Miles, Majesta. (2009). Is SAU's Honors College Co-equal?

There were many required characteristics that must be met to be considered an “honors college”. Many of them I was aware of, while others I was not. The most obvious characteristic, in my opinion, would be that: A fully developed Honors college should exist as an equal collegiate unit within a multi-collegiate university structure. At Southern Arkansas University, there are four main colleges: Business, Science and Technology, Liberal and Performing Arts, and Education. So, naturally, being located on campus and existing as an equal collegiate unit, the Honors College at Southern Arkansas University meets this required characteristic. If one were to consider the Southern Arkansas University Honors College as a “college” there would, of course, in fact be five colleges within the university’s structure.

However, there are several other characteristics that are not met by the Honors College and that hinder its technically being considered an actual “honors college”. The head of a fully developed Honors college should be a dean . . . is a primary example of one of the important characteristics not met by the Southern Arkansas University Honors College. As well loved as Dr. Edward Kardas is, he is, most unfortunately, not a dean and thus does not fit into the appropriate category necessary to make the Southern Arkansas University Honors College a nationally recognized honors college.

The Honors College does have various other characteristics mentioned in the “Basic Characteristics of a Fully Developed Honors College” list given us by Dr. Kardas. ‘The curriculum of a fully developed Honors college should offer significant course opportunities across all four years of study’ and ‘the distinction awarded by a fully developed Honors college should be announced at commencement, noted on the diploma, and featured on the student’s final transcript’ are two characteristics on the list, both of which the Southern Arkansas University Honors College meets.

All in all, I believe that the Honors College at Southern Arkansas University may not meet all required characteristics of a national honors college, but should in fact be considered as a true “honors college.”