Students have unique opportunities to engage intellectually with these outstanding visiting lecturers. In 1998, the college was honored to have Dr. Henry A. Kissinger serve as the inaugural chair. Classrooms, recreational and study lounges, and a computing lab compose the principal facilities of the college. Students enrolled in the Barrett Honors College receive priority at preregistration and have extended checkout privileges in the campus libraries. Honors courses in disciplinary departments are typically limited to 22 students.
Students can receive transcript recognition for lower-division honors studies.
Students who meet all upper-division requirements of both their disciplinary college and the Barrett Honors College receive transcript recognition of that accomplishment, as well as special acknowledgment during the graduation ceremonies and collegiate honors convocations. Participants in the honors college have diverse interests and strong records of success. Many go on to the nation's finest graduate and professional programs, including Chicago, Cornell, Harvard, Michigan, MIT, Northwestern, Stanford, UC-Berkeley, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Yale. Many students have published portions of their honors theses and have presented their work at national and regional meetings of scientific and honors societies. All candidates for admission must file a separate application to the college.