Records of the Honors College (1976-2009)

 

The Honors College at Oakland University opened in 1977.  However, Honors students had been involved in the shaping of Oakland University long before. In 1957, junior and senior students of the newly formed Honors College of Michigan State University provided input to the MSU-Oakland Curriculum Committee charged with developing the curriculum of the future Oakland University. With the formal opening of the Honors College the first students were enrolled in 1977 under inaugural Director Mel Cherno.

The Honors College has had five Directors and, most recently, a Dean.  When Professor Cherno left the program, Robert Howes, Professor of History, held the position from 1980 to 1985. Brian Murphy, Professor of English, became The Honors College Director in 1985. He was replaced by Jude Nixon, Professor of English, in early 2002.  Dr. Graeme Harper was appointed Director of The Honors College in August 2011. In February 2013, he became the first Dean of The Honors College at Oakland University.

Over the years the Honors College has offered numerous courses and events to Oakland University students. Of particular note was G. Mennen Williams’ role. A former state Supreme Court justice, U.S. ambassador and Michigan governor, Williams was a long time friend of Oakland University and was teaching a leadership course for undergraduates in the Honors College at the time of his death in February 1988.

In 2013 there were around 1,000 Honors College students (about 6% of Oakland's undergraduate population) - from Freshmen to Seniors. The Honors College is also the home of the university's Presidential Scholars.

 

Scope and Contents

The records of the Honors College cover the entire history of the College since its initial planning in 1976. The history of the early years is well represented thanks to extensive correspondence, memos, annual reports, and other materials from the office of the Director as well as the Honors College Council. These materials are included in the first series covering the administration of the Honors College.

The second series covers the curriculum and program of the College, and the third is about student life and alumni. The fourth series contains various publications of the Honors College. The “Special Programs” series includes materials documenting G. Mennen Williams’ involvement with the Honors College as well as the McGregor Chair, a three-year chair established by the McGregor foundation through a $225,000 gift to the Campaign for Oakland University. Finally the collection includes audio and audio-visual recordings of various Honors College events going back to 1978.

Users may also be interested in the collection of Honors College Students Theses from 1980 to 2010, held at the Archives (see selected titles)

 

Box 1

- Administrative files

Accreditation supporting documents for NCA, 1999
Annual Reports for 1977-78, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1991-92
Budget, 1979-1999
Correspondence -Directors: Melvin Cherno (1976-Aug. 1979); Robert Howes (Sept. 1979-Aug. 1985);  Brian Murphy (Aug. 1985-2001);  Jude Nixon (2002-2009); Graeme Harper (2011-
--Folder 1   1976-1977
--Folder 2   1978-1980
--Folder 3  1981-1982
--Folder 4   1983-1984
--Folder 5   1985
--Folder 6   1986
--Folder 7   1987
--Folder 8   1988
--Folder 9   1989
--Folder 10  1990
--Folder 11  1991 Jan.-June
--Folder 12  1991 July-Dec.
--Folder 13  1992
--Folder 14   1993
--Folder 15  1994  Jan.-June
--Folder 16  1994  July-Dec.
--Folder 17  1995
--Folder 18  1996 to date
Development, 2006-2009
Directors’ Conference; The Future of Honors Programs in Higher Education, 1998
Directorship appointments, 1981-2001
History - Establishment as a unit of the College of Arts and Sciences, 1976
History - Establishment as a university-wide academic unit, 1993-1994
History - Goals and objectives, reviews and other Honors College documents, 1977-1997

Box 2

Honors College Council – Establishment, 1977
Honors College Council – Agendas and meeting minutes, 1977-1996
Mid-East Honors Association (MEHA) [Melvin Cherno, Director of the Honors College served as Executive Secretary of MEHA from 1978-1980 and was replaced by Robert Howes until 1982]
National Colleguate Honors Council
Strategic Plan, 2009
Winkler, Barry (Associate Director of Honors College) – Correspondence, memos

 

- Curricular and Program Information Files

Assessment, 1993
Course syllabi and other materials (Fall 1977, Winter 1996 Detroit)
Faculty Recommendations (letters concerning faculty who taught in the Honors College)*

 

- Student and alumni files

Alumni, 1982- *
Alumni Advisory Council, 1998-2005
Alumni News (Issues 3-11,  Julie Granthem, editor;  1993-1995)
Alumni Reunion, 1992  (also cassette tape)
Applications
Events, 1978-1994
Events, 1995-
Honors College Student Society (Student Organization Recognition Form only)
Peer mentoring, 2004
Residential College, 2003-2004
Sample letters, e.g. invitations to join the HC, admission & denial letters*
Scholarships, 1978-1989 (Information on availability of scholarships as well as Honors College scholarship recipients)
Scholarships, 1990-1998*
Student recommendations, 1981-1996*
Student recommendations, 1983-1993*
[see also scrapbooks in box 3]

 

- Publications

Brochures & Logo
The Calypso: The Honors College Student Newsletter  (Issues 1-5, 8; 1993-1996)
The Conspirator (v.1, no.1- v.1, no.2; Nov. 23, 1993-Jan. 10, 1994)  Newsletter of the student organization, the Creative Fun Conspiracy, sponsored by the Honors College but open to all students.

Box 3

Echo Cognitio – newsletter (Apr., Sep. 2003; Mar., Nov. 2007; Apr., Nov. 2008; Apr., Dec. 2009)
In Our Time: the Newsletter of the Honors College at Oakland University.  (1980-1985)
Odyssey (Information and correspondence concerning Odyssey: A journal of the humanities sponsored by the Honors College.  Print issues of the journal are cataloged:  Archives AS 36 .O24 A28)
Press releases, publicity, 1977-.

 

- Special Programs

McGregor Chair-- general information
McGregor Chair – Virgil Thompson (2 folders) (see also VHS & Cassette tapes)
McGregor Chair – Kurt Luedtke  (see also Cassette tape)
McGregor Chair – Glenda Jackson
G. Mennen Williams (former Governor of Michigan)
--African Art: His Legacy from an African Mission.
--African Books
--African Safari
--Buffet dinner, June 20, 1987
--Capital Campaign correspondence
--Death and memorial service
--External Affairs correspondence
--G. Mennen Williams Center for Creative Leadership prospectus, 3/15/1988
--Leadership Course correspondence
--Leadership Course, HC 300, Winter 1988.  2 folders
--Leadership Course, HC 300 notes: Governorship
--Miscellaneous correspondence
--Miscellaneous pamphlets
--Newspaper clippings
--Student recommendations
--Tripp, Anne, correspondence

Scrapbook 2002-2005  (Jude Nixon’s tenure as Director; news clippings, newsletters, invitations, photographs of events, faculty, staff & students)

Scrapbook 2006-2010 (transition from Nixon to interim director Barbara Mabee:  news clippings, newsletters, invitations, photographs of events, faculty, staff & students)

 

Box 4

- Audio and video recordings

Composer’s Forum: Virgil Thomson comments on composition by young composers.  (Virgil Thomson in Time series). June 16, 1988, 2 p.m.   VHS tape and cassette tape of the program.

Words and music, by Virgil Thomson. Lecture at Meadow Brook Hall.  (Virgil Thomson in Time series). June 14, 1988, 8 p.m. VHS tape and cassette tape of the program.

The music critic and his assignment, by  Virgil Thomson.  Lecture at Sunset Terrace.  (Virgil Thomson in Time series). June 18, 1988, 11 a.m.   VHS tape and cassette tape of the program.

Music Critic’s Symposium. Virgil Thomson,  Nancy Malitz (Detroit News coordinator), Anthony Tommasini (Boston Globe), Boris Nelson (Toledo Blade), Barbara Zuck (Columbus Dispatch), Robert Finn (Cleveland Plain Dealer), Robert Palmer (Rochester Democrat and Eccentric). June 18, 1988, 2 p.m. VHS tape.

An Evening with Kurt Luedtke and Sydney Pollack.  After a screening of Out of Africa screenwriter Kurt Luedtke and director Sydney Pollack discuss the film, its creation and the roles of writer and director.  Feb. 7, 1989,  6:30 p.m.  VHS tape.

OU Outlook:  Honors College.  Air date 3/2/1978; encore 6/15/1978.  Cassette tape, 2 copies.

Honors College show.  Air date 3/2/1978, 1460 WPON. Cassette tape.

Victims of the Media: Discussion by Kurt Luedtke, Neil Shine, L. Brooks Patterson, Frank Blount. Varner Recital Hall, April 1, 1989.  Cassette tape. 

 Honors College Reunion, Oct. 3, 1992. Cassette tape.

Honors College Groundbreaking Ceremonies for the Dr. Alvin R. Larson Hall Honors College, April 11, 1996.  Cassette tape  (See also Honors College folder in Building Vertical File).

 

*Access may be restricted.

Collection arranged and inventoried by Linda Hildebrand - finding aid by Dominique Daniel - 04/23/14