Koch Scholars - Inaugarual Class

This is the first year of the Koch Scholars: a new scholarship that unites the Honors College with Business and Engineering.

For more information, please read http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/stories/story.asp?si=2779

To celebrate this exciting class of students, WSU hosted a luncheon on March 27th. Below are some pictures taken by the WSU Foundation. To learn more about them, please visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/wsufoundation?fref=ts

Honors College Student Council - Nathan Miller

     Honors Students get to have a voice in the decisions and direction of the Honors College community. The very concept of an Honors College involves students and faculty both coming together to enhance the learning of the undergraduate students. Many students were involved in helping faculty design the structure and programming of the Honors College in the years leading up to its creation. The primary means for students to get involved in helping lead the Honors College now is by getting involved with the Honors Student Council.

     The Honors Student Council is composed of 9 undergraduate Honors College students. They meet regularly throughout the semester to advise the Dean, provide a communications medium between Honors and all aspects of Student Life, as well as recommending changes in Honors College Governance and Curriculum.

     All of the members of the Honors Student Council are also members of the University Honors College Council which combines students and faculty on a board that makes decisions about the governances of Honors and holds the Dean and Honors staff accountable.

     The Fall 2014 semester was the first semester the Honors College was fully operational and involved students spent it trying to create a sustainable model for student involvement and leadership in Honors. Now and in semesters going forward, students have an opportunity to gain valuable insight into University governance, to gain leadership experience, and to impact the goals and effectiveness of the Honors College.

     Of course, the Honors Student Council is not the only opportunity for Honors Students to get involved. There is the WSU Honors Events & Activities Team who is always looking for new members, each year the Offices looks to hire Undergraduate Fellows and a Peer Academic Leader to aid the Honors Living-Learning Community in the dorms. There is always something going on in Honors. Be sure to stay plugged in!

Nathan Miller

Former Chair, Honors Student Council

naterussmill@gmail.com

Honors 101 Students Find Themselves and Friends - Tracia Banuelos

     Honors 101 is a class designed for first-year students with the goal of succeeding in college. The course has all the same goals of the regular Introduction to the University course: teaching time management skills, building connections on campus, knowing where to locate and how to use the University’s resources, but Honors 101 has one key difference: it helps students discover what it means to be an Honors Student and how they can fulfill their role within the Honors College. This class best suits students on a quest to truly understand how the Honors College meets their needs while giving them the resources to pursue each individual’s unique goals. Although each class is structured differently, based on professor preference, each section is united by the overall goal of helping students help themselves. In addition to traditional instruction by a professor, each class shares two peer academic leaders whose sole goal is to aid the students. These peer leaders provide one on one peer mentoring sessions, answers about Honors and other questions students may have concerning their respective majors at all Honors 101 students. 

     Every month the peer leaders put together an event for the students. The previous session included information about student involvement, resources available, scholarships, and on campus jobs. The next event is a True Colors personality test. The first 25 students that RSVP for the event will receive a special gift. The final event in November will be a cross- major discussion over a topic soon to be determined. Honors 101 meets for 50 minutes once a week and counts for one credit hour.