Carroll University Honors Council

The Carroll University Honors Council (CUHC) represents the interests of Honors Program students. The CUHC seeks to build a dynamic and professional rapport amongst members and faculty to foster academic excellence, stewardship and integrity. It encourages leadership, individuality and friendship throughout the community. Outside the classroom, the CUHC performs charitable works throughout the Waukesha community and beyond. The Honors Council works with the Honors Center’s director and staff, the Honors Committee and Carroll University faculty and staff to shape an ever innovative and challenging Honors experience.

All students in the Honors Program are eligible to join the Honors Council. Elections are held each spring for the following academic year. Students interested in serving on the Honors Council should complete the application here: Honors Council Application.

For more information contact the Honors Center at cuhonorscenter@carrollu.edu. 

Council Positions and Descriptions

President 
The President will be responsible for overseeing council meetings, including creating meeting minutes and facilitating conversation between council members. They will act as a leader among the council and assist other members when needed. The President will also maintain an open line of communication between the director of the Honors program as well as the administrative assistant to the director of the Honors program in order to brainstorm ideas and keep the council informed on current happenings in the program. The President will be responsible for attending Honors committee meetings whenever possible to maintain connection with Honors faculty and staff. Overall, the President will help the council function as a unit and be the bridge between the Honors program and the council.

Vice President 
The Vice President will be responsible for overseeing council meetings, including creating meeting minutes and facilitating conversation between council members when the President cannot attend. They will assist with administrative tasks for the council such as following up with members on their projects and communicating important information and deadlines. They will attend Honors committee meetings with the President whenever possible.  As Vice President, the student holding this position will learn about the President’s role as the academic year progresses while continuing to help the council function as a cohesive unit and assisting the President with management tasks.

Recruitment
The Recruitment Team will be responsible for assisting the Honors program in facilitating future student involvement. This includes planning prospective student events, attending open house events and interest sessions, actively communicating details of the Honors program to interested students, and assisting with retainment of current Honors students. Recruitment Officers will work alongside the Events Coordinator to plan larger Prospective Student or Accepted Student Day events specifically for Honors Students. Overall, the Recruitment Team will help the Council and Honors Program with discovering new ways to reach out to prospective students and retain current students in the program.

Honors Peer Advisor
The Honors Peer Advisor will establish and cultivate a strong relationship with the Academic Advising Office. They will facilitate communication between Honors students, Academic Advising, and the Director of the Honors Program. In collaboration with Academic Advising and the Honors Center, they will  offer proactive advising support to Honors students, with a focus on new first- and second-year students (this may take the form of info sessions, workshops, one-on-one meetings, etc.).

Public Relations
The Public Relation’s Officers operate on the values of communication and unity. Responsibilities include updating the Honors Instagram feed and preparing advertising materials for upcoming events. They are in the know about their community and the world around them, and can effectively use creativity to communicate this information in ways they see best fit. Additionally they will show support of other groups on campus by reposting their informational or entertaining media. The Public Relations Officers will operate as a unified team who collaboratively decide tasks based on each other's strengths.

Events Coordinators
The Events Coordinator will be responsible for brainstorming and taking the lead on planning events for the Honors Community. When planning events, the Events Coordinator should try to plan at least one “major” event each semester and 2-3 “minor” events each month. When brainstorming ideas, the Events Coordinator should feel free to ask the Council for advice and assistance with the various tasks associated with planning such an event. The Events Coordinator should be able to delegate tasks and adhere to deadlines in order to plan an event successfully and smoothly. Overall, the Events Coordinator will help the Council reach out to students on campus and provide fun, community-building opportunities for Honors Students at Carroll University.       
Planning Honors events involves budgeting, shopping, collaborating with the Public Relations Officer(s) to create and distribute advertising, and communicating directly with Honors students. The position also includes collaboration with Carroll’s Event Management team, Chartwells Dining staff, Public Safety, and other necessary offices/departments. In addition to weekly council meetings, the Events Coordinator should expect to spend about 2-3 hours on their duties each week. If there are two Events Coordinators, it will be their responsibility to divide the duties between each other as they see fit.

Student Advocate
These students will focus on advocating for under-represented and nontraditional students. This includes forming a secure connection with the DEI office and related offices. The advocate will plan educational activities and programming relating to culture and diversity to foster cultural competence within the Honors community. Additionally, it is the Student Advocate’s duty to recognize the needs of the Honors community and make their voices heard. The Student Advocate will support student needs primarily as it pertains to the Honors events, communication, and Honors Community projects. This role will be the primary contact between  students and the Honors Council/Honors Administrators. They will also be in close communication with the event coordinators with a focus of inclusivity and outreach by adding their personal perspective.

Senior and Alum Relations
The Senior Representative will be responsible for keeping seniors in the program engaged in the Honors community through programming and activities, in addition to organizing a graduation gift from the Honors Council. Seniors in the Honors program will be directed to this representative for any questions or concerns they may have as they reach the end of their Carroll journey. They will develop communication with Honors Alumni with a focus on recent graduates. They will involve alumni in the Honors student community via events, partnerships, etc.

Freshman Representative
The Freshman Representative will be responsible for engaging freshman Honors Student interest and getting a sense for what the Honors Freshman expect from the Honors Program. The Freshman Representative will also act as a bridge between the Honors Freshman and the Council and bring any questions/concerns to the Council that the freshman may have. The Freshman Representative should also form a relationship with the Honors RA in Charles House to ensure communication. Overall, the Freshman Representative will help inform the Honors Freshman about the work of the Council and assist the Council in meeting the needs of the freshman class.

Member(s) at Large
These students demonstrate valued skills as a leader in the Honors community. These include active motivation to support Honors peers while identifying specific needs. They will engage in clear communication with all council positions as they work flexibly in the direction they choose.

ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS
All members should maintain and form relationships with Honors faculty and the director of the Honors program in order to stay informed on the current happenings of the Honors program at Carroll University. Members should have effective communication with all other members of the council and communicate when they cannot make a meeting, need assistance with a task, or have an idea about the program. Council members will actively lead larger projects focused in their job description that pertains to the Honors program. These projects may be flexible in longevity and therefore council members may work on multiple projects within a year, but not more than one at a time. They will develop a project proposal and present their plan to the council. A council member may appeal this requirement by meeting with the council president and vice president to present their case. Respect and involvement are asked of all members. Council members should actively participate in Honors programs and speak positively about the program whenever possible.
 
All members will be paid mentors with corresponding duties. *Exception of Freshman Representative, Members at Large and late Council recruits.

ADVISORY COUNCIL POSITIONS

HONORS RA
The Honors RA in Charles House should be informed in all goings-on regarding Honors Freshman. The Honors RA is invited to all meetings and will be sent meeting minutes from each meeting regardless of his/her/their attendance at the meetings. When the Honors RA should be at a meeting, the President will contact him/her/them to see if the time of the meeting works for them and if it does not, then the President will meet separately with the Honors RA to keep him/her/them informed.

HONORS MENTORS
Honors Mentors are encouraged to attend meetings as members-at-large to help the Council determine the needs of Honors Students at Carroll University and, in particular, of First-Year Honors Students. Once a month, the Honors Mentors and the Honors Council will meet to discuss any problems and brainstorm a variety of ways to communicate with and engage First-Year Students.