Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify current honors students’ perceptions of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences (Bumpers College) Honors Program in order to refine the program mission, determine areas of improvement, and improve programming efforts. Ninety-nine students started the questionnaire, with varying levels of response. Current honors students reported overall satisfaction with their honors faculty mentors, the funding available for research and study abroad opportunities, and the honors courses offered through Bumpers College and the Honors College. While some students reported having interest in the professional development programming offered by the college, not all had participated at the time of this study. Bumpers College Honors Program students reported less satisfaction with the courses available at the departmental level and indicated gaps in their advising about honors requirements. Honors programs in colleges of agriculture should make conscious efforts to consistently assess and evaluate programming efforts and identify students’ needs to strengthen the overall program mission and make informed changes.