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from the issue of November 9, 2006
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National honors council finds home at UNL
BY TROY FEDDERSON, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
An affiliation with a national organization is helping strengthen the UNL Honors Program.
| | ON CAMPUS - Patti Speelman, executive director for the NCHC, stands outside Neihardt Hall. The organization established its permanent home office at UNL in 2005. Photo by Troy Fedderson/University Communications.
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Since April 2005, UNL has been home to the National Collegiate Honors Council. The NCHC is an association of 964 honors programs and colleges at higher education institutions across the nation.
"We are the chamber of commerce for honors programs and honors colleges at universities and colleges," said Patti Speelman, executive director for the NCHC. "We serve our members in the same way a chamber of commerce serves area businesses, offering programs and opportunities to enhance honors education."
The NCHC has historically been a mobile organization, shifting the central office with elections - specifically with changes in secretary/treasurer.
However, as the organization grew, the secretary/treasurer duties expanded beyond part time responsibility. In response, the NCHC board of directors decided to establish a permanent base of operations.
"When it became known that the council was looking for a permanent home, I started discussions with administration and housing officials to decide if this was something we wanted to pursue," said Patrice Berger, director of the University Honors Program at UNL. "Everyone was in agreement, so we prepared a proposal for the national organization."
The proposal outlined information about UNL, the type of space available to the NCHC and commitments (including support from the campus honors program).
The board narrowed the proposals to two sites - UNL and Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. - with UNL earning the final nod.
"UNL was the one member who met every one of the qualifications," said Speelman. "Patrice and others involved here at UNL put together a perfect proposal."
The decision established the NCHC's central office at 1100 Neihardt Hall.
The address is printed on the NCHC's numerous publications, distributed to honors programs across the nation. The organization hosts regular board meetings and a variety of committee meetings in Lincoln. And, the NCHC has held a faculty-directed training session on campus.
"We held one faculty institution in Lincoln in July that was attended by 48 participants and four facilitators," Speelman said. "And, when our board meets, that's 24 people and six students participating."
The NCHC also pays rent for the space they occupy in Neihardt Hall and uses Printing Services to print publications.
In 2007, the NCHC will host a "City as Text" event in Lincoln. The City as Text programs are held twice a year and help honors program faculty learn how to create courses based on areas and environments outside of campus.
According to Speelman, the "City as Text" event in Lincoln is "Prairie Attitudes and Urban Realities." It will allow for exploration of Lincoln's rural areas, neighborhoods, and diverse populations within. The program will draw a number of faculty from other universities and colleges to Lincoln.
"Each City as Text event is based on a topic linked to the host school," Speelman said. "We will be sending participants into Lincoln and the countryside to teach them how to offer this kind of instruction on their individual campuses."
Other recent City as Text events have been in Rome, Miami and Memphis. The other institute in 2007 will be in New Orleans.
Karen Lyons, associate director of the UNL Honors Program, is helping the NCHC plan the City as Text event for Lincoln.
"I think this is a value to the university and the UNL Honors Program to serve as host for this national organization," said Berger. "The presence of the NCHC has encouraged our honors program to be a more active participant in national conferences. And, it provides many opportunities, specifically in regard to involving our students."
Berger has taken on an expanded role with the organization. In 2005, Berger was elected to a three-year term on the NCHC's Board of Directors. He is the first member from UNL to hold an NCHC office.
"Everyone on this campus has gone above and beyond in helping the NCHC establish a permanent home," Speelman said. "And, we benefit by settling in an interesting, culturally diverse city, on a campus that obviously appreciates our affiliation."
For more information on the NCHC go online to www.nchchonors.org or call 472-9150.
GO TO: ISSUE OF NOVEMBER 9
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