I write to thank Associate Vice Provost Thomas M. Perring for his service to the campus as Faculty Director of University Honors and Faculty Director of Off-Campus Academic Experiences. Tom will be returning to his professorship in the Department of Entomology as of July 1.

During Tom's tenure as Director, University Honors (UH) made major strides. It implemented the campus "Re-envisioning Honors" report, moving from separate lower and upper-division programs to an integrated four-year program. UH implemented a new curriculum providing all Honors students with common classroom experiences, as well as Ignition Seminars for first-year students. Tom recruited Honors faculty to work, advise, and teach in the program. Together with Tom and the UH staff, these faculty members have provided the necessary energy and enthusiasm to move Honors forward. A recent evaluation study showed that UH students perform better in their first-year classes than non-Honors students who come to UCR with similar academic characteristics. The report also showed high levels of satisfaction among UH students with the program. The number of students writing honors theses has grown every year during Tom's tenure. Reviewers of UH have cited the high quality of senior theses produced by Honors students. Under Tom's leadership, UH has also begun to emerge as an important avenue for recruiting top high school students to the campus.

During the last year, Tom also provided direction for the Office of Off-Campus Academic Experiences, which houses Study Abroad and the UCDC program. During this period, applications to Study Abroad increased.

A strong University Honors program is an essential pillar of the campus' strategic plan, UCR 2020, which emphasizes the importance of developing "a distinctive honors program to attract and challenge high-achieving students." Tom has contributed mightily to the realization of this campus goal.

The Office of Undergraduate Education will be conducting an internal campus search for a new full-time Director of University Honors whose title will be Howard H. Hays Professor and Director of University Honors. The new Director will also serve as Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. The call will be widely distributed among the faculty beginning later this week.