Average SAT scores for incoming honors students have risen from 1,317 to 1,352 in the last two years. The program has had to expand the Freshman Honors Seminar from three sections a year ago to six this year. Half of the students in the incoming honors class are taking this elective course. Unquestionably, UConn is attracting more top students, thanks to the University's strong commitment to the Honors Program and development of exceptional academic offerings and facilities. But, says Michael Cutlip, director of the program, the wealth of new talent also calls for a creative approach to programming.
Honors is much more than simply a cluster of smart students.
It succeeds because we provide a rich array of opportunities for those students to grow and achieve their potential. That, in turn, depends on our capacity to nurture a strong sense of community within the program. Perhaps no one has done more to tackle that challenge than Trevor Tebbs, assistant director of the honors program. A graduate student himself, Tebbs lives with his wife in one of the South Campus apartments, which makes him especially accessible to the students he serves. It is the first time that a member of the honors staff has actually lived on campus with the students.