At a monthly faculty forum, Columbia Provost Steven Kapelke discussed the creation of an honors program, more emphasis on international studies and the possibility of a faculty senate.

In response to student feedback, Columbia administrators are exploring how to initiate an honors program. Kapelke said this is something that has been in the works for years, but now he thinks it is time to create one.

“We’re hearing urgency from the students,” Kapelke said. “They want greater challenges and recognition for those challenges.”

Columbia is currently researching and exploring the best way to initiate the program. Kapelke said the college would not exclude anyone from taking an honors course.

“We’re not looking at an honors college or people being admitted into the honors program directly out of high school,” he said.

Kapelke said the initial ideas would enable any student to take an honors course if he or she met certain criteria, which would be determined by the school. Students who enrolled and successfully completed the courses with a certain GPA would graduate with honors.

Student Government Association executive vice president Zach Dexter said he was part of the honors program at East Kentucky University in Richmond, Ky., that paid for all his books and half his tuition. Dexter said he thought it was an excellent idea to create an honors program at Columbia.

“At a place that is so tuition intensive, if there was a merit-based program, such as an honors program, where you pursue more rigorous coursework and get some kind of incentive in return, I think it would benefit the school greatly,” Dexter said.

Kapelke said in addition to developing an honors program, the college is discussing developing a center for Integrative Studies, creating more small graduate programs and continuing to place an emphasis on international students.

Study abroad programs continue to increase at Columbia, Kapelke said. There are J-Term and summer programs in China, Italy, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Honduras, France, the United Kingdom, Costa Rica and Germany, but Kapelke would like to see that list grow.

Columbia is also testing supplemental instruction programs in several different departments.

Kapelke said supplemental instruction is used throughout higher education as a method of student-led learning and peer study groups. Currently, there are two sections of Introduction to Audio courses, two sections of History of Art, one section of Science and Electronics and one section of Biomechanics for the current semester.

“We found from a small pilot program last springthat students who attend are more likely to pass the class with a higher grade,” Kapelke said.

Changes in January 2009 will bring together several academic support units in one location, Kapelke said.

The Writing Center, Science and Mathematics Learning Center, Conaway Achievement Center and New Student Placement Center will be housed in the new 618 S. Michigan Ave. building when it opens, along with Services for Students with Disabilities and Interpretive Services. The units will be called the Learning Studio.

Kapelke also addressed the review and revision of the faculty tenure process, which he has been working on since last September with a 16-member committee. He said the committee hopes to have the new documents to the faculty and board of trustees by December.

“I can’t promise [the date] though, because the changes we are making are substantial and require a lot of consideration and reflection,” Kapelke said.

Tom Nawrocki, English Department faculty and president of the Columbia Faculty Organization, asked about forming a faculty senate. Nawrocki said because the college was divided into three schools, there has been less contact between faculty in the separate schools.

“The idea behind a faculty senate is to allow faculty to come together from schools and have impact on the curriculum and develop new ideas,” Nawrocki said. “It’s not something that may have been a priority before, but it is a definite priority now.”