By Donald E Stroud
The Lander University Honors College is growing, but one core value remains the same. As part of the curriculum, Honors College students are required to complete a breakaway experience. This experience can be a study abroad program, a high-profile internship, or an in-depth research project.
Dr. Lillie Craton, director of the Honors Program, describes the experience as, “an ambitious, significant experience…,” and stated that, “An unofficial mantra of the Honors College is that students need to get out of their comfort zones.”
Some funding from the Honors College is available for study abroad opportunities through applying for a Global Scholars scholarship. After a student completes their breakaway experience, they return to campus and enroll in Honors 489: Honors Reflection Seminar. The course is currently taught by English Professor Dr. Sean Barnette. Barnette stated, “In Honors 489, students reflect on their completed breakaway experience to understand how their breakaway helped them develop high-level academic or professional knowledge, empathy, adaptability, confidence, and professionalism.” In the past, Lander students have traveled all over the world to locations such as Japan, Greece, and Winchester and have held prestigious internships with organizations such as the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and the Division of Continuing Education at Harvard University.
The Honors College at Lander was founded in 2013 and the Honors College Committee expects to increase new student enrollment from 40 students to 60 students for the upcoming academic year. Incoming freshmen, current students, and transfer students are welcome to apply with a 3.25 or above GPA. Students from every major have been members, and courses have been offered from most of Lander’s academic colleges. For more information, please contact Honors College Director, Dr. Lillie Craton at lcraton@lander.edu or visit the Lander University Honors College webpage at http://www.lander.edu/sites/honors-college.
