The ULM Honors Program will undergo a complete reconditioning, beginning in the fall of 2008.

Rubio

Dr. Christian Rubio, director of the Honors Program, proposed a major reorganization, which was approved by the Honors Council, and was unanimously approved by the deans and the provost.

The major change concerns the honors curriculum. The old curriculum required a total of 68 hours to complete, whereas the new one will require fewer hours but will also give students more options.

According to Rubio, “The program was in need of drastic changes. We hope that with these changes, our students will now have choices and at the same time this will open the door to majors from all the colleges.”

Some of the highlighted changes are the creation of three different honors distinctions (honors in the major, the college or the university), scholarships availability, funding for students willing to go abroad to put in practice what they learn in the classroom, the possibility to use laptops, and the creation of an honors students lounge.

The new Honors Program has created excitement among current honors students, Elizabeth Boston said. "The honors program was one of the aspects that drew me to ULM in the first place. Its small, intimate classes and specific class topics were unique and offered an alternative to the standard looks to literature, science, math, history, and social science. To be a part of the changes to that curriculum is exciting and I cannot wait to see what else the program has to offer. I think that the new Honors Program will have a more broad appeal to students and will give [them] the opportunity to become even better rounded individuals."

For further information, contact Rubio at (318) 342-1539 or email him at honorsprogram@ulm.edu.