Revisioning Honors Colleges through University Academic Service

Scholarship is divided on the value of honors education. While some believe it to be a continuation of academic tracking and skewed towards white students, others argue that honors colleges provide opportunities for academic growth for highly talented students. The core concerns in this debate center on equity and excellence in education, yet an opportunity for addressing both matters together has largely been unrealized. In this paper, we draw inspiration from the philosophies of American Pragmatists John Dewey and William James. We believe these philosophers’ promotion of peer education and service could provide a promising approach for offering special challenges and resources to talented honors students. Such efforts could take the form of a University Academic Service Program, which would benefit honors students and their peers, so long as it attends to the reasonable criticisms that have been levelled against honors colleges and service-learning programs.