Dr. John Glass III, assistant professor of Modern and Contemporary American Literature, will begin work in his new position as the director of the Honors Program during the spring 2018 semester.
Glass said he applied for the job because of his enjoyment for the program and his desire to continue helping create a more cohesive academic experience for students. He explained that he loved working with academic scholars as a second reader and as an advisor for honors students.
“All students bring challenges,” Glass said. “When looking at certain subjects, some are going to be better equipped to meet you in those kinds of discussions. I have found that working with the honor students, you are able to get into more deeper interests, interests of my own, make connections among their fields of study in ways you can’t in an introductory to French class or composition class.”
Glass expressed his excitement about the future of the program and the campus can expect to see changes starting as soon as fall 2018. Part of those changes includes a living-learning community where honor students will be housed in Cooper Hall with other students in the honors program.
“A program has to feel like a program and this will hopefully continue to build on the sense of community that many students feel in the honors program,” he said.
Enrollment in honors classes will also change for freshmen coming into the honors program in 2018. Instead of looking for “H” classes online that may or may not be offered, students will be offered a sequence of classes each semester to fill their Honors requirements.
“These changes do not disrupt the course of study for those currently in the honors program,” Glass said. “These are things that are going to further improve the program.”
In the spring, Glass said he will talk to the students who are currently in the honors program and past scholars to learn more about their experience in the program and what they found enjoyable and areas that could be improved.
“The rug is not getting pulled out from underneath anybody,” Glass said. “It’s putting in a new carpet.”
(Dr. John Glass III)
