The University of Maine Honors College is a program that brings together students and faculty members from various areas of academic study. The goal of the program is to help prepare students for life after college while giving them the benefit of learning and engaging in smaller classes. It also provides connections for students to meet people in their desired professional fields and network with faculty in their areas of interest. The Honors College Student Advisory Board (SAB) was established in order to give honors students the opportunity to provide curriculum feedback to the faculty.
The Honors College includes roughly 800 students from a variety of departments. It allows students to live in Honors housing, have access to buildings and resources on campus, and participate in Honors class seminars and extracurricular events. Once accepted into the program, students are enrolled in specific Honors seminar courses and meet with advisors and faculty to establish the academic path that is right for them. SAB was created to help bridge the gap between students and faculty members of the Honors College.
SAB welcomes students in the Honors College who have a desire to use their voice to play a larger role in their education. Currently, the board has twelve members. Honors College Dean Francois Amar acts as the group’s staff advisor. Every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. the group meets on the 4th floor of Colvin Hall. These meetings typically include attendance, note-taking, activity planning and discussing other college-specific issue.
SAB plans and hosts various Honors College events throughout the year. These include movie and trivia nights, barbeques, fundraisers, board game nights and volunteer events. The Honors College has helped host an ethics essay contest, volunteered at an MLK Service Day food packing event and is currently planning a trip to Washington D.C.
“One of the goals of SAB is to promote Academic Integrity and Community Action in the Honors College,” Emma Hutchinson, a fourth-year English student said. “We work together to host fun events and fundraisers for the Honors College. One of our largest events is the Maine Day Meal Pack-out. We work together with the larger campus community to fundraise for meals that go to food banks all around the state.”
Hutchinson previously served as the board’s vice president and president and has been enrolled in the Honors College since coming to UMaine.
“My favorite thing about SAB is the informal atmosphere and how much fun we all have during meetings,” Hutchinson said. “I have also appreciated the chance to join different committees as a student representative and give valuable input in order to improve the Honors College.”
To find out more information or get in contact with a member, please visit https://honors.umaine.edu/prospective-students