Austin Peay State University establishes new Honors College

Austin Peay State University has launched a new Honors College to recruit and retain students who are high-achieving in academics. The Honors College officially launched on August 1, 2026, and includes the Honors Program, the President's Emerging Leaders Program, the Office of Global Education and Competitive Fellowships, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovative Learning, and the Office of Community-Engaged Learning.

According to an article on Austin Peay State University's website, Dr. Tony Morris, who serves as the Honors College’s interim dean, was quoted as saying, “Our main goal is to increase APSU’s visibility as a school of choice for high-achieving students to attend. We want to make sure our success is outward-facing and that we’re doing everything we can to serve ambitious scholars on campus.”

By combining the Honors Program and the President's Emerging Leaders Program with college departments like the Office of Global Education and Competitive Fellowships, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovative Learning, and the Office of Community-Engaged Learning, the Honors College will represent an all-encompassing college of success. Students will receive both traditional academic support and engagement opportunities, as well as community engaged learning, internships, study abroad opportunities, and career support.

Morris said, "These high-impact practices are career readiness. We're targeting high-achieving students to come to APSU, but we're also making sure they're career ready when they leave — that they've built skills they can put on a resume and use in a job interview."

He added of the Honors Commons, which is a study and socializing space for Honors Program students, "What's great about the Honors Commons is we have both study and social spaces. Having these students together in one space helps facilitate great conversations, academically and socially."

Each of the offices united under the Honors College are positioned to grow over time. Morris plans that during the first year of the new Honors College the university will integrate the honors curriculum into the university bulletin, grow the Faculty Fellows program from four members to six, and obtain additional funding for study abroad scholarships and expanded research mentorships.

The Honors Program provides high-achieving students with honors-designated courses and the option to complete a senior thesis. These students receive priority registration and have round-the-clock access to the Honors Commons.

The President's Emerging Leaders Program, which is led by Dr. Tracy Nichols, gives 20 incoming freshmen students a renewable $3,000 annual scholarship, as well as leadership training, mentorship, and community service.

The Office of Global Education and Competitive Fellowships, which is directed by Dr. Dan Shea, oversees the study abroad experience for students. It assists students in competing for Fulbright and Goldwater scholarships, and provides students with workshops, individualized advising, and faculty mentoring networks.

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovative Learning is directed by Dr. Frank Ferdik and coordinates internships, externships, and cooperative education experiences. Its goal is to partner students with faculty mentors in an effort to guide students toward professional pathways that match their academic interests.

The Office of Community-Engaged Learning, also directed by Dr. Tracy Nichols, is a new office within the university that develops service-learning and community-engaged learning opportunities for students, the campus, and the Clarksville-Montgomery County community. 

Dr. Mitch Cordova, who serves as the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said, “We created the Honors College to make high-impact learning a connected and intentional part of the honors student experience, rather than a collection of separate opportunities students have to find on their own. By bringing these programs and offices together under one academic home, we can help students connect these experiences in ways that are truly transformative. At the same time, this model allows Austin Peay to better coordinate our resources, strengthen collaboration across the university, and build distinctive educational experiences that can grow in both reach and impact.”

University president Dr. Mike Licari added, "The Honors College reflects Austin Peay's belief that ambitious students deserve opportunities that challenge, inspire and prepare them to achieve at the highest levels. By bringing together distinctive opportunities for learning and leadership, we are creating a stronger foundation for student success and further distinguishing APSU as a place where talented students thrive."

The university is beginning a nationwide search for the inaugural dean of the Honors College, with that individual expected to take the position on July 1, 2027.

For more information about Austin Peay State University, visit the school’s website.