Introduction

The Honors College strategic plan takes inspiration from two iconic symbols of Auburn University. Our battle cry, and term of endearment, “War Eagle” not only invokes community to students and alumni of Auburn University, but visually represents soaring high above the skies, epitomizing a broader quest for excellence. The city’s unofficial nickname, “The Loveliest Village On The Plains,” taken from a line in Oliver Goldsmith’s poem “The Deserted Village,” is a statement known by everyone who has called Auburn home. We see this poem as a reflection that perfectly fits Auburn University’s identity as a land, sea and space grant university. It motivates us to remember that the core mission of Auburn Honors is a distillation of the university’s larger purpose: to advance the well-being of the state of Alabama and the United States through the education of our students, contributing to a condition of flourishing in all of our cities, towns and villages. With these two symbols serving as inspiration, our 10-year plan will guide and focus the Honors College through curated goals, objectives and action items that exemplify our dedication to curiosity, opportunity, purpose, community and multidisplinary collaboration.

Strategic Goals & Objectives

To establish the Honors College as Auburn University’s vibrant center of intellectual inquiry, interdisciplinary engagement and academic excellence.

Aligned to AU2035 Plan 1.A, 1.C, 1.F

Objectives:

  1. To foster a sense of shared identity and reinforce our mission and values through elevated ceremonies that become occasions for attendance from across the university.
  2. To expand our communications so that there is greater awareness and appreciation of the Honors College’s purpose and programming.
  3. To provide opportunities for faculty from across the University to engage in dialogue, build community and energize their teaching in Honors, in ways that also benefit their discipline-based colleges.
  4. To create an ambitious admissions and recruitment program that actively draws high-achieving, highly engaged students to Auburn University because of the Honors College.

To cultivate a more robust and fruitful environment of intellectual challenge and academic opportunity in which Auburn Honors students can learn and grow.

Aligned to AU2035 Plan 1.C, 1.D, 1.E, 2.B, 4.E, 5.C.

Objectives

  1. To provide curated, relationship-centered academic advising that supports the whole student—academically, personally and professionally—through intentional guidance and meaningful connection.
  2. To offer more support for our students to explore what it means for them to lead fulfilling lives after college and help prepare them to succeed in their chosen paths.
  3. To expand and strengthen the Honors curriculum with a richer variety of courses and academic programs.
  4. To develop and provide more guidelines, standards, resources, processes and incentives for faculty from across the university who teach for the Honors College.

To deepen a sense of collective identity and belonging for all students in Auburn Honors, which extends into their lives after graduation as devoted alumni.

Aligned to AU2035 Plan 1.D, 1.E, 3.B, 5.A, 5.C

Objectives:

  1. To enhance our programming so that students develop a stronger identity as Honors students and deepen a sense of accomplishment.
  2. To expand the college’s co-curricular programming to combine more socializing with intellectual engagement.
  3. To improve Honors spaces so that they are more welcoming for our students while reinforcing the distinctive identities and traditions of Honors.
  4. To enlist greater involvement from alumni and donors in the Honors College.

To connect the Auburn Honors curriculum and co-curricular programming with more opportunities for students to contribute to the world’s flourishing, especially in the state of Alabama, and nurture their own sense of purpose.

Aligned to AU2035 Plan 2.B, 4.A, 4.E

Objectives:

  1. To establish more programming that supports students in pursuing service opportunities.
  2. To build upon the college’s distinctive Week of Service program by adding year-round co-curricular programming on hunger, poverty and other obstacles to human flourishing.
  3. To instill more awareness of a land grant university’s distinctive mission and the ways in which students can foster their own sense of purpose through this mission.
  4. To expand and deepen collaborations with university offices and departments that are focused on community engagement and public service.
  5. To increase opportunities for experiential learning, especially through travel.

To provide a setting in which Honors students — and students from across the university — can learn about and pursue nationally competitive opportunities, while they articulate and follow their highest aspirations for fulfilling careers and lives.

Aligned to AU2035 Plan 2.B, 4.A, 4.E

Objectives:

  1. To build a comprehensive and well-resourced national scholarships program that informs students across the university about highly competitive scholarships and supports them in applying for those opportunities.
  2. To integrate faculty from all discipline-based colleges into the national scholarships program as sources of information and encouragement for students in their departments.
  3. To broaden the mission of the NPS program by establishing a “Center for Academic Aspiration” as a first destination for students to explore a range of nationally competitive scholarships, service programs and entrepreneurial opportunities that will help them actualize their ambitions.

To foster a supportive work environment that values the professional development of the Honors College’s employees while we strive together to expand the college’s operations and elevate the opportunities we provide to our students.

Aligned to AU2035 Plan 2.E, 3.C, 3.D, 3.E, 5.C

Objectives:

  1. To provide opportunities for the professional development and career advancement of the college’s staff.
  2. To prioritize the well-being and satisfaction of all Honors College employees by reinforcing a culture of kindness, mutual respect, safety and productive collaboration.
  3. To position the Honors College for sustainable growth with the addition of employees in support of the college’s expanded programming and population.