University of Miami - Ibis Yearbook (Coral Gables, FL)

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Honors Program In 1 95 7, the University of Miami ' s faculty organized its first courses in honors and established what is now known as the Programs in Honors and Privileged Studies. The original schedule of only four classes has expanded to about 65 courses each year. Mrs. Barbara Clark, the program ' s administrator since 1 970, said that presently, there are about 250 students enrolled in honors courses each semester; and that the program is able to accept a greater number of students each year. In this case, more quantity does not mean a sacrifice of quality. Mrs. Clark emphasizes that the academic level of incoming freshman accepted into the program has gotten increasingly better. To even be considered for acceptance into the General Honors Program, an incoming freshman must have scored at least a 1 200 on the SAT ' s and be in the top ten percent of his high school class. Why would anyone subject themself to such rigorous demands? Well, there are many benefits for a student in the Honors Program, and evidently they are attractive enough to recruit and maintain the University ' s most superior students. Honors studies enable the more capable students to plan work consistent with their backgrounds and abilities and to avoid repetition and routine. Small classes of no more than twenty students replace the usual lecture hall classes with a hundred or more students. Open discussion, with some of the University ' s top professors, replaces the usual lecture-take-notes regimen. One of the brightest aspects of the program is the Honors Students Association CH.S.A. ). H.S.A. was created by honors students for honors students. The organization is governed by an executive board of elected honors students. The executive board, along with various committee chairmans, organize events such as: lecture series, social gatherings with professors, an annual trip to Disney World, beer sales at the Orange Bowl, and many other special events. This year ' s executive board — Dave Auslander, Sandy VanDine, Karen Rudy, Tere Trout, and Eric Leiberman — have been enthusiastically working to expand the activities of H.S.A. For example, H.S.A. was actively involved in Homecoming for the first time in many years. Other big events were: the Sleeping Bag Seminar , during which H.S.A. hosted honors students from other schools for a three day exchange of ideas; and the participation of H.S.A. members in the National Conference of Honors Students, in Omaha, Nebraska, as well as the Regional Conference, in New Orleans. The Honors Program and H.S.A. have much to offer the gifted student. So if you are interested in expanding your horizons — take the challenge — and join the fun! By Sandy VanDine 26 Honors Program

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■ Frieda M. Apple Staff Coordinator; Student Personnel Deans Office Everybody loves apples; they can be warm and juicy on cool and crisp, but they ' re always good to eat. When you walk into the Student Personnel Deans ' Office, the first object you lay eyes on is an apple, Mrs. Frieda M. Apple. So, too, everybody loves Mrs. Apple, however she ' s more of the warm and juicy type, smiling, friendly, always with a joke, and always willing to help. Mrs. Apple, who started working at U.M. on March 6, 1 961 as a secretary to the Dean of Women, is now the staff coordinator for the Student Personnel Deans ' Office. When asked why she applied for her original job, 21 years ago, she replied, They advertised for a mature person; my husband said they wanted old ladies, so I should go apply. Her present job includes administrative and clerical duties for the sororities and fraternities and several of the honoraries as well as budget preparation for the entire office and secretarial duties for Dean Peter Starson. Mrs. Apple started working with Panhellenic Council and the sororities from her first day in 1 961 . She added the fraternities and the Interfraternity Council to her duties in 1 9 75, and ever since has loved it. Two-thirds of my work is with the sororities and f raternaties; they ' re my kids. Mrs. Apple describes a typical day as spending half my time on the phone. I have the same problem as students — when I have to find the answer to something, I have to contact five or six different offices. I really sympathize with students. However, Mrs. Apple doesn ' t enjoy peace and quiet. When I come in, in the morning I start one thing very neatly on my desk and before the day is through I ' ve got 500 other things on my desk that I ' ve stopped and started, but I love it; I don ' t enjoy it as much when it ' s too calm. What does Mrs. Apple do when she ' s not in the office? I like to read and crochet; I write poetry, but my main hobby is my husband; we ' ve been married forty years. Mrs. Apple, who was initiated into Phi Sigma Sigma sorority in 1 971 , has also been tapped into Rho Lambda, a sorority honorary, and Order of Omega, a fraternity honorary. By Ruth Kemlot Student Affairs 25

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Dr. James L. Ash, Jr., Honors Dean The University of Miami ' s administration has dedicated itself to the pursuit of academic excellence . Since the Honor ' s Program is a cornerstone of the University ' s academic programs, the administration saw the need to appoint a dean of the Honors Program who is capable, far-sighted, and an enthusiastic individual. They found such characteristics in Dr. James L. Ash, Jr. , the former chairman of the Department of Religion. Dr. Ash is quick to point out that an Honors Program is not just some sort of academic luxury, but an integral and necessary component of any university. As he says: I am convinced that the best way to insure the future success of this university is to expand our efforts to recruit and retain superior students. The Honors Program is the ideal instrument to attain this goal. Dr. Ash brings to his new position an almost unbridled optimism that the University of Miami ' s Honor Program can be one of the finest in the nation. His goals for the program include: a broader curriculum with more honors sections of popular courses, the involvement of some gifted and inspiring faculty members, who are not presently teaching in the Honors Program, better housing, and more privileges for honor students. Dr. Ash also emphasizes that in order for these proposed improvements to be effective, it is essential to have student input which is strongly considered. In congruence with his theory, Dr. Ash makes himself highly accessible to students and informs students of his ideas either through letters or meetings, such as an informal gatherings with the Honor ' s Students Associations ' executive board or a discussion session at a regular H.S.A. meeting. The Honors Students, along with many other people on campus, are convinced that with a director as dynamic as Dr. Ash, the Honors program will experience much growth and prosperity in the very near future. And, perhaps more importantly, this growth will undoubtly benefit the academic climate of the entire University. By Dave Auslander and Sandy VanDine Honors Program 27