The Jere W. Morehead Honors College invites faculty from across the University of Georgia—including areas outside of Athens—to attend one of three faculty listening sessions with Dean Meg Amstutz. These listening sessions are designed to gather faculty feedback and input as Honors continues its development as the university’s 18th college.
Two of the faculty listening sessions will be held on Zoom—on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 4-5 p.m., and on Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 3:30-4:45 p.m. An in-person session will be held Friday, Oct. 14, from 1-2 p.m. in Room 116 of Moore Hall.
“Honors has long provided UGA undergraduates and their faculty with multiple avenues for intellectual exploration,” Amstutz said. “Through these listening sessions, we hope to gain valuable information on how we can continue to better our service to faculty, including those who are new to the university, those further along in their careers who may be considering partnering with Honors, and faculty who have contributed significantly to the efforts of the Honors College.”
Faculty play a significant role in the success of the Morehead Honors College through Honors courses, Honors Options, pilot programs and additional involvement.
UGA faculty members, visiting lecturers and experienced adjunct faculty are eligible to teach Honors courses and seminars; they may approve Honors Options in regular courses for Honors students across campus; and they also have the opportunity to lead a lunchbox lecture or book discussion.
Faculty who work with Honors often oversee student internships and research, providing undergraduates an opportunity to participate in important experiential learning opportunities. They also assist in the major external scholarship and fellowship nominating process, helping motivated students both in and outside of Honors gain information and access to awards.
Each spring, the major scholarships office—which is housed in the Honors College—puts out its annual call for external graduate fellowship nominations to colleges, schools and departments across campus. Faculty are encouraged to recommend rising fourth-year students for such scholarships as the Carnegie/Gaither, Churchill, Gates Cambridge, Knight-Hennessy, Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes and Schwarzman. Each fall, the major scholarships office issues a call for students interested in the Beinecke, Fulbright, Goldwater, Truman and Udall scholarships, as well as the Boren Awards. Over the past few years, UGA has been named a top-ranked institution for both Fulbright U.S. Student Scholars and Boren Awards, with over half of UGA students selected coming from outside of the Honors College.
The Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities is also housed in the Honors College and serves all UGA undergraduates. Faculty are encouraged to provide research experiences for undergraduates, while CURO works to provide funding, course credit and presentation opportunities for students. Since 2017, over half of the participants in the annual CURO Symposium have been non-Honors students, and the Honors College hopes to strengthen the university’s research footprint by growing involvement in CURO.
Registration is required for the three faculty listening sessions to ensure adequate space and to issue Zoom links. Registration is available at https://ugeorgia.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cJ7Pqpn8EAPILSm. For more information on how to connect with the Morehead Honors College, visit https://honors.uga.edu/faculty/.
Writer: Stephanie Schupska
