Institute Focus

The New Directors Institute (NDI) is designed to help beginning honors directors and deans. The institute will cover key topics of concern, spanning all aspects of honors programming at four-year as well as two-year institutions. The facilitators provide attendees with sets of skills and understanding required of new directors and deans. The participants will leave with a new network of honors colleagues as well as an understanding of key honors resources and organizations at the national and regional levels.   

This immersive honors experience will prepare you to be successful in your new position as an honors administrator. Sessions include individual consultation as time permits.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

• Articulate points of alignment between their honors program/college mission, vision & values with their broader institutional contexts;
• Identify challenges and develop strategies regarding administrative responsibilities, including budgeting, program management, and student and faculty recruitment;
• Assess their programs’/colleges’ existing curricular and co-curricular models and formulate plans to strengthening offerings;
• Create an action plan for continued work;
• Acquire knowledge of and access to vital resources.
  
   

Audience

New directors and deans of honors programs and honors colleges

Double Up and Save $100!

Registrants for the New Directors Institute will receive a code to save $100 on their registration for iSpark (Institute for Strategic Planning, Assessment, and Reviewer Knowledge), July 24-26 immediately following the New Directors Institute! 

Click here to view the 2024 NDI Itinerary

Venue & Accommodations

The New Directors Institute will be hosted in Chicago, Illinois at the

Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown River North

600 N State St  |  Chicago, IL 60654

To make your reservation, call Hilton reservations at (312) 943-3800 and indicate that you are with the NCHC Summer Institutes.

OR: Click here to make your Room Reservation Online

Facilitators

David Coleman, Eastern Kentucky University

David Coleman is Professor of History and, for the past nine years, Executive Director of the Honors Program at Eastern Kentucky University. He has served four years as Treasurer of the Southern Regional Honors Council, and has also served on the NCHC’s Awards and Grants Committee as well as the Finance Committee.  He is an approved NCHC External Reviewer, and has published articles in the Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council as well as the NCHC monograph series. For the past five years, he has served as a group leader in the “Beginning in Honors” track at the annual NCHC conference. As a faculty member who taught regularly in honors for fourteen years before becoming EKU’s lead honors administrator in 2013, he is a passionate advocate for honors students and honors education on his own campus as well as regionally and nationally.

Laurie Smith Law, Iowa State University

Laurie Smith Law serves as the Administrative Director for the University Honors Program at Iowa State University, working in conjunction with the honors staff and Honors Student Board to provide members of the Honors Program with an enriched academic experience. Reporting units include the First-Year and University Honors Programs, Undergraduate Research, and Prestigious Fellowships and Awards.   

Laurie has a master degree in U.S. history, but started her career in student affairs as a hall director in an honors learning community, before moving into academic affairs as the assistant director of university Honors College.  She has served on the Board of Directors for the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC), and as the NCHC Secretary, and co-chaired the NCHC Professional Development Committee.  Laurie is the co-founder of the NCHC International Summer Institute for New Honors Director/Deans.  The institute is designed to support new directors navigate administration responsibilities on their campus.

Elaine Torda, SUNY Orange (County Community College) 

Elaine Torda is professor of English and Chair of Honors and Interdisciplinary Studies on her home campus. She has led the multi-campus honors program at SUNY Orange, a community college in the SUNY system, since 2003.

An NCHC Fellow, she is an approved NCHC Program Reviewer, chairs the NCHC Governance Committee, and serves on the Personnel Committee. She served on the NCHC Board from 2011 to 2013 and from 2018-2022, served again in the leadership progression (VP, President, Incoming President/Conference Chair, President and Immediate Past President. She chaired the Two-Year College Committee for ten years, has served on numerous conference planning and ad hoc committees. and has worked with Beginning in Honors, Developing in Honors, Best Honors Administrative Practices, and the NDI. She enjoys the privilege of learning from and sharing with honors colleagues from all over the globe.

Questions? Contact the NCHC office at (402) 472-9150 or hello@nchchonors.org