Spring Honors College Forums to Feature Education Reform, Effective Science Communication, More

Next semester, honors scholars will have the opportunity to choose from courses designed to introduce students to a variety of deep dives into topics of interest across the country.

One course will examine various education policy issues and interventions that hold promise for improving student outcomes, while another will provide examples of effective science communication and equip students with the skills necessary to convey the impact  of their research.

Matthew Waller, dean emeritus of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and professor of supply chain management, will teach a course on Walmart, exploring the company’s strategies and history. Rounding out the line-up of spring courses, students can learn about misinformation and prejudices surrounding disability in the United States or examine the impact of partisanship on our country’s history and current events.

“Take a risk,” said Lynda Coon, dean of the Honors College. “Sign up for a one-hour seminar outside of your scholarly realm of comfort. These forums feature top faculty and staff who will invite you into their intellectual passions through a deep dive into complex and multidisciplinary subjects.” 

These 75-minute, one-credit-hour Honors College Forums bring star faculty and top administrators together with honors students on a weekly basis. 

Only one spring forum requires an application, but seats for all courses are limited. Interested honors students are encouraged to register as soon as possible to guarantee getting a seat. 

Disability Studies: Led by Lisa Corrigan, award-winning author and professor of communication and director of the Gender Studies Program, this course will explore disability and society using overlapping perspectives from the social sciences, humanities, science and the law.  

“I’m thrilled to teach Disability Studies,” Corrigan said. “This course is the result of students requesting a class on critical disability studies that centers disability in historical and theoretical inquiry and engages with topics and themes including disability and race/sex/class, civil rights, medicine/eugenics, care/kinship, intimacy, pandemics, crip theory, capitalism, education, madness/mental health, bioethics, the arts and technology.”  

Students will tackle the shortcomings, harms, misinformation and prejudices about disability that shape public life in the United States. 

Education Reform for Arkansas and the World:  This class will be team-taught by the entire multidisciplinary faculty of the Department of Education Reform, including endowed chair professors with backgrounds in public policy, economics and psychology and with expertise in the areas of school choice, teacher quality and teacher labor markets, school accountability and finance, school leadership, and gifted education.  

“The movement to reform and improve K-12 education has steamed forward, boosted by the harm inflicted on students since the onset of the COVID pandemic,” said Patrick J. Wolf, Distinguished Professor of education policy and the 21st Century Endowed Chair in School Choice.  

“My colleagues and I are eager to share our knowledge with an eye towards enhancing student achievement, high school graduation rates and college enrollments in Arkansas, the United States and the world.” 

Students will be introduced to various education policy issues and interventions that hold promise for improving student outcomes and will subject those policies and proposed interventions to vigorous discussion and debate.  

Partisanship: In this course, taught by Noah Pittman, associate dean of enrollment for the Honors College, students will explore the impact of partisanship on the United States throughout its history before analyzing the issues that divide the country today. The course will begin with an examination of some of the most politically divisive eras in American history, then the focus will shift to the growing partisanship we have seen in recent decades along with some of the contributing factors, such as the ever-increasing role of the internet being used as a communication tool and overall media fragmentation.  

“Partisanship has always been a key feature of our political system,” Pittman said. “If you follow the national discourse, it shouldn’t be too surprising to learn that data indicate there has been an increase in political antipathy among Americans over the past few decades. This class will discuss the different sources of the intense partisanship we see today, while also considering how this moment in time compares to other eras in American history.” 

This course requires an application for admission. 

Science Communications: This course will provide examples of effective science communication and equip students with the skills necessary to convey the impact and importance of research to a wide variety of audiences from peers and professors to the media and funding agencies.  

The class will be led by Andy Albertson, director of research and economic development communications, who will educate students on the importance of concise, clear writing that conveys complex science in an accessible way.  

“A vital part of research is letting the world know what you’ve discovered,” Albertson said. “I’m excited to work with Honors College students as we explore how to communicate science in an accessible, engaging way.”  

Students will look at when and how to expand science communications to include video, graphics and podcasts and have an opportunity to engage in discussion with the U of A’s award-winning science and research writers.

Walmart: This course will provide a comprehensive overview of Walmart, one of the world’s most entrepreneurial and efficient corporations. Students will explore the company’s best practices, strategies and history. Matthew Waller was presented with a Distinguished Service Award by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals in 2020 and has an extensive background in entrepreneurship, including co-founding Bentonville Associates Ventures and Mercari Technologies. In 2008, Waller moved his family to China for 18 months to create an executive M.B.A. program for Walmart at the company’s request.  

This course will incorporate collaboration with the Walmart Museum and a study of Sam Walton’s “Made in America.”

“I’m thrilled to offer the spring 2025 Honors Course on Walmart, where students will dive deep into the innovative strategies and dynamic history of one of the world’s greatest corporations,” Waller said. “Through engaging collaborations and comprehensive analyses, we aim to equip participants with a deeper understanding of business by studying Walmart.”