| Email: | gary.bell@ttu.edu |
| Institution: | Texas Tech University |
| Address: | Box 41017 Lubbock, TX 79409-1017 |
| Phone: | 806-742-1828 |
| Institution Type: | 4-year research institution |
| Program Type: | College in the fullest sense of the word |
| Program Enrollment: | 1000 |
| Previous Honors Positions: | Dean since 1999 |
| Present Position: | Director & dean at two institutions, 1986 to present |
| NCHC Member Since: | 1988 |
I have been an Honors consultant to other Honors Programs - especially within the state of Texas:
- Texas Christian University (2000), no formal report
- Texas Woman’s University (1999), no formal report
- Abilene Christian University (2000, 2003), second visit with Dr. Robert Spurrier and Dr. Kathryn McDorman
- University of North Texas (2004), along with a local visitation team
- Lubbock Christian University (ca. 2000), informal meetings
- San Jacinto Community College (north), (2001)
- San Jacinto Community College (south) (2005), with Dr. Lydia Daniel
Non-Texas schools include:
- North Carolina State (1998, 2000), with Dr. Robert Spurrier and Dr. Jane Lawrence
- University of Louisville (2001), Dr. Robert Spurrier and Dr. Jane Lawrence
- University of Mississippi (2002), with Dr. Robert Spurrier and Dr. Rosalie Otero
- Brigham Young University (2005), with Dr. Len Zane and Dr. Rosalie Otero
- University of Central Michigan (2005), with local visitation team
I have built two full programs from ground zero to their present strength at Sam Houston State and Texas Tech University.
Self-Identified Areas of Special Interest and Experience (up to 12)
- Budgets
- Curriculum
- Administration
- Honors colleges--theoretical
- Assessment
Curriculum Vitae - Gary Bell
On the Role of the Site Visitor as Consultants & Program Reviewers
I have undertaken a number of program reviews in Honors Programs and Colleges around the nation, and it has been my observation that almost universally, Honors directors/deans are:
- Highly idealistic people - more so than the average academic - who have a vision of what the best educational outcomes can be for students;
- Very hard working as they try to make these broad, very time intensive Honors efforts as successful as they can possibly make them; and,
- Typically, under-appreciated and under-resourced in the roles they fulfill on their campuses.
This last point is not because of either administrative malevolence or a conspiracy by supervisors to exploit their people, but rather stems from:
- The current higher education “crisis” of assuming that college is a private, not a public good, and therefore public money has become far less available;
- The imposition of often inappropriate business models on higher education;
- The lack of understanding by administrators of the purpose and potential for Honors; and, finally,
- The newness of the Honors movement, which has left administrators a little bewildered about how exactly Honors, whether it be a program or a college, fits into the scheme of things on their campuses.
Given the previous premises, it seems to me that a site visitor’s primary responsibility is, frequently, to educate local officials about the role and scope of Honors, and what it can do to enhance the academic profile of the visited campus. This needs to be done subtly and sophisticatedly, but this “education and modeling” function may be one of the more important that a visitor has.
As another objective, the visitor needs to make recommendations to the program or college about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Often an outside person can see things that are less readily visible to the people on campus. Nor should the “encouragement” factor be overlooked. An outside visitor can be a force for energizing and enthusing students, faculty and administrators alike for the tremendous role that Honors can or is playing on their campus - from an outsider’s perspective.
Above all, the site visitor’s time on campus should be viewed as a positive but also an illuminating experience by the constituencies being visited. The visitor can help local people see more clearly the nature and role of their program on their campus.
