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=The Honors Program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore=

The Richard A. Henson Honors Program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore offers academic, co-curricular and social programming to its students, with emphases on undergraduate research, professional development, leadership, service and global citizenry. Named in honor of American pilot, aviation education pioneer and philanthropist, Richard A. Henson, the program is an affiliated member of national, regional, and state organizations that promote and support collegiate honors education. Founded in 1975, the program currently serves more than 200 students.

History
In 1975, Chancellor William Percy Hytche appointed a task force comprised of university administrators, faculty, and students to develop an honors program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Dr. Brenda Anderson (Wade) was Chair of the committee and, in the Fall of that year, was named Founding Director of the program. The first cohort of (insert #) honors graduates were recognized at Commencement in (1976?).

Academics, Research and Creative Endeavors
(insert description of curriculum here)

Co-Curricular Activity
In addition to the honors-related coursework, research and creative endeavors supported, the Honors Program provides students opportunities that ready them for transition to graduate and professional schools; that teach and hone leadership skills; that encourage voluntarism, altruism, and philanthropy through service-learning and community outreach projects; that provide and expand global perspectives and competencies; and that promote a sense of community through social interaction and networking.

Graduate School and Professional Development
(description)

Leadership
The Honors Program cites leadership development among its core values. In Spring 2014, the program plans to inaugurate a new, annual workshop series, the Emerging Leaders Institute. This initiative will provide students leadership training by entrepreneurial experts.

Honors students have been well represented among undergraduates selected by an external interview committee to participate in Thurgood Marshall College Fund's annual Leadership Institute.

The Honors Program developed a student ambassador program, The Vanguard, in Fall 2013. Vanguard serve as program representatives at recruitment events, such as campus open houses for prospective students, assist the honors administrative staff at graduation medaling ceremonies, and carry out other duties as needed to promote the program on and off campus.

Service
(description)

Global Citizenry
(description)

Social Programming
(describe honors community. note some events. residence. Honors Student Association.

Benefits
The primary benefits of the honors experience at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore are access to small-enrolled, discussion-based, specialized classes with high levels of peer-to-peer interaction and faculty mentorship and belonging to a dynamic community of like-minded, motivated student scholars. Honors students are eligible to receive certain scholarships allocated by the program. Further, the program provides its students with unique academic and co-curricular experiences - leadership workshops, lecture series, intensified advising, and support for travel to conferences or other professional meetings to present research findings and network with experts in their future field. Honors students also receive automatic membership in the Honors Student Association, priority enrollment, and enhanced library privileges.

Scholarships
Honors Program students may be eligible to apply for and receive a number of scholarships, including, but not limited to, the following:

Henson Scholars, Leaders, and Entrepreneurs
The Richard A. Henson Foundation, Inc. has, since (insert date), provided funding to three scholarship endowments for students in the Honors Program that bears Henson's name - the Henson Scholars, Henson Leaders, and Henson Entrepreneurs.

UMES Honors Merit Scholarships
The Honors Program's Scholarship Review Committee administers to academically high-performing students a number of merit-based scholarships provided by the state of Maryland, known as the UMES Honors Merit Scholarships.

Miles Scholarships
Honors Program juniors and seniors majoring in a STEAM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, or Mathematics) or Human Ecology and who are from an economically disadvantaged background and/or under-served or under-represented population may be eligible recipients of the Marguerite Daugherty Miles and Howard S. K. Miles scholarship, an endowed fund available beginning in 2013.

Thurgood Marshall College Fund
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is a member institution of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), which provides scholarships based on both merit and financial need to students of Historically-Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who are U.S. citizens or legal, permanent residents of the U.S. and who satisfy TMCF selection criteria.

Recognition of Student Achievement
Throughout the past four decades, graduates of the honors program have been recognized in a variety of ways and venues, including the receipt of certificates of achievement and symbolic stoles worn during Commencement, participation in the university's annual Honors Convocation, and invitation to a graduation gala event, formerly known as "Strawberries and Champagne". Beginning in December 2013, a special ceremony is held for honors graduates, their families and faculty mentors, during which students are awarded the program's signature medallion, present short speeches related to their research, creative endeavors, community engagement, and leadership development, and are initiated into the Honors Program's Alumni Association.

Honors Advisory Board
In September 2013, an honors advisory board was formed with representatives from campus divisions that impact honors education. Members are program advocates who provide direction and advice in developing and enhancing the honors experience. Among the Charter Members are faculty representatives from each of the university's four undergraduate schools, officers of the Honors Student Association, and administrative Directors of Residence Life, Campus Life, Financial Aid, Career Services, International Education, the Library, Enrollment Management, Institutional Research and Planning, Advancement, Development, Public Relations and the Center for Access and Academic Success.

Honors Council
An Honors Council, comprised of faculty representatives from each of the university's undergraduate, degree-granting departments, was formed in October 2013 and is convened monthly. Its primary function is honors curricular development, reform and support.

Honors Student Association
Students in the Honors Program are automatically extended membership in the Honors Student Association (HSA). Officer elections occur annually in early Fall. The HSA coordinates with the Honors Program administration to promote the program and advance honors education at UMES and beyond, by organizing a variety of academic, co-curricular, social, and community service events, such as fundraisers, lecture and film series, and service-learning, outreach opportunities in Princess Anne, MD, Somerset and Wicomico Counties, and throughout Delmarva Peninsula.

Public Relations and Communications
The Honors Program maintains a website, utilizes social networking outlets (Facebook, Twitter), and publishes a quarterly newsletter, Volamus.

Affiliated Memberships
The Honors Program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore is a member institution of: