with this experience. During spring semester 2001, Ms. Julie Harrison taught the one-credit Honors 202 seminar, "Exploring Honors," introduced by Suzanne Bunkers during spring semester 2000. Because of the nature and amount of service learning involved, the course will be offered as a Honors 450 topics course for three credits during spring semester 2002.

Dr. Joseph Kunkel’s Honors 450, "Citizenship I and II," which has been offered for several years in our program, continues to be the most extensive and successful service learning opportunity for our students, who take part in District 77's Public Achievement Program by coaching teams of seventh- and eighth-grade students at Dakota Meadows Middle School. Under Dr. Kunkel’s direction, several hundreds of adolescent students have been participants, and over a dozen Honors Program members have worked as team mentors/coaches. MSU Presidential Scholar and Honors Program member Brian Jones recently completed his Honors senior project based on his work with this highly respected program.

Means of achieving goal: Participate in assessment sessions at the 2000 National Collegiate Honors Council Conference; consult with Dr. Rene Hersrud and others on assessment plan; consult with MSU Honors Advisory Council and Honors Program members in developing an Honors assessment plan.

Results achieved: Dr. Bunkers participated in several assessment sessions at the 2000 NCHC meeting and will do so again at the 2001 meeting. Along with Dr. Hersrud and members of the Honors Advisory Council (HAC), the Director has continued to develop the Honors instructional assessment plan. The Honors Program Director solicited information from all Honors Program instructors concerning course learning objectives and means of meeting these objectives. [See samples enclosed.] Honors Program learning objectives, first defined at the spring program retreat, then refined at the HAC meeting in fall 2000, have been revised in spring 2001 at the request of Dr. Hersrud. In June 2001, Dr. Hersrud and Dr. Bunkers met to discuss future work on the assessment plan, based on the revised learning objectives, and to discuss inter-relationships between this plan and the newly devised MSU General Education Assessment Plan. At its fall 2001 meeting, the Honors Advisory Council will discuss and finalize the revised Honors Program instructional assessment plan in preparation for its implementation.

Means of achieving goal: Negotiate additional re-assigned time for the Honors Director during the 2001-2002 academic year to take on a new responsibility: re-designing the Honors Program. (Note: Dr. Hersrud has requested that the Honors Director take on this additional responsibility during the 2001-2002 academic year, guiding the curriculum proposal through the review and implementation process.)

Results achieved: The Honors Advisory Council (HAC) discussed this possibility at its fall 2000 meeting and requested that Dr. Hersrud write a proposal 1) outlining the rationale for re-design and 2) identifying university resources that will be made available to the Honors Advisory Council and Program Director to study (and perhaps implement) program re-design. The Council asked Dr. Hersrud to present her proposal at the spring 2001 HAC meeting. Because the proposal presentation did not occur at that time, the subject has been put on hold.

Additional re-assigned time has not yet been identified for the director to undertake additional responsibilities during the 2001-2002 academic year. For this reason, as well as the need for the HAC to await the receipt of Dr. Hersrud’s proposal, the potential program re-design remains on hold. The MSU Honors Program has been scheduled for program review during the 2004-2005 academic year, at which time the question of re-design will surely be explored as part of the review process. One possibility to be considered is the expansion of the Honors Program into an Honors College (perhaps along the lines of the Washington State University model). Clearly, a programmatic and financial feasibility study is a pre-requisite before any re-design effort commences. In light of the recently initiated presidential search at our university and the resulting administrative changes that will occur during the coming academic year, it is prudent to explore the potential re-design possibility deliberately, thoughtfully, and completely.

Means of achieving goal: Distribute Honors Abroad survey to Honors Program members and assess results of survey; consult with MSU’s International Programs staff; consult with current MSU faculty who lead study abroad groups; consult with faculty at other U.S. and international institutions concerning study abroad possibilities; consult with University Advancement and Financial Aids office concerning funding for study abroad.

Results achieved: The Honors Advisory Council analyzed the results of the Honors Abroad survey; the results were also provided to Honors Program members, the Director of International Programs and Dr. Hersrud for discussion and feedback. Suzanne Bunkers has also consulted with a number of MSU faculty members who have led study/travel abroad programs.

An exciting new Honors Abroad opportunity will occur during the coming academic year. Two Honors Program faculty members, Dr. Joseph Kunkel and Dr. Suzanne Bunkers, will pilot an Honors Travel and Study Abroad in Italy during mid-March 2002. [See brochure and course description enclosed.] This opportunity will enroll up to 25 undergraduate and graduate students; both instructors will teach courses in conjunction with the study abroad opportunity, which is being coordinated by Seminars International, Inc. Honors Program members who enroll in the three-credit special topics Honors 450 course, "Italian Literature and Art," will complete course work with Dr. Bunkers and participate in the March 2002 trip to Italy, coordinated by Dr Kunkel and Dr. Bunkers.

Means of achieving goal: Work with Honors students to plan and implement summer orientation as part of individual Honors senior projects; consult with MSU Admissions and Residential Life offices to coordinate summer orientation efforts; work during summer orientation to recruit, admit, and advise new Honors students.

Results achieved: During the academic year, Dr. Bunkers met with Ms. Lynette DiBrito, Mr. Joel Johnson, Ms. Lynn Meyer, and Ms. Diane Berge to plan the Honors Program’s role in summer orientation sessions. During each orientation session, Suzanne Bunkers, along with her staff (Kate Vinson, Angela Jansen, Joel Jensen) met with interested new students and parents to explain how the program works, help new students plan fall semester schedules, provide information about the Honors Learning Community, apply PSEO and AP credits, etc.

Means of achieving goal: Consult with current HLC members and the student coordinator concerning their experiences; consult with Residential Life and First-Year Experience staff concerning optimal living conditions for HLC members; plan course components for 2001-2002 HLC; recruit new HLC members during summer 2001 orientation; coordinate efforts with other offices to ensure success of HLC.

Results achieved: Informal assessment instruments completed by members of the fall semester 1999 and 2000 Honors Learning Communities indicate that students appreciated the opportunity to have been part of the HLC. [See, for example, the enclosed tabulations of end-of-semester evaluations and self-assessments done by students in Suzanne Bunkers’ Honors 201-04, "Introduction to Honors," one of the HLC courses.] Informal periodic conversations with Danine Spencer and Mary Grambsch, former student HLC coordinators, have also provided useful feedback for the Director’s use in planning the 2001-2002 HLC, for which the student coordinator will be Lindsay Kieffer.

Means of achieving goal: Expand faculty, student, and staff participation in meetings and activities of the Honors Advisory Council and Honors Club as well as in other Honors Program activities.

Results achieved: Participation in the Honors Advisory Council by MSU faculty has increased; each college has been asked to provide one faculty representative on the Council. Several faculty have participated in the HAC meetings, held once per semester. At the same time, however, involvement on the part of MSU faculty continues to be limited because of already full teaching, advising, and committee assignments. Periodic opportunities for self-assessments, course evaluations, and office support evaluations offer students many chances to offer input into program development. Graduating seniors in the Honors Program also complete exit surveys designed to evaluate their four years in the program. Please refer to copies of instruments attached. Responsibility for the MSU Honors Club rests with the student members of the program, who have received MSU’s student government recognition for the club.

Means of achieving goal: Consult with the Office of Academic Affairs concerning re-locating the Honors Program office to a space (consistent with guidelines set by the National Collegiate Honors Council) that adequately meet the needs of the director, administrative specialist, graduate assistant, and students; discuss with MSU Honors students possibilities for identifying and obtaining campus space for the Honors Club; consult with Honors directors at other comprehensive public universities concerning the nature and kind of space and office support needed for successful Honors Programs comparable in size with our university’s program.

Results achieved: To date, no results have been achieved.

SPACE ISSUES: During fall 2000, the Honors Program Director completed and submitted a survey in response to Dr. Charles Andersen’s request for input toward the development of the Master Plan for MSU Space. [Please refer to copy of survey enclosed.] The Honors Program Director requested larger office and advising space for the Honors Program; i.e., desks, computers, printers, fax machine, voice mail access, and adequate office storage space.

In recent months, the Office of Academic Affairs paid for a new file cabinet to house overflow records in the Honors office. Additional office furniture has come from MSU surplus. During the coming year, it will be time to replace the existing Dell computer and printer with new, state-of-the-art equipment as part of the standard three-year rotation of office computer equipment at MSU.

Several times during the past three years, the Honors Program Director has asked the Office of Academic Affairs to provide an office space for the Honors Program’s 20-hour-per-week graduate assistant. To date, no office space has been identified or provided for the G.A., who must share the one-person Honors office (203 Morris) with the Honors Program Director and the Administrative Specialist. If two staff members need to work in the Honors office at the same time, there is no additional room where students can meet with the Director. Privacy and confidentiality are in danger of being compromised because of the dearth of office space.

Also needed for the 220+ Honors Program members is a sizable study space with computers and internet access as well as seminar rooms with tables, moveable chairs, internet and video access–rooms assigned specifically to the Honors Program and designed to meet its needs. A space the size of the old MSU Reporter office in the CSU would serve nicely as the new Honors Program office and would provide some student study space and G.A. office space. Also adequate to meet the needs of the Honors Program would be a space comparable to that provided to MSU’s ExC.E.L. Student Support Services Program or MSU’s International Program Office, each of which serves approximately the same number of students as does the MSU Honors Program. If MSU wishes to present a positive image of its Honors Program to current students and faculty as well as to prospective students, parents, and potential donors, it is imperative that the university provide adequate and reasonable space for what Acting President Dr. Karen Boubel has termed one of the university’s signature programs.

STAFFING ISSUES: At present, the Honors Program is funded to employ a 50% (20 hour per week) administrative specialist. Laura Johnson filled this position during the 1999-2000 academic year; her rate of pay was approximately $13.00 per hour. From August to mid-October 2000, following Laura’s resignation to pursue graduate study and be a teaching assistant in the English Department, the Honors Program did not have an administrative specialist. The Honors Program director temporarily assumed those duties in addition to the director’s duties. From mid-October 2000 until mid-May 2001, Vicki Turtle-Overas filled the 50% administrative specialist position. Her rate of pay was approximately $14.60 per hour. Since her resignation, Suzanne Bunkers and Kate Vinson, who has continued her G.A. through summer 2001, have temporarily assumed the duties of the administrative specialist.

Due to the steadily increasing enrollments and the corresponding increase in staff workload, it is time to reconsider what level of clerical support meets the needs of the Honors Program. The Honors Program’s ability to offer a full-time administrative specialist position would surely increase the pool of potential applicants for the position. Such an increase would help the Director manage the office as well as improve the public’s assessment of the resources MSU has dedicated to its Honors Program. [See office surveys enclosed.] The increased work load in the Honors office justifies an increase in clerical support. After consultation with the Vice President and Assistant Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs, the Honors Program Director will determine when to commence a search for a new administrative specialist.

It is time to re-assess whether a 50% faculty appointment provides adequate re-assigned time for the Honors Program Director. Logs kept by the current Director indicate that the responsibilities involved require far more than the 20 hours per week currently allocated. Among the Director’s responsibilities are these:

1) plan, schedule, and implement all Honors offerings with instructors, chairs, deans, etc.

2) complete all paperwork required for overload and adjunct teaching assignments.

3) coordinate the Honors Advisory Council.

4) advise all Honors Program members.

5) complete all substitution/waiver, senior project, and other student-related paperwork.

6) handle all recruitment of continuing, transfer, and high school students.

7) supervise and coordinate Honors Program summer orientation efforts.

8) meet with administration, financial aid staff, service learning staff, etc.

9) supervise Honors senior projects and individual study projects.

10) supervise the program’s administrative specialist and graduate assistant.

11) oversee Honors Program budget. [See budgetary information for FY 2002 enclosed.]

12) revise, update, and prepare each academic year’s Honors Program Handbook.

write and submit the Honors Program’s Annual Report.

be responsible for maintaining the Honors Program web site.

complete miscellaneous routine administrative and office tasks.

Means of achieving goal: Consult with Honors Program students, faculty, and staff –both personally and by means of survey and assessment instruments–to ascertain programmatic, administrative, and instructional needs and to identify ways of meeting those needs.

Results achieved: This is an ongoing process as outlined in the report above.

The annual report above highlights a number of specific aspects of the Minnesota State University’s Honors Program, which was initiated in 1976 and which is now in its 25^th year.

The MSU Honors Program students, faculty, and staff are deeply appreciative of the support that the Office of Academic Affairs has provided to the program. All of those involved with the Honors Program look forward to continuing to strengthen the program in future years.