2021 Election

As a member of the executive board, I seek to strengthen the culture of intellectual giving that envelopes NCHC. I remember a Beginning in Honors session during my first annual meeting in 1996, someone said, “Remember it’s not stealing if we give it away.” The NCHC is an extraordinarily collaborative and generous organization; I am committed to making it a more robust organization that can evolve along with the changing climate of higher education. This means not being afraid to “get my hands” dirty with hard work; yet I must also support the excellent NCHC staff, letting them do their job.

Specifically, I would continue improving NCHC and its five pillars. These pillars should remain central to the next five-year plan. All are important, though perhaps none are as important to me personally, nor as timely, as the issue of Diversity and Inclusion. One of my earliest memories is the assassination of Dr. King. We lived in Memphis and my father tried to explain how something like that could happen, even as he tried unsuccessfully to hold back tears. That may be one of the reasons I became a southern historian. I believe it is our duty to fight for diversity and inclusion; because of our work in the last seven years, the San Jacinto College honors program has a more diverse population than the college as a whole. If we do not fight for diversity and inclusion, we are a bankrupt people. One way to build in diversity is to work for better articulation agreements between two-year and four-year institutions, since community colleges have more diverse student populations.

Among the other pillars, I have chaired the ad hoc committee to rewrite the Constitution and Bylaws and served on the ad hoc Committee on Policies and Procedures as a way to improve our organizational excellence. Under professional development, I have served as both a facilitator for Beginning in Honors for eight years and as a leader and participant in numerous Developing in Honors session, while also serving on the Teaching and Learning Committee for seven years. In the area of research, while chair of the Two-Year College Committee, I worked to get community colleges to participate in an honors section of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). Under the pillar of Advocacy and Partnerships, I have worked on member benefits with other board members.

My leadership experience is varied. In NCHC, I have served on the Board of Directors since 2019, as co-chair of the Two-Year College Committee twice (2004-2006 and 2017-2020), and three years as an officer of the Great Plains Honors Council (President, 2015-2016). As an historian I have been active in a number of associations, serving as the President of the Southwestern Social Sciences Association, the Southwestern Historical Association (twice), as a member of the Board of Directors and the Secretary of the Texas State Historical Association, as a member of the Board of Directors of the East Texas Historical Association, and as a member of the Board of Directors and as the annual meeting co-chair of the Houston History Alliance. These activities have prepared me for service to the members of NCHC, especially in the areas of the role of boards, of long-range planning, and of finance.

I have served as director of the Brazosport College Honors Program since 2010, when I first joined NCHC. I currently serve as a co-chair of the Basic Characteristics Review ad hoc committee, and I am a member of the Two-Year College and Teaching and Learning Committees. I have also presented in Developing in Honors, Honors Roundtables, and panel discussions at the national conference. My focus in my research and presentations is in honors education in two-year colleges, and workforce education and its place in honors programs.

As a member of the Great Plains Honors Council Executive Committee, I have served as secretary (2013-2017), treasurer (2013-present), and as President-Elect and President (2017-2019 and 2020-2021). I am also an active member of the Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Honors Consortium.

My goal as Secretary of the NCHC Board of Directors is to be part of an executive committee that can effectively advocate for honors education in all higher education institutions. In my experience with executive committees, I have found that the most effective leadership comes from a focus on empathy and advocacy, and a willingness to listen to the needs of the membership. I also wish to contribute to the continued emphasis on inclusion in NCHC and in honors programs to bring a diversity of experience, background, and points-of-view among both members and students in honors education.

Good leadership is about bringing the best out of those in our charge.

I am a professional member of NCHC, with more than fifteen years of relevant honors experience, diverse involvement in my campus honors program and college, service in honors organizations at national and international levels, publications in various NCHC and international scholarly outlets and passion for honors as a former valedictorian at the largest business school in the country. My goal for service in NCHC is to use my knowledge, skills, initiative, energy, and diverse honors contacts around the world, helping advance a coherent NCHC agenda that strengthens our honors practice, while lending a hand to projects and initiatives, as defined by the board and the committees.

I was given the gift of honors education late in my life and it transformed me. I would like to continue to repay that gift, by helping NCHC inspire others to action in honors education, building a more inclusive and cohesive community of practice, grounded in best practices and research. As a board member, I am committed to make a difference at NCHC, as I have done previously at TCU, at the NCHC ProDev Committee, at the Honors International Faculty Institute, and at the Journal of the European Honors Council.

A vote for Beata is a vote for new ideas, new initiatives, and growth of our community to be more inclusive and more cohesive.

I see honors as an interdisciplinary and integrative educational experience that transcends traditional academic boundaries as it challenges siloed education in innovative ways that make student learning borderless, timeless, and limitless. My leadership experience in the ‘limitless' realm of honors education began in 2008 when I became Director of Western Connecticut State University’s Honors Program and has seamlessly continued to this day where I am Dean of the Cormier Honors College at Longwood University. In short, I have over a dozen years of leadership experience in honors. I have also had leadership experiences serving on non-profit boards in issue areas ranging from social-emotional learning (i.e., Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement) to environmental concerns (i.e., Director of the Jane Goodall Center for Excellence in Environmental Teaching) to civic values (i.e., founding Director of The Center for Compassion, Creativity & Innovation and board member at The Charter for Compassion International) to domestic and sexual violence (i.e., Danbury, CT Women’s Center). One way that I can contribute to NCHC is to use my platform as a HarperCollins author to “raise awareness at the national level about honors education.” My research and publications highlighting the importance of compassion as a key building block for successful learning is another strength that I can bring to NCHC. An additional strength is my work on understanding when to use collaboration versus coordination in achieving strategic objectives. My twin goals for service in the NCHC are to (1) weave the literature from the fields of educational neuroscience and socialemotional learning more intently into our honors education discussions and (2) provide support to local, regional, and national efforts that demonstrate the value of “honors” to higher education in general.

My name is Minh Nguyen. It would be an honor and a privilege to serve on the Board of Directors for the National Collegiate Honors Council. Currently, I am serving as Assistant Dean of the Honors College (home of approximately 1,200 students, 21% of whom are Hispanic), Professor of Philosophy, and Faculty Affiliate of the Center for Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University. From 2013 to 2019, I served as Associate Director of the Honors Program (home of approximately 500 students), Founding Director of the Interdisciplinary Asian Studies Program, Founding Coordinator of National and International Scholarships and Fellowships, and Professor of Philosophy and Asian Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. An active honors educator and/or administrator since 2003, I led a team that planned a successful Kentucky Honors Roundtable Conference, published a book chapter in an NCHC volume on honors international education, presented eight times at NCHC Conferences, and served on numerous NCHC Committees, including Major Scholarship Committee (2019-present), Professional Development Committee (2017-2020), Advocacy Committee (2017-2018), Diversity Issues Committee (2008-2017), and International Education Committee (2008-2017). In addition, I have the honor to serve as President of the EKU Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi (2018-2019) and Founding President of the FGCU PKP Chapter (2020-present).

My extensive experience in honors education, with increasing responsibility in senior management and leadership roles, speaks to my qualifications, knowledge, and abilities to serve as a member of the Board. I will be the right fit for the Board because of my collaborative leadership style, proven capacity to work with a broad spectrum of stakeholders to find opportunities and solutions, unwavering commitment to inclusive excellence, and contagious enthusiasm for interdisciplinary and intercultural liberal-arts education.

As a person of color, an unaccompanied minor from Communist Vietnam who spent 17 months in two refugee camps in Indonesia, a first-generation college graduate, and someone who knows what it’s like to have lived on public assistance as a teenager, I believe in the transformative power of learning and am profoundly committed to diversity, inclusion, equity, and access in higher education, especially honors higher education. At both EKU Honors and FGCU Honors, I have served as a member of the academic leadership team that has been implementing a holistic application process with a focus beyond numeric measures when making admissions decisions and, as a result, improving the enrollment of underrepresented students in our academic units. If elected, I will contribute this perspective to the Board’s decision-making process and work tirelessly to help take NCHC to new levels of achievement, recognition, and impact as a vibrant and genuinely inclusive honors community.

I seek membership on the NCHC Board of Directors because I am confident that I can contribute meaningfully to the strengthening of honors education during these deeply challenging and fast-changing times.

Good fortune has allowed me to lead and advocate for honors education from Virginia State University, America’s first publicly funded HBCU, for the past nine years. From Virginia State Honors, we have sought to engage and embrace all that is good and aspirational in the broad world of honors education. VSU students now attend and present at four key annual honors conferences per year: NCHC, National Association of African American Honors Programs (NAAAHP), Southern Regional Honors Council (SRHC), and the Virginias Collegiate Honors Council (VCHC). More than this, VSU students have received awards at these events, and have served in leadership positions, including recently on the NCHC board.

Simultaneously, I have grown immensely from attending NCHC institutes on honors advising and program review, and from participating in the Honors International Faculty Institute in the Netherlands. Service on the NCHC International Education and Assessment and Evaluation committees, and my related work as an active program reviewer have all provided me with additional insight into the breadth and depth of honors education programming. I have also grown as a leader from participating in the new APLU Council on Honors Education (CoHE), and from six years of service as an executive leader within the VCHC, including two years as president.

As a member of the NCHC Board of Directors, I will bring a perspective that is particularly informed by HBCUs, state level honors councils, as well as international and other new honors groupings. In short, I would serve as a board member with exposure and experience in some of the key areas directly relevant to the stated goals of NCHCs strategic plan.

Leadership Experiences:

Over my 20 years as Saddleback College’s Honors Program Chair I’ve been fortunate to work and lead in many capacities.

Strengths and Goals:

I’m passionate about honors because I know I was lucky to survive some reckless years as a bored college dropout. I’m excited about NCHC’s commitment to inclusion. I can help NCHC democratize intellectual life, welcoming and nourishing the marginalized, the intimidated, and the overlooked. I listen well. I work hard. I can accomplish things in committees. I love honors. I am eager to serve.

The essence of servant leadership is rooted in understanding the difference between helping, fixing, and serving. While at first glance these words may be read, understood, and practiced as synonyms, when employed logically, “helping” implies weakness in those for whom you serve, and “fixing” assumes brokenness. However, “serving” requires a connection amongst all parties involved. It is a relationship fostered amongst equals. Currently, I serve both the UTC Honors College and the international nonprofit, HOPE worldwide, with strategic planning initiatives focused on practicing advocacy, diversity, and inclusivity more effectively and equitably. However, when advocating for honors students during Honors College Advisory Committee meetings, for example, my purpose is to create space for my peers to articulate their desires for themselves rather than speak for them. I employed these same methods of advocacy and representation when I served as the Vice President of the UTC Honors Council, as a Child Advocate for the Chattanooga Room in the Inn, and if I were chosen to be a member of the Board of Directors, my approach would be similar.

In February 2020, I co-hosted a program centered around understanding and celebrating instrumental facets of Black culture, which turned into a panel discussion at NCHC 2020. Following on the success of that program, and with the intention of further cultivating a relationship with the honors community and the Chattanooga community, I led a program uplifting Black artists--the details and outcomes of which I will share at the Idea Exchange during NCHC 2021 in Orlando. This is a living, breathing testament to how advocating and investing in the upliftment of honors students and programming results in simultaneous growth for the world outside of the proverbial walls of a university’s honors programs.

As a rising junior and political science major at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, I will dedicate my last two years of college to serve and amplify the voices of honors students through the NCHC Student Board of Directors position.

I am a freshman student at San Antonio College, currently seeking my AA in Political Science. I intend to transfer to a 4-year institution before going on to law school. As a 26 year old college freshman at a 2-year institution, it is my hope that I can bring the perspective of non-traditional and transferring students to the NCHC executive board.

When I finished high school, I started my professional life working in retail and restaurants. My first serious job was at a law firm, where I worked as a criminal defense and personal injury case manager. It was here, working at a firm where clients sometimes paid for legal services with produce grown in their home garden, that I learned how common it is for uncontrollable circumstances to make personal advancement nearly impossible. I hope to spend my life working to alleviate these circumstances in any way I can, and help make the path to a successful life more accessible to more people.

At San Antonio College I have been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to work with some campus organizations. I serve as the Vice President of Leadership in for SAC’s Phi Theta Kappa-Beta Nu chapter. In this role I am responsible for coordinating the Honors In Action program, a research project that seeks to study societal needs and then design and carry out service projects to effectively meet those needs. I am also helping to develop a new organization on campus, the Student Organization for the Honors Academy Program, which seeks to represent SAC Honors Academy students and advocate on their behalf.

2-year institutions are a critical part of the American education system. They provide a leg-up to students of all backgrounds all over the country. I feel that it is essential that these students have their voices heard, and I hope to bring that perspective to the NCHC executive board.

Hello all! My name is Mathew Goldman and I am seeking to serve as a student voice on the NCHC Board of Directors serving as a Student at-Large Member. I attend the University of New Mexico and am entering my fourth year on campus. I am completing degrees in both Statistics and Economics and minoring in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies and Management. My long term goal is to data management and analysis for a professional sports team.

At UNM, I have been fortunate to find myself participating in opportunities that impact many students focusing on mentorship, recognition, and service. I have served as the events coordinator for the Honors Pathmaker Mentorship Program and in this role I had to learn and listen to the needs of program participants and build a meaningful community while traversing a virtual space. I also served as the Director of Recognition for UNM’s chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary. In this role, I facilitated recognition and the celebration of other students. These positions have helped me learn the importance of learning from my peers and continuing to learn even once successful.

As a student member on the NCHC Board of Directors, my goal is to ensure that student voices are heard and that change is made directly for students in Honors spaces. I have experience working with and directly for students and it prides me to ensure that students are represented in spaces students often are not.

I appreciate your consideration for the Student at-Large Member position as well as taking the time to get to know me.

With Gratitude,
Matthew Goldman

Hello – My name is Vidya Surti. I am pleased to submit my candidacy for the position of Student Board Member for the NCHC Board of Directors. I am a second-year student at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Anthropology and English with minors in Chemistry and Global Health. I hope to serve as a student board member for the NCHC to represent the needs of my classmates, regionally and nationally, and learn more about how to advance Honors Education programmatically. As a board member, I hope to interact with a consortium of students, researchers, and academics who will help educate me about the needs of various communities within Honors Education and strengthen my understanding of leadership and advocacy. Moreover, I believe my interdisciplinary experience will help me understand the needs of Honors students across disciplines. I have also been fortunate to have conducted independent, undergraduate research within the University of Pittsburgh via Honors College Fellowships, which I know will help me provide valuable feedback about expanding scholarly opportunities and engagement across disciplines.

If elected, I hope to advocate for the inclusion of a wide variety of honors student perspectives and help develop policies that will improve Honors Programs everywhere. Thank you for your consideration!