Several times now I have heard the rallying, triumphant boast that UB's Honors Program (now Honors College) provides its member students with "an Ivy League education at a public institution." While the Honors College is certainly a worthwhile component of UB's academic environment, this appraisal is unjustified.
The quality of one's education arises from the quality of the faculty, facilities, and classmates. Honors students have no academic opportunities that are unavailable to any other intrepid undergraduate; Honors seminars are not categorically forbidden to 'regular' students.
Likewise, any student has the opportunity to develop a relationship with faculty members, and there are no special Honors professors who are unavailable to the rest of the student body. Neither are there special, higher-grade Honors classrooms. And while the bright-line rule for Honors admission is a composite SAT score of 1300 (allowing a score as low as 500 on one section) and a high school average of 93 (91 if you're a performing arts major), the average SAT score of the Honors College as a whole is 1350, indicating that at least 50% of the elite at UB are barely squeaking by requirements that would not satisfy the published 25th percentile of admissions to any Ivy League or Second Tier institution. Furthermore, it is peculiar and perhaps lamentable that one is eligible for admission to the Honors College only if and when they come to UB for the fall semester of their freshman year; transfers and students who may subsequently meet the criteria are forbidden entry.
The true benefits of the Honors College are the perks; absolute primacy of registration, priority housing, and of course scholarships. These are incentives designed to tip the scales in favor of UB for students who perhaps could go to Ivy League schools, but either don't qualify for their scholarships, or would rather remain a bigger fish than be thrown into the extreme competition of a class composed entirely of top students from around the nation.
Let it not be said, however, that the Honors College is worthless; on the contrary, it helps to prop up the higher end of student academics here at the University, and contributes significantly to the overall quality of this institution. I believe that the transition from a mere program to a College is a wise and well-made move, and I sincerely hope that it continues to grow and develop in the future. But claiming that it fashions an "Ivy League education" from the same resources that are available to every UB student is misguided, misleading, and quite frankly, rings of arrogance.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
