Shackouls Honors College Dean Christopher Synder has extensive plans to continue to grow the institution through multiple avenues.
One of Synder’s goals was to implement an honors study abroad program at Oxford University. He said he led a similar program for five years at his previous post at Marymount University with great success. His goal is twofold: to promote study abroad to increase students’ global awareness and to give honors students the opportunity to study at a prestigious university.
“My philosophy is to promote study abroad in general to all students but in particular to make it an honors experience,” Synder said. “We should be establishing relationships with elite research universities, with historically academically excellent universities like Oxford to give students research and teaching experiences that are out of the norm that are just for an honors-caliber student.”
The Oxford study abroad program will be led by Synder this summer from May 21 through June 29 and will take around 10 students to Oxford, England, which this year will give the opportunity to study the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. The applications are now open.
Becky Gardner, assistant dean of the honors college, said this program is unlike any other study abroad experience Shackouls Honors College has offered before.
“We have (dabbled) in study abroad, but nothing of this level,” she said. “This is far and above anything we have ever done. We are really excited.”
Synder also came to MSU with ideas for changes in the honors curriculum to make it more rigorous and distinctive. He said the changes are still in the planning stages but his goal is to have an optional senior thesis available for honors students as soon as possible. Synder comes from a university with a required senior honors thesis. He said Ole Miss and the University of Southern Mississippi have the same requirement, but he has encountered some debate from opponents of the idea.
Snyder said the honors college will likely take a different approach than these universities. It will promote a significant capstone project for all honors students and offer the option to do a traditional written thesis and defense.
 
Another change Synder has been working to implement is a tutorial program modeled on the design of Oxford and Cambridge. The “Oxbridge” tutorial defines undergraduate education at these two universities and is a student-directed research project.
“It is a very exciting approach to undergraduate education because it is student-centered. The student comes up with the topic, the discipline he wants to do it in, and often he approaches the professor about it. Really it is about an academic conversation,” Synder said. “It is really exciting the student gets to shape that much of his (or her) education.”
The tutorials, like the written thesis, would not be required of all honors students but would be offered as an alternative to contract courses and would count as a three-hour credit.
“We have such a large honors college that there is not going to be one model that is going to fit everyone. We want to give students the option to participate as much as they want in honors education,” Synder said.
Gracy Hewes, chair of University Honors Council, said she is very excited about the changes to the honors curriculum, and said she believes the option of tutorials will be a valuable asset to students.
“I think the degree is going to be worth a lot more than it has in the past,” Hewes said.
Synder said he has also worked on building a longer-lasting community in Griffis Hall.
“One of my goals is to keep people here (in Griffis) — to keep you here and get you to come back and take courses in the building, to come to our new book club discussions, afternoon teas and different lecture series we have started … in order to build a community, an intellectual community, a vibrant community,” he said.
To aid community development Synder has addressed concerns about the lack of available parking for non-residents of Griffis Hall who wish to attend events at the honors college. He has collaborated with the honors council to draft a proposal to Parking Services requesting parking for honors students and faculty.
Synder said his move to MSU has been a positive experience, and he has high hopes for what can be achieved here.
“This is a very beautiful campus with a very positive future,” he said. “I see it in enrollment trends; the talent among the faculty and students gives me every reason to believe we are going to be doing bigger, better and greater things.”