History

The University of Arizona founded a university-wide, interdisciplinary honors program in 1962 to offer advising, honors colloquia and independent study. Seventy-five outstanding students who showed “promise of developing into superior scholars” were accepted into the first group. They came together for a lecture series Frontiers of Knowledge. French Professor Arthur Beattie was the first director of the honors program. Karl von den Steinen became the first student to graduate with Honors in 1964, and participation reached 300 students by the fall of 1966.

The university revamped the Honors Program about every ten years to increase its academic strength. The goals of these changes were to provide a deserved recognition for Honors students and faculty, to enable the recruitment of talented students from Arizona and across the nation, and to increase Honors profile within the university and the community.

• 1971: First recommendation for creating an Honors College .
• 1974: Honors Coordinating Board creates a plan for offering of Honors courses and advising across departments and colleges.
• 1984: Honors program moves from Student Affairs to Academic Affairs.
• 1987: Undergraduate Research Grants program begins with funding from Vice-President for Research
• 1996: Honors gains representation on the Undergraduate Council and the University-wide General Education Committee; Honors contracts are instituted.
• 1998: Initiation of First Level Honors as mid-career award based on completion of 15 Honors units
• 1999: Honors attains college status.
• 2004: Honors Civic Engagement Teams begins partnerships with four local non-profit organizations.

Community building has been an essential feature of Honors since the earliest days. Honors fosters interaction between students and faculty both in and out of the classroom. Strong friendships between Honors students grow in Honors classes, residence halls, and student organizations. Although the Honors community of scholars has grown and evolved over time, academics and camaraderie remain the hallmarks of the program.

• 1967 Student Planning Board is first Honors student organization.
• 1971: Honors Student Association gains club recognition through ASUA.
• 1983: First Five Star Faculty Award, the only university-wide teaching recognition awarded by undergraduates
• 1984: First production by the Honors Players
• 1988: Yuma Hall becomes first designated Honors hall
• 1996: Honors housing grows to three Honors halls
• 2000: Honors Student Council becomes an ASUA recognized club