We educate, one student at a time, by delivering exceptional experiences that cultivate intellectual inquiry; inspire passion for creative discovery, expression, and application; and empower undergraduates to shape the future.
We strive to be an exemplar of excellence in providing opportunity, facilitating learning, fostering cultural humility, and serving the greater good.
Learning by:
experience
integration
illustration
Nurturing:
Inclusivity
Self-Awareness
Curiosity
Independence
Resilience
Generosity
Distinctiveness
Habits of:
Collaboration
Creativity
Innovation
Honors Programs’ approach to undergraduate education is rooted in interdisciplinary approaches to learning that are “hands on” (experiential); that help students establish meaningful connections among the various components of their undergraduate careers (integrative); and that enable students to showcase their interests, abilities, and accomplishments (illustrative).
Toward empowering students to thrive in an increasingly complex global world, we also help facilitate ways of being that foster inclusivity, self-awareness, curiosity, independence, resilience, generosity, and distinctiveness as well as habits of doing that emphasize collaboration, creativity, and innovation.
“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.”
— Anthony J. D’Angelo
We believe UCLA has a responsibility to graduate transformative leaders who will meet the challenges of a fast-changing world. We want our graduates not only to be able to adapt to the world, but also to change it. Those leaders will be adept at communicating effectively with others from diverse backgrounds, building bridges by facilitating collaborations in pursuit of solving complex problems, and influencing individuals and organizations in the face of rapid change while retaining a sense of social and personal responsibility.
We take a lifetime perspective on learning and view undergraduate education as a critical opportunity for internalizing the value of active learning. We embrace a learner-centered framework; one in which students to feel empowered to take ownership of their learning, inspired to chart a personally meaningful degree path, and committed to sharing generously talents and experiences.
—Rachel Castle
Our Honors Programs team recognizes that as undergraduate students refine their identities, formulate adult life goals and career paths, and test their emerging senses of independence and interdependence, they may grapple with issues of meaning and purpose. As such, we consider it our responsibility to support our students in developing both the inner qualities and the personal habits that can enrich their capacities to live meaningful lives; cope with life’s inherent uncertainties and discontinuities; and serve well their communities, our society, and the world at large.
Associated “ways of being” include nurturing a sense of curiosity; developing the skills and confidence to think, act, and live independently; establishing a steadfast capacity for resilience when faced with setbacks and challenges; cultivating a spirit of generosity; and discovering the unique combination of passions, talents, and aspirations that make one distinctive, along with associated avenues for societal contribution. In keeping with this commitment, the Honors Programs experience is predicated on our commitment to remaining mindful of how our institutional principles, priorities, and practices impact the development of inner competencies and behavioral practices that we believe are essential for enabling students to contribute effectively and to thrive, in an increasingly complex global world.
—Alexandra Stoddard
Ways of “being” focus inward and on cultivating greater awareness. Habits of “doing” are focused outward.
In today’s fast-paced culture, success is often measured by how much one achieves and how quickly one can achieve it. This pressure can lead to overcommitment, burnout, and a disconnect between personal growth and outward accomplishments.
Our Honors Programs team believes that how one engages matters just as much as what one wants to accomplish. Our program encourages students to approach their academic and personal pursuits with intentionality, purpose, and balance.
There is no precise, universally applicable recipe one can follow to thrive academically, personally, professionally, or otherwise. Rather, we encourage students to consider their undergraduate career as an opportunity to embrace taking responsibility for designing experiences that help them accomplish what they aspire to “do” in ways that also enable them to be the best version of themselves.
