Dr. Barbara Pemberton, director of Ouachita’s Carl Goodson Honors Program and professor of Christian missions, presented at the National Collegiate Honors Council’s 51st annual conference. The conference was held Oct. 12-16 in Seattle, Wash.
The conference attracts nearly 2,000 honors students and administrators from all 50 states and several other nations. The national submission process for presenters is highly selective, with hundreds of students and faculty submitting proposals each year.
“We talk about everything from how to administer an honors program to scientific research,” Pemberton said.
The conference highlights student and faculty research presentations and provides training and development for honors program administrators from across the nation.
Pemberton was selected to present a session titled “Turning Interdisciplinary Seminars into International Travel: Creative Travel Options.” As one of the NCHC’s 17 points of a successful honors program, travel was one of the themes of the conference. Pemberton’s session addressed honors travel by using her experience leading a group of honors students from three interdisciplinary seminars to the British Isles.
“It is very beneficial for honors students to have an opportunity to travel together,” Pemberton said. During her session, she talked about “how we developed the honors trip, the academic work that went before it and the benefits of the experience.”
While in Seattle, Pemberton was able to examine other honors programs and their methods of honors travel, as well as network with other honors students and faculty and celebrate the community created by honors education.
“It was inspiring to hear what other people do,” Pemberton said. “I always come back with lots of ideas.”
Citing Ouachita’s place in the national honors community, Pemberton said, “We can be very proud of our program that has developed through the years. When I am at National, I am so proud of our OBU students.”
The National Collegiate Honors Council is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support and enhance the community of educational institutions, professionals and students who participate in collegiate honors education around the world. NCHC members total nearly 900 institutions in the U.S. and around the world.
“We are so pleased to provide an opportunity for honors students and NCHC members to experience the city of Seattle, all while celebrating the successes and presentations that are unique to honors education,” said Dr. Hallie Savage, NCHC executive director.
For more information on OBU’s Carl Goodson Honors Program, contact Dr. Barbara Pemberton at pembertonb@obu.edu or (870) 245-5541. For more information on NCHC, visit www.nchchonors.org.
By: Mattie Alexander, News Bureau
