Come gather around people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown

—Bob Dylan

Those of you who have visited us recently may have noticed a number of changes around the offices. Some of these changes have been physical: We remodeled our space to create offices for our new staff (more on that later) and moved the honors graduate assistants into Room 121, the former coffee lounge. We have also changed—and, I hope, improved—the student computer lounge.

These changes to our physical space were made in the service of additions to our staff and programming. As you may know, we will launch two new programs next fall: the Honors Leadership Program and the 1794 Scholars Program. The Honors Leadership Program (HLP) is for students interested in learning about and engaging in leadership on campus and in the community. HLP students will earn a minor in leadership and engage in unique service and leadership opportunities. The 1794 Scholars Program includes a living and learning community, special sections of the first-year honors seminar, and access to CHP classes, among other benefits. We have begun recruiting students for both of these programs and recently began accepting applications.

New programs also mean new staff. Virginia Stormer, formerly our honors advisor, has been hired to direct the 1794 program. Meghan Perez has joined us from Texas A&M University to direct the Honors Leadership Program, and we have hired Natalie Stepanov to take the honors advisor role. This summer, two new full-time staff members joined us: Xylina Marshall as Communications Coordinator and Matt Blaylock as Student Engagement Coordinator.

The Chancellor’s Honors Program remains the largest university-wide honors program at UT, serving more than 1,500 students from almost every undergraduate major. The goal of the CHP remains to contribute to excellence in undergraduate education by enriching and enhancing the degree programs of selected undergraduate students. We do this through special classes, honors advising, CHP-sponsored co-curricular activities, honors organizations, and leadership and service opportunities.

The CHP launched a new curriculum this year, including an honors-only two-semester writing sequence. These classes teach students who already possess good writing abilities the skills necessary to excel in college and graduate school. Coupled with our new menu of courses, we feel that students in the CHP are receiving an excellent undergraduate education without adding significant new burdens to the credits required for graduation.

Finally, none of these improvements would have been possible without the support of the Chancellor and the Provost. I thank them both for their assistance in providing some of the best students in the world with some of the best educational experiences in the world.

Cordially,

Dr. Timothy Hulsey, Associate Provost