STORRS — UConn’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to transform the university’s Honors Program into an Honors College, according to an October 28 public release.
The change builds on an existing program rather than creating honors education from scratch. UConn says more than 2,600 students participate across its campuses, studying majors throughout the university’s undergraduate schools and colleges.
Jennifer Lease Butts, who has directed the Honors Program since 2012 and serves as associate vice provost for enrichment programs, will become the college’s inaugural dean.
The university plans expanded courses and enrichment opportunities, along with an Honors Faculty Fellows Program intended to involve more faculty in honors education. It also describes planned investments supporting modest enrollment growth as demand exceeds current capacity.
For students considering UConn, the announcement points to a broader platform for mentorship, undergraduate research and creative projects. The current Honors website also connects students to University Scholar opportunities, national scholarship support and specialized pre-professional advising.
The university presents stronger recruitment, retention and philanthropic support as goals. Those are intended benefits, not outcomes already demonstrated by the new college. The reviewed release does not specify a numerical enrollment-growth target or a complete implementation budget.
This AI-written report was prepared from UConn’s October 28 public release, matching UConn Today article and current Honors website. Eastern CT News did not attend the trustee meeting or interview university officials.
File photo: two UConn honors students wearing medals, photographed by Defining Studios and carried with the university announcement. It does not depict the trustee vote.