Honors College Course Led by Chancellor to Provide Insight Into University Administration

University Relations

Chancellor Joe Steinmetz meets with the Flagship U! class at his residence during the 2018-19 school year.

Next spring, 15 lucky undergraduate honors students will get the chance to participate in Flagship U!, an Honors College Forum led by University of Arkansas Chancellor Joe Steinmetz that will meet around his dining room table.

The course will be an in-depth exploration of higher education administration: Students will learn about the roles of different administrators, and delve into some of the key discussions that have arisen on flagship university campuses in recent years, including campus carry, interdisciplinary initiatives, access and affordability, and diversity and inclusion.

This will be the second time Steinmetz has offered this course for honors students.

"The first time around, the experience was transformative for both me and the students. I still keep in touch with a lot of them," he said. "I expect the same degree of investment from my students in 2020."

"We are delighted that the chancellor is on board for another semester of Flagship U!" said Honors College Dean Lynda Coon. "This forum is a great opportunity for top students to discover what it really takes to run a major university like ours. And the first crew of Flagship U! students has gone on to achieve amazing things, including winning Goldwater, Truman and Marshall scholarships."

In the first week of the course, each student will be randomly assigned a role on the university's executive committee, which they will hold for the duration of the class. The chancellor's own position will also be up for grabs.

The chancellor stresses that learning to see things from various administrators' points of view will be central to the course, which culminates in a role-playing scenario in which students will address a particular concern together as an executive board, with their roles influencing their perspectives. In this and many other ways, Steinmetz said, the course will be "issue-oriented. Students must immerse themselves in the issue at hand, based on the role they have. What are the implications for the finance guy, for example?"

Other assignments for the course will include interviews with current U of A administrators, as well as a research project and presentation covering other flagship universities in the United States. There will also be a lineup of guest speakers to provide students with real-world insight into the concerns of higher-ed administrators.

Students must apply to participate in Honors College Forum courses. The application deadline for spring 2020 courses is Friday, Nov. 1.