In This Issue...

From the ED

NCHC22 Update

100 Acts of Service

Constitution & Bylaws Proposal

2022 Events: Partners in the Parks

2022 Events: Summer Institutes

NCHC's Shared Principles & Practices

Dates and Deadlines

UReCA Editor Applications

GEICO Member Discount


From the ED

Honors, Innovation, Women, and Engagement

Even before social media I was a wide-eyed child watching the stories and successes of amazingly strong and inquisitive women during Women's History Month. But there's something amazing about adding the word "forward" to the hashtag, reminding us that our vision and ongoing work (in some pretty tough times, too) honors forerunners who shaped our own worldviews.

It's difficult not to reflect on the power of respective communities in the 100th year of honors education, the 100+ years of civic engagement leading to women's suffrage, and the humanitarian and social scenario that is evolving worldwide. Allowing each of us to have a voice, be heard, and feel invited to collectively make our lives and the lives of those around us better can take NCHC forward to influence others in academia.

Here's to being a solution-based collaborative, hoping that our descendants look back to see our knowledge, experiences, and impact.

#Forward:

Perhaps it's only fitting then, that we have been applying a simple formula to the year ahead at NCHC:

grounded approach + visionary stretch = projected success/engagement

For many, the Annual Conference and Business Meeting has been where members felt drawn each year to present and learn new honors practices from colleagues. While the event will retain some of the same traditional features this year, we know that attendees' increased interest in networking and exploration means we will need to adjust programming to counter two years of pandemic-induced isolation and Zoom.

Traditionally, our organization with the investment of dedicated facilitators has offered several summer institutes for professional development. Members look forward to the annual New Directors Institute, Assessment Workshop, and Admissions & Recruitment Workshop. This year, there will be five additional virtual options to consider as part of your professional development experience in honors.

In the days before March 2020, we frequently scheduled conference calls – remember those, with the access codes and no screen? – for committees and work groups. Over the last two years, we hosted various programming and networking events via Zoom. Beginning in April, we will begin a series of 10 virtual community conversations, content ranging from health and wellness to supporting undergraduate research, to name just a few, all led by NCHC committee members. These discussions will be virtual, and free to the honors community!

The staff looks forward to seeing all of you engage in the network of honors over the year. Please reach out to our staff and board with any questions.

Be well and make a difference!

Mary Beth



NCHC22

NCHC22 Call for Signature Programs
March 1-31, 2022

Signature Programs are a series of events at the NCHC Conference, sourced and facilitated by honors experts within the NCHC membership. Submissions close March 31 to provide proposals for the following opportunities:

  • Developing in Honors (DIH)
  • Professional Staff in Honors (PSIH)
  • Idea Exchange
  • Consultants Center
  • Student Interdisciplinary Research Panels (SIRP)
  • Please consider giving of your time and talents as a part of NCHC's Signature Programs! Information on additional programming, including Best Honors Administrative Practices (BHAP), Master Classes, and Students in Honors (SIH) will be released in the near future.

    Signature Programs & Opportunities


    100 Acts of Service

    NCHC is celebrating 100 Years of Honors in 2022 by highlighting the many ways honors influences and gives back to our communities. NCHC's 2022 Annual Conference in Dallas will top off the year with the theme of "Centering Community".

    We are collecting and promoting the many service projects your honors programs and colleges are creating in 2022 - and will highlight 100 of these projects both at the Annual Conference in Dallas and online. This collective will serve as inspiration for successful service projects to be developed in the future, and a tapestry of the beautiful ways honors education inspires students to connect with their peers and the world around them. We're already seeing amazing projects roll in, and can't wait to see yours added to the mix!

    To participate, simply fill out the short form at the link below to tell us about your service project - what you're doing and who it benefits, along with a photo or two of your event.

    Let's shout from the rooftops in 2022 about all the good work honors does, on our campuses and beyond!

    Submit Your Service Project



    NCHC Constitution & Bylaws Proposal

    The opportunity to review the Constitutional and Bylaws changes will remain open through March 20, 2022. Questions from members in the initial days of the process are answered below.

    Q. Why wasn't there a side by side draft showing all changes?

    A. This is a complete rewrite from the ground up, something that had not been done in decades. We didn't make changes by deleting words or phrases and adding others.

    Q. Why does the Executive Committee note include a student?

    A. The Executive Committee is established for elected officers.

    Comment. Update the first sentence in Constitution IV. Eliminate the final comma and "and." Or, otherwise clarify what we are doing "in institutions of higher learning."

    Edit. Bylaws, Sec. 2. Institutional Member is followed by a comma and it appears that the numbers for the tiered dues structure has been omitted.

    Edit. Bylaws. Board of Directors, Paragraph 5, lines 3-4: I think the phrase should read "members must be members or former members of the Board of Directors," i.e., make everything plural.

    Edit. Bylaws. The Treasurer is elected "by the membership" (this phrase appears to have been omitted or deleted at some stage).

    Edit. Bylaws. Under the section on Bonding, Insurance, etc., line 3, add a comma after the word "action."

    Edit. Bylaws. Under Amendments, line 3, strike the word "by"

    Edit. Bylaws. In the penultimate line of this same section, I think the phrase should read "to achieve ratification"

    If you have any questions about the changes to these important documents, please reach out any of the Executive Committee or specifically to Eddie Weller, co-chair of the ad hoc committee for the Board of Directors. You can also let us know of any additional questions through this link: NCHC Constitution & Bylaws Feedback.

    If further revisions are warranted, the full board will reconvene prior to the vote of the membership. Virtual ballots should arrive in members' inboxes in late May, providing for the full 60-day notification preceding an election.

    Thank you for your interest in the work of the organization.



    NCHC Events: Partners in the Parks


    Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?


    Take honors outside the classroom with NCHC's Partners in the Parks!

    Partners in the Parks is an outdoor experiential learning program coordinated by the National Collegiate Honors Council. PITP projects at national parks across the country offer unique opportunities for collegiate honors students and faculty to visit areas of the American landscape noted for their beauty, significance and lasting value. For over a decade, PITP has led over 100 projects in more than 50 different national parks.

    With six student projects and a Directors Retreat that focuses on experiential education pedagogy, there's an outdoor adventure waiting just for you in 2022.

    Registration for our 2022 PITP project season is now open!



    NCHC Events: Summer Institutes

    2022 Summer Institute Series: At Home and Away!

    NCHC is bringing you an expanded series of Professional Development options for 2022 that includes both in-person and virtual options. Grow your skills and your honors cohort this summer, no matter your travel situation! Whether you are new to honors or an experienced director or staff member, you can find creative approaches and best practices from NCHC's expert facilitators.





    Register for a Summer Institute Today!


    NCHC Shared Principles & Practices

    Phase I of the Shared Principles & Practices transition has begun!

    At the February 2022 meeting, the NCHC Board of Directors voted to accept the report of the appointed committee, chaired by Richard Badenhausen, Jim Buss, and Carrie Pritchett, and adopt the NCHC Shared Principles and Practices of Honors Education.

    More work will be done as NCHC continues to promote both this report and the anticipated contributions shared by members for each category. The authors of the work have suggested the following additional steps to be considered for implementation:

  • Share the abridged version with a wide audience, both in and out of the honors community
  • Examine the Definition of Honors Education
  • Develop committee and internal collection of practices that can be used as tools for each category
  • Maintain and edit the document to assure relevance in the dynamic environment of academia once the processes have been well established
  • The Basic Characteristics documents have been replaced on the NCHC website with the newly released Shared Principles and Practices documents, in their same location on the Definition of Honors page.

    View them here: www.nchchonors.org/shared-principles-and-practices


    Colleagues who contributed to the document:

    * Richard Badenhausen, Westminster College
    * Jim Buss, Northern Kentucky University
    * Carrie Pritchett, Brazosport College
    Ryan Diehl, Hutchinson Community College
    Leslie Donovan, University of New Mexico
    Kevin Gooding, West Virginia University
    Mary Kay Mulvaney, Elmhurst University
    Karen Olmstead, Salisbury University
    Sandra Perez, California State University, Long Beach
    Sara Quay, Endicott College
    Sylvia Torti, University of Utah
    Adrianne Washington, Community College of Baltimore County
    *Co-Chairs



    Dates and Deadlines

    Take note of these upcoming important dates for NCHC members!

    March 15Portz Fellowship Applications Close
    March 15Spring Portz Grants Close
    March 31Consultant Grants Close
    March 31Award for Administrative Excellence Closes
    March 31NCHC22 Signature Program proposals close
    April 1NCHC22 Registration Opens
    April 1NCHC Student Awards & Scholarships open





    UReCA Editor Applications

    UReCA, the NCHC journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity, is accepting applications for positions of Associate Editors. The deadline is April 1, 2022. We have 10-12 slots to fill and would love to have a diverse representation of students from NCHC honors programs and colleges. Visit the UReCA website

    We are looking for undergraduate students from NCHC member institutions with a keen interest in the selection and acquisition of articles, creative works, art, and videos, and in editing (scientific as well as creative works) manuscripts that have been selected for publication. Prior editing experience is a plus.

    The selection of editors for UReCA is a competitive process and applications (a single Word file or pdf) should consist of the following: 1) resume, 2) statement of interest (1-page), and 3) an informal letter of support from the honors director/dean at the student's institution. All applications will be processed through our submission site.

    Apply Today



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