Honors Program enters new year with new enthusiasm

LA GRANDE, Oregon – Students can expect to see a slightly different Honors Program at Eastern Oregon University this fall term. Under the new leadership of director Peter Johnson, assistant professor of art, and Jeff Woodford, associate professor of chemistry, the program has some exciting new things to offer.

 

“Our goal is to take what a university normally does and do it at its highest level,” said Woodford, co-director of the revamped program.

 

Although EOU’s Honors Program itself is not new, the criteria has been re-focused to connect different disciplines together.

 

“The world values people who can think broadly and see connections where other people see nothing,” Woodford said. “An honors baccalaureate degree is a real designation that the person is not narrowly trained. The Honors Program encourages students to explore their horizons and their potential.”

 

Beginning Monday, Sept. 25, a new Honors Orientation Seminar class will be offered at EOU focusing on the impact of science and technology on society. Taught by Anthony Tovar, associate professor of physics, the class will meet every Monday evening. Everyone, not only those enrolled in the Honors Program, is eligible to attend as long as they are prepared to take on honors level work, Woodford said.

 

“An honors level class should meet all of the expectations of the specific discipline and then some,” he said.

 

An Honors Game Night has been planned for Sunday, Sept. 24 from 7-9 p.m. in the game room in Hunt Hall. All students, faculty and staff are invited to enjoy free food, table games and discuss upcoming activities of the Honors Program.

 

Goals for the coming year include a strong focus on recruiting more high school students to attend EOU, using the Honors Program as a draw. Creating a listserv specific to honors students, an honors lounge where participants can get together and socialize on campus, and establishing an Honors Student Association are also on the directors’ to-do lists.

 

The Last Lecture Series is another brainchild of the new directors and is intended to push the limits of a more traditional lecture series. Speakers are encouraged to ask themselves what they would talk about if it were the last lecture of their career and then present that topic for the series.

 

“It could be anything – something exciting or way-out there!” Woodford said.

 

Marilyn Levine, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, delivered the inaugural lecture of the series last year on Valentines Day. Appropriately enough, her topic was on all the different kinds of love. Woodford hopes to have three to four speakers in the series this year and the lectures will be open to the entire campus and community.

 

“The series is intended to enrich not only honors students, but the entire community,” he said.

 

The expectations of the Honors Program revolve around the students’ completion of five projects focused in the following areas: academic; campus leadership; and community service learning. Students are also encouraged to become involved with other honor-specific organizations like Phi Kappa Phi, which has an active chapter on EOU’s campus.

 

Students must be sophomores before they can enroll, but students don’t have to be formally enrolled to participate if they are interested. Completion of the program criteria while maintaining a minimum grade point average of 3.25 will result in an honors baccalaureate degree designation at graduation.

 

For more information please contact Woodford at (541) 962-3321 or at jeff.woodford@eou.edu. Peter Johnson can be reached at (541) 962-3541 or at pjohnson@eou.edu. Visit the Honors Program Web site at www.eou.edu/honors.

 

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