Angela Putman

Collin College's Honors Insitute has a new chair and a new direction.

Angela Putman, professor of communications studies, was named the new chair.

Honors Institute offers small, interactive classes that are reading, writing and discussion intensive. Class environments foster open dialogue and debate among students and professors, innovative class projects and more.

Honors classes range from government, English, history, foreign language, philosophy, humanities, algebra and biology.

“Students have so many opportunities at Collin College for getting involved,” Putman said. “If they want to take the college experience beyond the classroom, they can. I think the college is great in not only offering, but encouraging such activities.”

Putman has taught at Collin College for three years. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Michigan University in organizational communication.

She said that academic rigor is subjective, but that there’s a fine line between taking a student to their limit and driving them beyond what they’re capable of.

“Personal rigor is different for every professor,” she said. “For me, I pride myself in that I have the ability to get the most out of students, but I don’t have to ask more of them than what they can give. I think education should be challenging. When I look back, the classes that were the most difficult were the most rewarding.”

Putman said she wants to take Honors Institute in a new direction.

That includes creating an honors degree should a student graduate with a pre-determined number of honors classes. She also wants to expand the number of honors core classes.

Part of the challenge is involving students with the Honors Institute. Putman believes the degree designation will give students reason to challenge themselves with honors courses other than boosting their transcripts.

“Right now, the greatest challenge is making students realize the intrinsic value of taking an honors course,” Putman said.

For more information about the Honors Institute, visit www.ccccd.edu/honors.