The Perceived Benefits of the Honors Program through the Perspectives of Current Students, Recent Graduates and Over-5-Year Alumni

The purpose of the study was to understand how ISU Honors Program members at different points in their education and/or career paths view their Honors experiences. Specifically, the study was intended to see whether, after some time for reflection or distance from the collegiate lifestyle, Honors alumni are able to gain a better understanding of the influences that affected their time and experiences. Surveys of the various respondent groups revealed that alumni of the ISU Honors Program tended to value the academic benefits of Honors a little more, while current students mentioned the tangible values such as priority registration or access to Jischke as being of greatest benefit. More than half of all respondents said the Honors Program was worth the extra effort and would attribute about 40% of their success to the program. Hopefully this research can be used to better communicate and express the benefits of the Honors Program to prospective and current students