Commonwealth Honors College's 25th Anniversary
About
The first public honors college in Massachusetts, Commonwealth Honors College, kicked off celebrations of its 25th anniversary in Fall 2024.
Founded in 1999, the college has established itself as a center of academic excellence and scholarly achievement within the University of Massachusetts.
During its first quarter-century, the college guided approximately 12,000 students through the completion and submission of Honors Theses, representing a remarkable contribution to undergraduate research and creative scholarship at UMass Amherst.
Commonwealth Honors College continues to emphasize the importance of independent research and creative work, encouraging students to produce innovative portfolios and research manuscripts as part of their honors education. This commitment to undergraduate scholarship remains central to the college's mission as it enters its next quarter-century of academic excellence.
CHC25: Xavier Aparicio `25
Xavier reflects on what makes the Honors College so impactful.
CH25: Claire Healy `21
Now an Esserman Fellow at The Miami Herald, Healy was named a 2024 Pulitzer Finalist for "Searching for Maura", a feature in The Washington Post.
CHC25: Mimi Letsaroj `25
Mimi reflects on the opportunities the Honors College has opened up for her — especially our signature Pizza and Prof event.
Commonwealth Honors College: the First 25 Years
In fall 1999 the University of Massachusetts welcomed the first incoming class of the brand-new Commonwealth College. The college opened three years after the Massachusetts Board of Education proposed a new public honors college to “create a new perception of the value and benefits of public higher education” in the state. In early 1997, UMass Amherst submitted a proposal to the Board suggesting that their new honors college would be best served here at Massachusetts’ flagship state university. The Board unanimously agreed, and Commonwealth College at UMass Amherst was quickly approved.
Throughout the 2000s, Commonwealth College (later renamed Commonwealth Honors College) offered students a residential program, community service experiences, social events, and opportunities to develop and refine their research as part of their Honors Thesis.
The First Class of Students in the Honors College
A total of 715 students join the inaugural class of what is then called Commonwealth College at the University of Massachusetts. The group is made up of 78% in-state students, and 22% who live out of state. Interim dean Linda Nolan (pictured in a photo from the time) leads the college for it's inaugural academic year. At this time, a proposal is made for a building complex on the UMass Amherst campus that will house the students in this brand new college.
New Leadership
Dean Linda Slakey begins her time as leader of Commonwealth College at UMass Amherst during the Fall 2000 semester. A member of the biochemistry faculty at UMass since 1973, she had previously been the Dean of Natural Sciences from 1993-2000. The college is populated by 1,325 students at this time.
