She realized that when honors students came to college, they were not aware of the resources available to them. She noticed students were rushing to find and create a thesis, and worried that students sometimes created one based on what was easiest.
This is why the Honors College Research Conference was made, to debunk the honors thesis said Katie Wilson the Honors College Associate Director for Student Success.
The Honors College Research Conference took place in the Arkansas Union from 12:30 – 2:15 p.m. Oct. 23. Students went to sessions tailored for their college and to a poster presentation and networking session in the Verizon Ballroom, according to the conference schedule.
This is the second Honors College Research Conference, which was created so students can start thinking about their honor thesis. The conference gives students examples of projects, and the people who they should contact to help them create a project, Wilson said.
“It’s an individual, unique research program,” Wilson said. “They pair up with a faculty member to do a project of their choosing on a kind of specialized topic in order to individualize their studies and so we need to make sure that students have the resources to make that happen. We can’t just say, ‘In four years make sure this is done.’”
The Honors College Research Conference is not the only event students and faculty can get involved in. The honors college has workshops that teach students how to put together research proposals. Soon, the Honors College will be debuting a new process that will allow students to submit their honors thesis to ScholarWorks, said Jennie Popp the Associate Dean of the Honors College.
Last year the conference had good turnout, but this year was better. A few unique things were brought to this year’s presentation, Popp said.
“The college of education and health professionals, Dr. Michelle Gray who is the honors director there and a professor of exercise science has brought her aging suit,” Popp said. “So you can put on that suit and know what it’s like to feel like me.”
This is the first year that each day showcases a different college instead of having one or two hours in an afternoon. Students and faculty can showcase a different college each day, Popp said.
Sometimes those presentations lead to greater opportunities, as it did with a sustainability student last year who did a presentation on ebikes, said Michael Zachary the technical director of the Honors College.
“Something that you would see in a big city is now here in Fayetteville (with Veoride,)” Zachary said.
To develop thesis projects and programs, one of the main goals of the conference is to bring in faculty, Zachary said.
Students present posters at the conference and attend sessions, so it is up to faculty to reach out and letting the honors college know about the really impressive posters and projects, Williams said.
The conference tries to introduce students and faculty to each other, and get them to build a bond, Zachary said.
“Getting faculty on board and helping out is the next step,” Zachary said.