By Jeff Murphy, August 18, 2022
Individuals taking part in the dedication ceremony celebrating the relocation of The
Honors College at the University of Central Missouri to the Achauer House are, from
left, Laurel Hogue, vice provost for online and learning engagement; Phillip Bridgmon,
provost and vice president for academic affairs; Jennifer Carson, professor of criminal
justice and director of The Honors College; Bruce Uhler, UCM alumnus, member of the
Warrensburg City Council, and president of the Johnson County Historical Society;
Lynn Alkire, professor emerita and former associate dean of the College of Health,
Science and Technology; Peter Viscusi, professor emerita who was the first dean of
The Honors College: and Roger Best, UCM president.
WARRENSBURG, MO – As competition between colleges and universities increases nationally
for a smaller number of students who are entering higher education, one of the best
assets an institution may possess is a vibrant honors college. This information was
part of a message delivered to members of the University of Central Missouri campus
and the local community on Aug. 17 during a celebration of the relocation of The Honors College at UCM from the James C. Kirkpatrick Library to the university’s Achauer House at
314 S Holden St., in Warrensburg.
Remarks by Peter Viscusi, who worked with the university’s honors students from 1992
to 2008 and was the college’s first dean, were included in the brief program dedicating
the college’s new home. Viscusi joined UCM President Roger Best for the ceremony on
the front porch of the Achauer House along with Lynn Alkire, professor emerita and
former associate dean of the College of Health, Science and Technology, and Bruce
Uhler, a UCM alumnus who is a member of the Warrensburg City Council and president
of the Johnson County Historical Society. Jennifer Carson, professor of criminal justice
and director of The Honors College, served as master of ceremonies.
When speaking to the small gathering of individuals seated outside the house, President
Best said the idea for relocating The Honors College began with the question, “What
if…?” As he put it, “If you ask a simple question, amazing things can happen behind
the question because of the vision and effort that other people put into that.”
“It was literally three months ago, I asked the question of a couple of people associated
with The Honors College…What if? What if we take this space we call the Achauer House
and have our Honors College in this facility?”
He commended Laurel Hogue, vice provost for online and learning engagement, and Carson
for their work in making the move possible. He also recognized the vision of Phil
Bridgmon, provost and vice president for academic affairs, for his guidance regarding
The Honors College, including his insight into how to structure its leadership and
reporting lines to ensure that it was accomplishing university objectives. Such efforts
by all three individuals have demonstrated a commitment to students and their success,
according to Best.
“Our Honors College really exemplifies our approach for deep engagement with students
and where we want to see them engage with us,” Best said.
In his remarks, Viscusi called his time serving honors students “years of joy” that
gave him something to look forward to every day because he “got to work with the best
and brightest students from every academic department on campus.” He also noted how
much he enjoyed collaboration with outstanding administrative assistants who were
dedicated to students and contributed to the strong community spirit within the college.
“As the old saying goes, ‘Nothing succeeds like success.’ This is true with regard
to honors,” Viscusi said. “The success of past honors students attracted more and
more incoming students enjoying The Honors College.”
“The academic accomplishments of The Honors College students never ceased to amaze
me,” Viscusi remarked. “We had great students over the years who published their research
in national and international professional journals and who presented their work at
conferences here and abroad. If I had time, I could give you countless examples of
our extraordinary students and their accomplishments.”
Founded in 1958, the Honors Program at UCM is considered the second oldest program
of its kind west of the Mississippi River. The program began with 12 students and
became The Honors College during Viscusi's tenure in 1999. Enrollment climbed to
to 625 students while he served UCM, giving more students an opportunity to engage
in high-impact learning in a collegial environment that adds significant value to
their university academic and social experiences.
Viscusi said honors students who graduated many years ago continue to contact him
today. He met recently with a group of 15 former students who reminisced about their
honors experience at UCM.
“Honors was not only the best thing that happened to them, it had a great impact on
their lives,” Viscusi said. “It also had a lasting impact on our faculty.”
He rekindled a conversation he had with a faculty member who was involved with honors
students. “He told me how much he missed the intellectual curiosity of the students
he had in his class, and he also told me how much he missed the intellectual repartee
that went on in his class,” Viscusi said.
“Faculty teaching honors classes learn how to adapt their honors teaching to enrich
their classes for the regular students,” Viscusi told the audience. “Having honors
students with great potential is wonderful but having faculty who can actualize that
potential is magical.”
He pointed out that statistics show a decline in the number of students pursuing a
college education. There are 2.5 million fewer students seeking a higher education
in 2022 than there were three years ago, according to Viscusi. He believes honors
colleges have a role in building a strong base of academically talented students.
“Every university wants to attract incoming students. The challenge is to go beyond
generic majors…There needs to be a distinctness that one can point to,” Viscusi said.
“The answer to this challenge is a vibrant honors college that can draw the best students.”
Alkire and Uhler shared memories of Maurine Achauer and what the house, built in 1887,
has meant to the community and to UCM.
Uhler noted that the Achauer House, a Victorian structure that now sits at the northwest
edge of campus and provides a link to downtown, is “symbolic” of the way community
residents and education supporters came together to make a college possible in Warrensburg.
In a short period of time, they raised $260,000 (the equivalent of about $6 million
in today’s dollars) and obtained a property gift of 16 acres This helped convince
Missouri legislators that this community should be the home for what became in 1871
the State Normal School, Second District.
One of the Achauer Houses’s unique characteristics is the kitchen table which was
a popular gathering spot for the owner who enjoyed her connection with the community
and the university. She often used her home to host dignitaries who came to Warrensburg
and the campus, including entertainers, military and political leaders, and a long
list of other individuals who had the opportunity to enjoy her hospitality.
“I sat at that kitchen table many times,”Alkire said, noting that she and Uhler are
both excited about the university utilizing the Achauer House for The Honors College.
“We want to thank Dr. Best and everyone else involved,” Alkire said. “Maurine’s house
is going to be used by The Honors College because she had a passion for everyone in
the learning process and she wanted to bring the community together, This is what
she lived by and this is what she did every day when she was here. I know she’s looking
down and smiling, saying 'today is such a happy day.'"