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The Mahurin Honors College (MHC) is an honors college located at Western Kentucky University (WKU), in Bowling Green Kentucky. Founded as an Honors Program in 1963, the organization evolved over time, establishing itself as the first Honors College in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 2007. On January 27th, 2017, the Board of Regents at Western Kentucky University voted to name the honors college the Dixie and Peter Mahurin Honors College, in honor of the Mahurin family's contributions to the university. Of WKU's ******* enrolled students, ****** are currently enrolled in the MHC.

History


The Mahurin Honors College was originally founded in 1963 as an Honors Program at Western Kentucky University, alongside a freshman honors colloquia. The program became more substantial over the ensuing years, being rebranded as the University Scholars Honors Program in 1990. Alongside this new name was a new curriculum, requiring students to complete 21 hours of honors credits, including the completion of a 6-credit senior thesis. Later in the 1990s, the program established a partnership with WKU's Housing and Residence Life department, providing Honors students the option to live together in Honors Housing floors in residence halls.

Following his hire in 1997, former WKU President Gary A. Ransdell was tasked with enacting a "fundamental transformation" of WKU. Ransdell viewed the Honors Program as a means to do so, and in April 2005, created the role of Honors Executive Director to try to expand the program. Later that month, Craig T. Cobane was hired as the first full-time director of the Honors Program. In 2007, the Board of Regents at WKU made the decision to transition the Honors Program into an Honors College, becoming the first Honors College in Kentucky.

In 2008, the Honors College established the Office of Scholar Development (OSD) to support students applying for nationally competitive scholarships. In 2019, 84 WKU students were recognized in national scholarship competitions, as compared to 15 when OSD was founded in 2008. From 2008-2018, WKU students earned more than $4.8 million from nationally competitive scholarships.

In 2012, plans for a new Honors College facility were announced to the public. Construction began in March 2014, and on October 23rd, 2015, the Honors College/International Center was dedicated.

On January 27th, 2017, the Board of Regents at Western Kentucky University voted to name the honors college the Dixie and Peter Mahurin Honors College, in honor of the Mahurin family's contributions to the university.

Admissions Criteria
The MHC admits students based on three major components - strength of writing samples (essays and short answer), level of involvement, and academic quality. In 2018, the MHC removed its minimum ACT score of 27 and required unweighted GPA of 3.8, as a means to increase the applicant pool and promote diversity within the college.

Academics and Demographics
* Insert stats of ACT, GPA, etc*

In 2013, Public University Honors wrote a review of the WKU Honors College, citing the high number of Truman, Goldwater, and Fulbright awards won by WKU as the reason for initially recognizing it. This eventually led to the WKU Honors College being reviewed in John Willingham's A Review of Fifty Public University Honors Programs.

As of *****, there have been ********* graduates from the MHC.

In addition to WKU's regular tuition, MHC students are required to pay an annual membership fee, starting at $340 and decreasing yearly.

Student Life
Mahurin Honors College students experience a much similar student life as all other WKU students, with a few distinct available resources. One such resource is honors housing, as MHC scholars have access to live in honors dorms such as Minton Hall and Southwest Hall. Additionally, WKU offers a variety of honors courses. These can take the form of a standard course with additional projects added, or a full honors designated course. Provided they are in good standing, Mahurin Honors College scholars are also granted priority registration, allowing them to register before all student groups aside from seniors.