History of the Honors Program and College at MTSU

Exploring the depths of history provides a fascinating perspective on our lives today. By June McCash

Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of history.

Founding the Honors Program

President M.G. Scarlett founded the Honors Program at Middle Tennessee State University following a three-year committee study chaired by Dr. William Holland of the Department of English. Dr. Scarlett became the program’s founding director, and Dr. June Hall McCash (then Martin) taught French. Dr. McCash began in the spring semester of 1973 to make plans for the program. It would open its doors to students in the fall semester of the following academic year, 1973-74.

An Honors Council was appointed, with representatives from each of the four undergraduate schools. The representatives were Dr. Barbara Haskew (Business), Dr. James Huhta (Liberal Arts), Dr. Robert Prytula (Education), and Dr. Alvin E. Woods (Basic and Applied Sciences). There were also two at-large faculty members, Dr. William Windham and Dr. William Holland, and two honors students, David Dodd and Laura Smith. The Academic Vice-President, Dr. Howard Kirksey, also served as an ad-hoc member of the Council.

The Council held its first meeting on January 22, 1973. Its initial task was to draft and approve a set of honors guidelines. This would set requirements and goals for the program. These guidelines established the program’s admission requirements at a minimum of a 25 composite score on the ACT or a 3.0 grade point average.

Setting Academic Standards & Goals

The program gives Honors students personal attention, small classes, and rigorous academic challenges. It reflects a top-tier liberal arts college while offering the resources of a larger university. The Council developed Honors courses in both general studies and major programs. It also introduced upper-division interdisciplinary seminars. These seminars help students stay broadly engaged even as they specialize in their fields.

Challenges in Early Development

The director’s most difficult initial task was to “sell” the program to department chairs. Many of whom were reluctant to commit faculty members to teach smaller classes with fewer students when staffing was already tight. She met with faculty members and their chairs in all four schools to discuss the program. She outlined its goals, answered questions, and sought to allay concerns that the program was “elitist.”

During its first seven years, under the leadership of Dr. McCash, the Honors Program’s fundamental structure was established. This structure included departmental Honors courses and University Honors classes. It involved junior and senior interdisciplinary seminars, the honors thesis, and the University Honors Lecture Series. During her tenure, the program offices also moved from their initial location in what is today the Alumni Center to the third floor of Keathley University Center and then to the first floor of Peck Hall.

Growth & Leadership Changes

Over the years, the program has grown and developed, with each director leaving their mark. Dr. McCash stepped down as Honors director in 1980 to chair the Department of Foreign Languages. Dr. Ronald Messier from the Department of History took her place. Under his leadership, the program introduced the H-option. This allows students to create individual contracts with professors for specialized Honors work within non-Honors courses. The Honors Lecture Series began airing on television. Dr. Messier led the program until 1990, when he returned to full-time teaching and research. Dr. John Paul Montgomery from the Department of English became his successor.

During Dr. Montgomery’s tenure, the program launched the Honors Student Association and opened the Honors Living and Learning Center in Wood Hall in 1996. Admissions standards became more competitive, requiring either a 26 ACT composite score or a 3.5 GPA. As of January 1, 2000, students needed a minimum 3.0 GPA and a 26 ACT score, or a 3.5 GPA and a 22 ACT score. Graduation requirements also expanded from 24 to 36 Honors credits. These credits included 18 general studies hours in Honors courses, eight upper-division Honors hours, six interdisciplinary University Honors hours, and a thesis sequence consisting of a 1-hour tutorial and a 3-hour Honors thesis. Despite these more stringent requirements, the program has continued to flourish in terms of quality and numbers.

Students enrolled in the Honors College include several National Merit Finalists, many Presidential Scholars, and many high school valedictorians and salutatorians. They also include several gifted musicians, artists, and published authors. More than a thousand students now participate in the program.

Transition to an Honors College

On August 1, 1998, the Tennessee Board of Regents approved the transformation of the Honors Program, then in its 25th year, into the University Honors College. It became the only one of its kind in a public university in Tennessee. Dr. John Paul Montgomery was named as its first dean. Dr. James Walker, then president of MTSU, in concert with the Provost and Academic Vice-President, Dr. Barbara Haskew (a member of the University’s first Honors Council), initiated the move to convert the Honors Program into an Honors College. The concept was endorsed by the committee that developed the Academic Master Plan during 1997-98 and was subsequently approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents.

Construction of the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building

On January 12, 2004, the University Honors College opened the doors of the brand-new Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, a 21,000 square foot facility. It was made possible by a two-million-dollar donation by MTSU’s first graduate with University Honors, Paul W. Martin Jr., and his brother, Lee Martin. Their donation included the provision that their donation be matched by other donors. The magnificent new four-million dollar building has become the veritable neighborhood and heart of the Honors College. It provides a place for honors classes, seminars, lectures, social events, an honors library, faculty offices, and various other programs and events.

The success of the Honors Program and College is best reflected in its graduates, many of whom excelled in graduate and professional schools across the country. They built distinguished careers in law, medicine, education, science, and business. Honors alumni have gained admission to prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Oxford, Vanderbilt, and Yale, as well as top law and medical schools. Many have become influential community leaders throughout the Southeast, with several serving as faculty members at MTSU.

Since its founding in 1973, the Honors Program has attracted exceptional students to MTSU, with thousands participating at various levels. To date, around 300 students have earned the University Honors College distinction, a significant academic achievement. The program continues to enrich the university by fostering excellence and preparing students for future success.

Leadership Evolution & New Initiatives

All three of the Honors College’s first leaders, Dr. June McCash, Dr. Ron Messier, and Dr. John Paul Montgomery, retired from MTSU in 2004. That year, President Sidney McPhee appointed Dr. Phil Mathis as Honors Dean. He was a distinguished professor of biology and the first winner of MTSU’s Outstanding Career Achievement Award in 2000-2001. Under his leadership, the College accepted responsibility for the literary magazine Collage, which has won several national awards.

Dr. Mathis established an Undergraduate Fellowship Office in the College in 2005. He also initiated the Paul W. Martin, Sr. Lecture Series that same year. Psychology professor Dr. Scott Carnicom, who helped establish an honors program at Marymount College, was selected as the first full-time associate dean. In 2007, the College welcomed its first class of 20 Buchanan Fellows. They were selected for their academic excellence and public service. Buchanan Fellows take a core of classes together. The College also selected its first Board of Visitors.

Dr. Mathis retired in 2008, and Dr. John R. Vile, long-time chair of the Department of Political Science and two-time recipient of MTSU’s Outstanding Research Award, became dean. Around the same time, the Honors College opened a newly refurbished residence, Lyon Hall, for Honors students. Vile led the development of an updated Master Plan for the Honors College.

He helped establish a chapter of the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society. He also worked alongside a dedicated staff to increase the number of students earning national scholarships. In 2010, two MTSU students won Fulbright Awards for teaching and research abroad. An MTSU Honors student earned a spot on the top USA TODAY All-Academic Team for the first time.

The College publishes Scientia et Humanitas, a journal of undergraduate research in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The College also supported the publication of a book of poetry, edited by Dr. Mathis, to commemorate the University’s centennial.

Note: In 2011, Dr. Philip Mathis published an essay entitled “Honors Education: A story of Grand Dreams and Noble Work.” The essay appeared in Middle Tennessee State University: A Centennial Legacy, ed. by Dr. Janice M. Leone, Associate Dean of Liberal Arts. Honors College Dean Dr. John R. Vile is currently editing a book updating this history for the College’s 50th anniversary.