Student
Ms. Rebecca Yeager, 2010
(Graduate student at Indiana University-Bloomington)
"More than anything else in undergrad, my Honors Program experience has prepared me to engage critically and creatively with the multiple disciplines that converge in my field (TESOL and Applied Linguistics). The HP laid the groundwork for a truth that I would realize only much later: that to successfully apply knowledge in any field, one must be able to integrate knowledge from many fields. Working with honors students from different backgrounds helped to broaden my understanding of the way the world works, and has spurred me on to insights in my own field which I think would have lain dormant without the stimulus of interdisciplinary discussion."
Mr. Andrew Stillman, 2011
"As I started here at IU Southeast, the majority of classes took place in the laboratory. In fact, the chemistry laboratory was my home for the first couple of years. However, when I joined the Honors Program, I was pleasantly surprised about the classes I was able to take. The classes in the Honors Program opened my eyes to new worlds, full of various combinations of educational disciplines – Literature and Science in the form of Science in Science Fiction; Biology and Psychology in the form of Evolutionary Psychology; Nutrition, Sociology, and History in the form of Food and Society. Each of these classes would have never been available to me had I not joined the Honors Program. Each Honors Program class opens up to class discussion with a variety of majors, putting Nursing, Natural Science, Literature, Psychology, and Political Science students together to discuss the intricacies of heroism in Greek tragedies. Nowhere else on campus are you going to get such a diverse set of class topics and students in one classroom.
And while the Honors Program classes are so vastly different comparatively to the chemistry classes I took my first year, I still see similarities between the two – both classes center about synthesis and analysis. Students in chemistry laboratories synthesize chemical compounds and, furthermore, analyze the chemical compounds for identification and purity; however, in the Honors Program, thoughts and ideas are synthesized and are further analyzed in the class via peer discussion. This is why I like the Honors Program classes – the diversity of the Honors Program students in these classes allows for the thoughts to be approached from many different angles. That, and I don’t have to wear goggles!"
Mr. James Polivka, 2011
(Graduate student at Indiana University-Bloomington)
"My time as a student at IU Southeast has been profoundly impacted by my involvement in the Honors Program. While I could talk a great deal about the rich offerings within the Program, I feel that the flexibility the Honors Program gives its members deserves special attention. Through the HP I have been afforded great opportunity to pursue topics within my major field of study, as well as those out of pure interest. The culmination of my Honors thesis has allowed me to synthesize my undergraduate experience while working closely with faculty members on a project of my own design and direction. I have no doubt that my preparation for graduate study has been enhanced not only by the advising I have received as a member of the Program, but also through the liberty and backing I enjoyed in getting my degree path to look, feel, and include the things I most valued. Ultimately this is what has made my experience in the IUSHP such a rich one, it has enhanced the most positive aspects of my time at IU Southeast. Since ours is a campus that prides itself on small class sizes and direct involvement with faculty members, the Honors Program has represented for me a more concentrated form of what Indiana University Southeast strives to be."
Ms. Melanie Smith, 2012
"The best part of being in the Honors Program is having the opportunity to work and interact with academically-motivated students from other disciplines. I am so immersed in my studies as an English major that I don’t frequently meet students in other departments, so I love getting to learn from honors students who are in various disciplines. They bring new perspectives into the honors classes that I would not have thought about. The round table-type format of the honors classes I have taken thus far fosters opinions and expertise from those disciplines, and I feel that as a result I will have a more well-rounded college experience. Overall, participation in the Honors Program has been rewarding. It’s nice to be recognized for dedication and hard work, but it is also humbling to see how many determined and brilliant students there are on campus! I’ve seen how the program has helped other students formed cohesive social bonds, and I enjoy interacting with other students in the program as often as I can. The diversity of honors classes offered permits an intensive study of other disciplines, and the knowledge I have gained from these classes is indispensible. I am grateful that the program is available to foster my growth as well as that of other students."
Mr. Scott Brewer, 2012
"The Honors Program at IU Southeast has provided a community of deep inquiry and respectful discourse. Honors students in the research programs have delved into real-world problem solving through molecular biology, the study of foreign languages not taught in our area, and time intensive art projects that would have been impossible otherwise. The staff and students are both involved in creating new and exciting courses that have produced complex and worldly graduates.
I wouldn't give up these discussions and people for anything. My experience in the Honors program has been the best part of going to IU Southeast. Every class I have taken has opened my eyes to new aspects of our world. One Honors discussion course may have a Chemistry major and a Literature major doing research together while utilizing their own strengths to broaden the scope of their investigation. Perhaps a better name would be the “Holistic Inquiry” department."
Ms. Taylor Troncin, 2014
"The Honors Program is unique. When people ask me “What is the Honors Program?” I often find that I have a hard time describing it to them. I originally joined the program because I wanted a challenge in addition to completing my secondary English major and raising my son. The classes expect you to get work done, but it is not as much “hard work” as what scares most people away. The classes have assignments, papers, and tests, just like any other class. They are unique because you never know what the topics will be. For example, I took a class about insects last semester and I am now in a history of American sexuality class. There’s something in the program for everyone. Beyond the workload, there is more to the program than what meets the eye. The class sizes are smaller. This has been a great experience because I feel more comfortable talking to the professors one-on-one. This has transferred over to my other classes as well. I feel more determined to get that one-on-one feeling from my other classes. Also, I am able to meet people that are not in my major. Some of my good friends now are people in majors such as business and psychology. If it had not been for the Honors Program, I would have never met these people. The Honors Program is what I do to be more involved in campus life. I am not an athlete, nor am I good at art, and I am not sorority material. The Honors Program is where I feel that I fit in, and as a result I have been more active on campus. I am currently in the Honors Program Student Advisory Board (HPSAB). This is a great place where I can help decide what goes on in the program, such as special events. It is through HPSAB that I can be a part of campus activities."
Ms. Julia Brinkworth, 2012
"After a ten year absence from the academic world, I was a bit apprehensive about continuing my education. I have always been a shy person who tended to say as little as possible in a traditional class setting. The format and size of the classes offered within the Honors Program helped me to break out of my silent comfort zone. In addition, my public speaking, critical thinking, and writing skills have improved. During my first full-time semester after returning to the academic world I attended two honors classes. The History and Culture of the 1920’s, masterfully taught by Dr. Beeby, was the most diverse and rewarding history class I have taken in my academic career to date. Dr. Salas did a fantastic job with Common Intellectual Experience during the same semester. I appreciate her enthusiasm for education and her wonderful constructive critiques of speeches and written assignments. The wonderful staff and diverse student body within the program gave me a place to belong and definitely made my return to academia a great experience. Thanks, Honors Program!"
Mr. Michael Atkinson, 2011
"My time in the Honors Program was such an interesting experience that it would be difficult to condense into a few paragraphs. Indeed, intellectually, as I learned throughout HP classes and discussions, there are many ways of expressing oneself and following one’s creative or academic vision, so truthfully I should summarize my HP experience through a snappy limerick. Because of the difficulty of thinking up a rhyme for words like “intriguing” or “formative experience,” I will refrain from limerick-making, and will only say that my time in the HP was truly one of the best parts of my undergraduate career. I made friends, delved into new fields I wouldn’t have explored otherwise, traveled to the distant shores of Kalamazoo and Dayton, Ohio, and learned that Elmo is a character of much more depth than one might ordinarily think. My future goals: I will be studying at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, where I will spend the next three years pursuing a law degree as well as a Master’s degree in political science. Creatively, my goal is to self-publish an entire trilogy based on the superhero novel that I wrote during the HP."
Faculty
Dr. Jean Abshire, Political Science
"I love teaching in the Honors Program! There are a variety of features of the HP that offer the opportunity for a very different kind of experience from the professor’s perspective, and they are differences I enjoy a lot. First, the classes are smaller than almost any other classes I teach and this permits completely different approaches that involve much more interaction and engagement with the students. Second, it seems that the kind of students the HP attracts are ones that have learning as their top priority, despite sometimes lots of demands from work or family. There’s a good dynamic when everyone is on the same page in terms of focus and motivation. Third, the HP creates a sense of being a community of learners and that also creates a different dynamic in the interaction between faculty and students. I often feel much more like a mentor and less like a rule enforcer than I sometimes do with other classes. I have taught two Honors Seminars and they both developed different dynamics, but I really came out admiring the commitment and efforts of the students in both groups. In the seminar with a theme of globalization, all of the students were incredibly active in engaging with the material. I would begin the class meeting with a question, and they were amazingly good at arguing different points and (respectfully) disagreeing with one another and challenging the others’ views. Sometimes I had to make an effort to have a chance to speak to add some additional perspectives or redirect to another question, and a few times, when they felt I had talked too much and they wanted to resume control of discussion, they told me, respectfully, to be quiet – and I loved that. It was exciting to see them so thoroughly grappling with the material. The other seminar I taught had a theme of genocide, which is obviously an incredibly difficult and depressing subject. I felt a huge amount of respect for the commitment and courage of the students who did not falter in the face of tough subject matter. They were willing to devote a huge amount of time and energy engaging with this material with the belief that it was important to know this dark side of human interactions – that takes both perseverance and heart. The chance to work closely with a small number of smart and motivated students made both of these teaching experiences very unique ones for me, and I was enriched, personally and professionally, by both."
