Converse College Introduces Nisbet Honors Program

Converse alumna Marian Nisbet ’62, and her husband, Olin, of Charlotte, NC, have given $500,000 to endow a new Honors Program at Converse College. The program is directed by Dr. Laura Brown, Assistant Professor of English, and Dr. John Theilmann, Associate Professor of History and Politics. Brown and Theilmann hope that students who are accepted will be motivated and challenged by the individual attention and encouragement towards academic success that the program provides. This fall marks the implementation of the newly established curricula, including the following course offerings and programs:

Freshman Honors Courses

In a seminar setting, students participate in intensive studies of topics such as “The History of the 1960’s,” “Women in Religion,” or “Shakespeare in Print and Performance.”

Upper-level Honors Courses

These small interdisciplinary courses are offered to students who have successfully completed a freshman honors course. Examples include “The History of Disease,” a 6-credit course team-taught by Dr. Theilmann (History) and Dr. deBuron (Biology).

Opportunities for Independent Research

Directed independent study projects with professors culminate in a senior honors thesis. Students who successfully complete a senior honors thesis graduate with honors in their field.

Food for Thought

A lecture and discussion series over a meal. Topics include film viewing and discussion, faculty sharing their latest research, and opportunities to meet with nationally known visiting scholars.

With over thirty students enrolled in honors courses this semester, the Nisbet Honors Program is just one of many examples of Converse’s continued dedication to academic excellence. The program will continue to grow and expand over the next four years, with the goal that fifty students will be involved in the program each year.

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