MINERVA - Honors College - University of Maine

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choose to live in Honors Housing
in Colvin Hall or Balentine
Hall they know they have at
least one thing in common with
their roommate(s) and everyone
else in the building: Honors.
Since the Fall of 1999, dedicated
Honors Housing has been
offered as an option to students
in The Honors College (then
the Honors Program). Starting
with the 38 spots in Colvin Hall,
overwhelming interest encouraged
expansion to portions of
Stodder Hall in Fall 2000, where
another 75+ Honors students
created another living-learning
environment. With the Class of
2007 entering this year, Balentine
Hall became an Honors
residence, creating 80+ more
spots of Honors Housing at
UMaine. While many of our
Honors students continue to live
in Stodder Hall and all across
campus, the proximity of Balentine
Hall to Colvin Hall provides
tremendous opportunities for
synergy.
The students in Honors
Housing represent all years and
a cross-section of majors from
every college on campus. Both
of the Resident Assistants in Balentine Hall and also the
Senior Resident Assistant in Colvin Hall are members of
The Honors College; they are trained to deal with a variety
of problems and issues facing our undergraduate students.
The collaboration between The Honors College and Residence
Life and Programs has strengthened the living-learning
atmosphere of Honors Housing.
This atmosphere is conducive to socializing, studying,
and building friendships while simultaneously offering these
similarly-motivated students support, beginning with their
first-year Honors preceptorials and progressing through
the writing of their Honors theses. The same philosophy of
multiple perspectives as a key part of life and learning that
is grounded in the Honors experience is supported in the
Honors residence environment.
It is not a requirement to live in Honors Housing
while a member of The Honors College. The
Thomson Honors Center in Colvin Hall and
the Honors programmatic spaces in Balentine
Hall are open to all Honors students twentyfour
hours a day. Students are encouraged to
take advantage of this “Honors Campus” as a
place to study and socialize, bringing together all
members of the Honors College community.
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The University of Maine 7