What is an honors college?
It’s a question that University of South Florida Judy Genshaft Honors College Dean
Charles Adams gets a lot.
When asked what defines an honors college on the most recent episode of the Honor Roll Podcast, Adams shared that while many top universities in the U.S. have honors programs or
colleges with the common goal of providing enriched academic experiences for high-achieving
students, they can differ greatly in terms of scope, programming, and student opportunities
depending on their institution’s mission, size, and resources.
“We are very different from nearly every other honors college or program that I know,”
Adams said. “In many honors colleges or programs, you’ll have maybe one course in
common among the students, but then they go off and take what we refer to as ‘H courses,’
or more challenging courses in each of their disciplines — we don’t do it that way.”
According to Adams, the two main things that make the Judy Genshaft Honors College
stand out from other programs around the country are its outstanding students and
robust curriculum.
“I'm proud of a lot of things in this college — it's hard to pick just one,” Adams
said. “But I always come back to the students. I'm so proud of what they accomplish
while they're with us — they excel in so many different areas. And I'm equally proud
of what they go on to do after they leave us — they pursue amazing opportunities in
top graduate programs across fields like law, medicine, and business.”
Adams attributes that success to the students’ own determination paired with the college’s curriculum, which combines interdisciplinary coursework with experiential learning and research.
“We have our own curriculum; students take four interdisciplinary, topic-based courses
in the Honors College. Students also complete a research project and do co-curricular
work like studying abroad or volunteering. It’s a much more robust, thorough, and,
I think, effective model we have here at the Judy Genshaft Honors College,” Adams
said.
Adams was joined on the podcast by current fourth-year Honors student and National Collegiate Honors Council student member Nick Nechaiev and third-year student and Honors Ambassador Rysun Chu.
“I first heard about the Honors College from an upperclassman friend when I was a
junior in high school,” Chu said. “I remember looking at the course catalog and seeing
the wide variety of courses that were offered here — from AI cooking classes to classes
that blend humanities and STEM.”
For Nechaiev, an international student, the college became a community beyond academics.
“For me, it’s the community that we have here. I think there’s a lot of people from
different backgrounds that come together, and it’s really important because you can
meet any major in this college, and it broadens your perspective,” Nechaiev said.
“The Honors College also offers a lot of opportunities to go on study away and study
abroad trips and experiential learning opportunities. There are so many different
things that you get exposed to being part of the college that change your perspective
on how you view things.”
A Unique Home for Unique Students
Founded in 1982 and formally made a college in 2002, the Honors College has steadily
grown over the years to meet the evolving needs of students. Designed with academic
community and the student experience at heart, the college also takes advantage of
USF’s resources as a major research university and its membership in the Association
of American Universities, a prestigious group representing the top 3% of universities
in the United States and Canada.
One resource that Adams is especially proud to offer students — and that they won’t
find anywhere else — is the college’s main facility: the Judy Genshaft Honors College
building on USF’s Tampa campus.
The building, which Adams often calls “the finest honors facility in the country —
bar none,” opened in May 2023 and has sparked interest nationwide. Designed by award-winning firms Morphosis Architects and FleischmanGarciaMaslowski, the facility offers striking architecture, open-design classrooms, community event
spaces, and studio spaces for art, technology, media, and food and culture.
Adams described the building as a physical representation of the college’s vision
for its students.
“It’s a building that gives the students what they deserve,” he said. “We knew all
along that we had great students with big dreams, but we didn’t have the facilities
to support them until now.”
Adams believes in the importance of providing Honors students with a shared space
to exchange ideas. Students themselves helped shape the facility, contributing ideas
during early planning sessions that are now reflected in its design.
“If you don’t have a place like this for students to come together, they get siloed
into their departments and miss a comprehensive vision of their field,” he said. “The
entire experience is really a growth opportunity.”
Though growing across USF each year, the Honors College continues to provide students
with a home within the larger university — offering multiple pockets of belonging
for Honors students.
With more room, student leaders and staff have expanded engagement through events
such as the Brain Bowl trivia contest, annual fall picnic, and student competitions
like Honors Got Talent or trips such as the St. Petersburg campus’s annual Chinsegut
Hill retreat.
Chu found a sense of belonging in his first-year Acquisition of Knowledge course.
He recalled delivering his freshman thesis, an autoethnography, and being moved when
his professor was brought to tears.
“I’ve never felt so touched and felt so much support from a non-family member in my
life. It felt like the epitome of having someone in my corner ready to support me,”
he said.
Looking Ahead
With applications and interest on the rise, the college continues to pursue new opportunities. Adams hopes to grow “study away” programs that would give Florida students exposure to major U.S. cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
The college is also expanding its alumni network. This fall, it launched the Judy Genshaft Honors College Alumni Society in partnership with the USF Alumni Association to connect alumni with one another
and current students.
“Alumni can be a tremendous resource for our students,” Adams said. “They were in
our students’ chairs not long ago and have much to offer in terms of their journey
from student to professional.”
Nechaiev is looking forward to joining the alumni network in the future.
“As a student, it’s always great to meet alumni,” he said. “I’m excited to come back
one day and meet future leaders.”
The podcast itself represents another communications and marketing opportunity the
college is expanding. Since launching in February 2024, the Honor Roll Podcast has
released more than 70 episodes. Led by a diverse team of student hosts and supported
by audio and IT specialists and marketing professionals, it’s now growing from audio-only
to include video to help tell the Honors story.
“The podcast has been very successful in engaging a broad audience of prospective
students, current Honors Bulls, and alumni,” Adams said. “It has done a wonderful
job of sharing an incredible amount of the amazing things happening here and answering
critical questions, like ‘What exactly is an honors college?’ We’re excited for its
next chapter and to continue to build upon all the great work being done here.”