Honors College to enroll 50 best

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by Mary Lisa Russell

More than 150 of next year's Smittcamp Family Honors College students and parents attended Preview Day on March 13 to hear more about the program.

"We had high school students come from as far south as Orange County, and as far north as Crows Landing," said Dr. Stephen Rodemeyer, Honors College director.

Joining the incoming class of 1999 as "President's Scholars" will be the current Rodman Scholars. Many of these Rodman Scholars will be able to achieve university honors by designing an individual honors component to their degree. They will also act as mentors for the incoming freshmen, Rodemeyer said. "The new freshman class will have veteran students who will be there to answer questions and act as another support system for them."

The Honors College selection committee reviewed 450 applications and decided to offer admittance to 59 students, assuming that about one-quarter of the applicants would decline. However, as of Journal deadline time last week, 53 of those 59 had accepted the invitation. Rodemeyer still expects a few of those students will decline their invitation after the UC admissions are announced next month.

The 59 finalists had an average GPA of 3.922 and an average SAT score of 1245, Rodemeyer said.

A similar President's Scholars Program at CSU, Long Beach started four years ago with 10 students, according to university sources there. The program grew dramatically each year, reaching 121 admittees this fall.

What Rodemeyer calls the "flagship for academics" at Fresno State is getting support from the university community.

"I'm the kind of person who believes in opportunity for everyone," says Dr. Jeronima Echeverria, assistant dean, School of Social Sciences, "[but] I'm also an enthusiastic supporter of the program. I think it will help us focus on attracting high-scoring students."

"As there are more and more honors students in the classroom, the Honors College pushes up the standards and expectations," said

Dr. Karen Bowerman, associate dean, Craig School of Business. "Our strategic plan doesn't revolve around quantity but rather quality. It is clear that an honors program contributes to this quality."

One-third of the Honors College students will be majoring in the Natural Sciences. "I believe the Honors College students will cause all the students to work harder and perform better in the classroom," said Dr. Stan Ziegler, associate dean, School of Natural Sciences.

Honors College students will share in an especially challenging curriculum package. GPA requirements for an honors student are to maintain a 3.0 for the freshman year, a 3.25 as a sophomore, and a 3.4 for the junior and senior years.

Students must take two honors classes each semester through their sophomore year in addition to attending a weekly colloquium. During their junior and senior years, they will be required to attend one honors class per semester and the weekly colloquium.

The honors classes will have a much higher standard than most on campus. Rodemeyer said the honors classes will be specially designed - graded on a straight grading scale without a curve, be coordinated with the colloquium, and have top faculty as teachers.

Dr. Robert Ware, who chaired the committee that crafted the admissions standards and led the design of the program, believes the Honors College will draw students to our campus that might not otherwise enroll.

Ware said that there are many students who want the experience of an honors program at the level of higher education who, because we haven't had one, have not been coming here but going to other CSUs or to the UC campuses.

Rodemeyer said he is excited about how many students applied for the Honors College and how quickly they responded.

"We are already recruiting the second class of Honors College students before even welcoming the inaugural class next fall," he said.

"We have sent out 6,300 Honors College recruitment brochures to California high school juniors who have PSAT scores of more than 1,100," he said. He thinks it is imperative to promote the program among eligible students.

"The Honors College is a fantastic opportunity for high achievers, and the enthusiasm and responses we have had reflect that," he said.