Honors College and High School Institute

We invite you to support the UW Honors College and the Summer High School Institute!

Honors College

Support for Honors College will go toward the Duncan and Janice Harris Excellence Fund, which supports study abroad opportunities for UW Honors students and Honors College excellence initiatives. 

All of us involved in UW Honors over the past 35 years have directly benefitted from Duncan and Janice's efforts. Janice and Duncan hosted so many dinners and backyard parties that students and faculty not only felt like a part of their family but also like we had a major role in shaping and sustaining UW Honors.

The pillars of the Honors College are fourfold: 

1. dynamic interdisciplinary courses that engage students to the major challenges of our times;
2. experiential learning through internships, special projects, and leadership opportunities;
3. study abroad classes that expand students' understanding of the world and the forces of globalization; and
4. independent research or creative endeavors that enable students to define a major project, to develop it, and to carry it through to completion under the guidance of an expert mentor.

Because Janice and Duncan were particularly committed to international education, the Harris fund will primarily support international study for Honors students. Duncan taught in UW's London semester and created the summer Shakespeare in England and Italy course, now in its 17th year. After a year of teaching near Osaka, Janice developed an ongoing study abroad course on Japanese culture, based partly on the campus of Kobe College. We are committed to doing the same.

The Duncan and Janice Harris Excellence Fund will also help fund excellence initiatives across the Honors College. These initiatives may include support for student research; visits from distinguished artists, scholars, diplomats, and policy-makers, allowing students to learn from them first-hand; and resources for faculty eager to develop innovative courses that challenge our students to think in exciting new ways.

Summer High School Institute

Support for the UW Honors College Summer High School Institute (HSI) will support the HSI scholarship fund. 

HSI is a 3-week summer educational program geared toward high academically achieving rising juniors from Wyoming high schools. The Wyoming Legislature created the HSI in 1985 following the national Governor’s school model. Since then, over 3,000 Wyoming students have come to Laramie to experience their first taste of college life. 

Our goal is to provide a self-discovery atmosphere for a variety of scholars who would relish a challenge or may need a little push to be challenged. The array of activities that scholars participate in are designed to push the limits of the student as a whole and help each individual learn more about themselves, clarify their goals, discover new interests, and re-ignite their passion for learning. 

Your gift will allow us to reach more students, to offer a richer HSI experience, and to continue to offer extremely low registration fee ($250 for 3 weeks) with full or partial scholarships available to any student. You are funding HSI scholarships that will help students say YES to a life-changing educational experience. 

Thank you!

We are so grateful for your support!