The Employee Recognition Committee of Staff Senate would like to congratulate the Honors Program for the October 2002 Department of the Month award.
The Honors Program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney is a central academic priority within an undergraduate curriculum noted for integrating liberal arts education and disciplinary specialties, executed by a faculty known for individualized work with students in the classroom and lab.
Designed for student of high academic abilities, the UNK Honors Program offers an exciting experience in the libers arts tradition. The program encourages students to go beyond the classroom. Honors students are engaged in numerous volunteer and extracurricular activities.
Small general students classes of eighteen students or less enhance student-faculty interaction, encourage active engagement in discussion, and increase opportunities for more in-depth intellectual exploration. At the same time, this four-year program enriches and supplements all academic majors in the university by including requirements in both general studies and in a students' chosen discipline.
The Honors Program was initiated in 1980 and has seen a variety of changes over the years. In 1995 Stout Hall as designated "Honors Hall". The residents of Stout Hall have established a community and have given shape to the ideals of the Program. Randall Hall has established floors also know as "Honors Floors".
There have been hundreds of Honors students since its inception and in the Fall of 2002, the freshmen enrollment in the Honors Program increased by 50% over last year's total, from 101 to 153.
Because of the dedication to students, to colleagues, and to the wider UNK community, the University of Nebraska at Kearney is pleased to name the Honors Program as the Department of the Month for October 2002.