Thank you for your willingness to work with a prospective or current University Scholar! This website provides comprehensive information about the program; please take some time to familiarize yourself with its pages.

Students considering applying for the University Scholar Program have been advised to contact faculty members to help them with their applications. To write a compelling proposal, they will need to describe the field of study they wish to pursue and describe a specific scholarly project they will undertake. Their plans of study and projects should reflect their independent thinking and creativity. Feel free to provide help to them, but please recognize that it is their responsibility to be the “driver” in putting together their University Scholar proposal.

You may be asked to serve as a member or chair of the Advisory Committee for the applicant.  The University Scholar Advisory Committee serves a very important purpose.  With the exception of committees for Engineering majors, the Advisory Committee becomes the approval body for determining which courses the University Scholar will need to complete to earn his or her bachelor’s degree or degrees. Students will select the courses in consultation with the Advisory Committee, but ultimately the signatures of the three Advisory Committee members on the Final Plan of Study will signify that the student has completed sufficient course work to merit receiving the degree.

A few things to keep in mind when deciding whether to agree to serve on a University Scholar Advisory Committee:

• Do you plan to be available during the remainder of the applicant’s three semesters as an undergraduate?
• Are you willing to meet with the student on a regular basis to discuss her/his plan of study and project?
• Are you knowledgeable in at least one field incorporated into the student’s plan of study?
• If you are asked to chair the committee, are you willing to write a letter assessing the quality of the student’s proposal and the promise of the student for conducting independent scholarship?
• If you are asked to chair the committee, are you willing to be the direct supervisor of the student’s University Scholar project?

Finally, thank you again for your support of the University Scholar Program. We are confident that you will find your interactions with your University Scholar to be fulfilling and worthwhile. 

If you have questions and concerns about the program or your student, feel free to contact the Honors Program Office 419 CUE, 369 Fairfield Way, Unit 2147, Storrs, CT 06169 (860) 486-4223 and ask for Lynne Goodstein, Honors Program director lynne.goodstein@uconn.edu or Patricia Szarek, coordinator of the University Scholars Program patricia.szarek@uconn.edu