National Louis University Launches New Undergraduate Honors Program to Make Honors Programming More Equitable and Inclusive
New initiative is part of the university’s broader effort to better meet student needs in higher education
(Chicago: March 16, 2022) – National Louis University (NLU), a private, non-profit university based in Chicago, is launching an undergraduate honors program that represents a new model for recognizing and advancing undergraduate achievement. The program will launch in the Fall 2022 term with its inaugural freshman class. It is open to domestic and international students, and applications are now being accepted.
The Undergraduate College (UGC) at NLU is already driving access and equity in higher education by making it highly affordable for aspiring students to pursue a rigorous degree program in high-demand fields. With its new Undergraduate Honors Program (UHP), NLU is aiming to further empower students to achieve by building an honors academic model on top of UGC’s foundations of affordability, convenient and predictable course schedules, and a personalized and professionally-focused experience.
"I am super excited for the premier of the Undergraduate Honors Program at NLU,” said Dr. Natalie Johnson, Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Founding Director of the UHP in NLU’s Undergraduate College. “This is a unique student experience inspired by challenging, out-of-the-box thinking, rigorous and eye-opening innovations that are grounded in scholarship, and leadership that will help bring positive, groundbreaking impact throughout our community,” she continued. “Our UHP students will be sought after as forward thinking, civically engaged leaders who will thrive in spaces where knowledge, integrity, innovation, creativity, collaboration, strong leadership, and client-focused productivity catapults organizations into the forefront."
The program will be based on the Undergraduate Honors Program Signature Experience. UHP participants will benefit from all of NLU’s built-in advantages such as hybrid in-person/online course schedules, small class sizes, holistic wraparound support, and embedded career preparation. Moreover, in addition to the most affordable private Bachelor’s degree in the state, UHP students are considered for a merit-based scholarship award of up to $2,000 per year.
The UHP will offer students the opportunity to continue their strong academic trajectory from their previous institution through a mix of honors cohort courses with fellow UHP peers and courses taken with students from across the Undergraduate College. Students will also have the opportunity to: earn Master’s level credit as part of their Bachelor’s degree course experience; learn skills from an assigned NLU mentor and an external professional advisor, while also serving as a peer mentor (dual collaborative mentorship); actively participate in community-based service learning; showcase cross-curricular work on an annual basis with students, faculty, staff, and partners from across the NLU community; serve as advisors to university leadership regarding opportunities to continuously enhance the student experience; and build long-lasting community through shared experiences across all four years of college with fellow UHP peers.
The UHP will help prepare the leaders of tomorrow by providing students with a rigorous and rewarding experience that encourages academic challenge, the spirit of inquiry, personal development, and lifelong success. The program will aim to empower students achieve at their highest potential and be prepared as leaders in their families, careers, and communities, realizing economic mobility that helps to sustain future generations.
For more information or to apply to the Undergraduate Honors Program at NLU, visit https://nl.edu/uhp, or email UHPDirector@nl.edu.
Contact: Jamie Merchant, Director of Marketing-Communications & PR: jmerchant@nl.edu
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About National Louis University: National Louis University is a nonprofit, non-denominational university focused on preparing the diverse workforce of tomorrow and widening access to quality educational and career opportunities for all learners. NLU offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in the fields of education, business, computer science and information technology, management, human services, social work, counseling, public policy, culinary, hospitality and other fields in career and professional development. NLU serves approximately 10,000 students annually at locations in Illinois and Florida as well as online. Visit nl.edu for more info.
