Honors Educators: Faculty Perceptions of Teaching Honors 2000 and 3000

Abstract

This qualitative case study aims to examine the faculty perception of their instructional role in an Honors College 5-credit hour, year-long required course for hundreds of incoming Honors freshmen, where design thinking is utilized to assess and tackle wicked problems identified within communities. Few studies, if any, have been done on the faculty experience of teaching an Honors College specific course at the 4-year University level. Nine current and former faculty that taught HNRS 2000 and 3000 were interviewed in Fall 2021 regarding what their personal experience with the course looked like. Faculty reflected on their role within the interdisciplinary team, as researchers, as educators, and as curriculum designers. In addition, faculty were asked to reflect on topics pertaining to the students, such as psychological safety of class meetings, student engagement, challenges students faced, and college and life preparation. Challenges were discussed at length, from physical barriers, such as location and time, to more emotional and psychological barriers, like disrespectful students and cultural differences. Participants also shared why they chose to teach such courses and what would (or has) kept them coming back to teach them. Finally, the role of the Honors 2000 and 3000 itself was analyzed, with faculty speaking on its uniqueness in delivery style and curriculum changes.