THE BARRETT HONORS COLLEGE
At Arizona State University
Honors Parents May, 10, 2003, meeting
CHRISTY SOUTHERGILL thanked all the parents for attending and invited them to continue brunch during the
meeting.
MIKE WIECZOREK, Honors Parents President, began the meeting at 10:10 a.m. by thanking the parents for
coming to the end-of-the-year festivities. She also thanked Christy for her role in supporting Honors Parents this
year and presented her with a gift. She then thanked Dean Humphrey for his vision and for making the BHC a toprated honors college. He is retiring from the dean position, but will continue at ASU as the first Barrett Professor.
At his retirement party, Honors Parents presented him with a wonderful painting by contemporary Latina artist
Margaret Garcia, considered an artist "on the verge". It's entitled "Sisters in the Park". Mike then thanked all the
parents for their help this year and she especially thanked Lynn Silber for founding Honors Parents. She thanked the
Honors College Council and Keith Southergill for all their help with events throughout the year.
Mike then talked about WHAT NEXT? She said the biggest change would be that the board was expanding to
include members-at-large, as well as officers. She then introduced next year's Honors Parents Leadership Council.
Shawn Kennedy will have the new position of treasurer; Phil Reckers will be the new vice president; Marcy Díaz
will continue as secretary; and Mike will continue as president. Cindy and Charlie Shafer will continue to be
involved as alumni parents and will be part of the leadership council next year. Dave Ryan, the past vice president,
will also be part of the leadership council, and will be joined by Anne Altamura, Art Anderson, Mary Ellen
Anderson, and Robert Laliberte. Lynn Silber will continue on the Parent Association Board and will be an active
alumni parent next year.
Cledwyn Jones, the Honors College Council vice president, filled in for HCC president Akshai Patel, who was
attending a leadership workshop. He thanked Keith for aiding them during the year. He thanked Dean Humphrey
for all his help and for making the BHC what it is today. He also thanked Honors Parents for supporting the HCC at
events and for providing a foundation for them to help the BHC students. Christy mentioned that Cledwyn was in
charge of the hugely successful "Got 'Cha" game that BHC students and faculty played last fall.
Christy Southergill then presented Highlights from the past year, gave some acknowledgements and discussed the
Honors Parents Leadership Council for the 2003-2004 year. This past year began with planning sessions at the
Coffee Plantation and parents suggesting where they could make the most impact. The Honors Parents Friendly
Families contacted parents of incoming freshmen to welcome them to the BHC with receptions, cards, or phone
calls. During Welcome Week HP hosted two receptions. The first one at the South Mountain Environmental
Education Center hosted over 200 parents and presented the message that HP is involved with more than just ASU;
it is part of the larger community. The following evening, HP hosted a second reception in conjunction with the
ASU Parents Association at the Pointe South Mountain. The first HP meeting of the year had BHC students and
staff give us an overview of the resources and opportunities available to BHC students. In November, Dr. Mike
Johnson talked about student stress, and how parents can help their students with it. Janey Swanz gave a
presentation in January on the Honors Thesis/Creative Project and how parents can help by participating as third
readers for a BHC student's thesis/project. HP held a fund-raising book sale during the Centennial Lecture. They
also ushered for the Rhodes Lecture. Smoothies Saturday has become one of HP's most popular events and this year
they helped the HCC raise funds by donating money and baked goods for the HCC to sell to students. Cindy and
Charlie Shafer spear-headed the funding effort for hosting the two BHC graduation receptions this year. Ninety
people attended the reception at Monti's in December and over two hundred responded to the invitations for the
reception at the University Club. HP in partnership with the Dean’s Advisory Board also purchased the painting as
a gift for Dean Humphrey, with help from Dean Burke.
For the future, HP plans to be more involved with the students through HCC. It is desirable to build an even
stronger alliance with the ASU Parents Association. More regular contact with out-of-state parents is planned for
next year, hopefully with an E-Newsletter, as well as the Honors-P listserv. Also since ASU President Michael
Crow wants Homecoming to become a signature event for ASU, HP will be involved.
Christy then thanked Rodney Fowler for all he does as her assistant. She thanked Lynn Silber for starting HP with
help from Michelle Tolman, and for continuing to participate as the HP liaison with the ASU Parents Association.
She thanked Cindy and Charlie Shafer for all their participation and input this past year even though they were not
officially on the board. She also thanked this year's board officers President Mike Wieczorek, Vice President Dave
Ryan, and Secretary Marcy Díaz and also Mike's husband, Tony Wieczorek, for all his help and participation. She
praised Mike for being a hands-on president, participating in all activities, and always thinking of great ideas. This
year the board will be expanding to become the Honors Parents Leadership Council.
Then Christy introduced Dean Humphrey who spoke A Few Thoughts from the Dean. He began by saying he
wouldn't have missed being with Honors Parents today for the world. When Christy came on board two years ago,
he asked her to support three organizations - Honors Parents, the Alumni Network, and the Dean's Advisory Board
and she has done remarkable work. When the BHC was started 18 years ago, it took two years to determine what it
should become. It began to bridge the gap from a large university to a smaller one. Now the project will be to
bridge the gap from public to private. Private institutions bring the personal, and part of the emphasis will be on
more attention to the students. Honors Parents can be a driving wedge for the project and staff attitudes and
commitments will play an important role. Dean Humphrey said he will be on sabbatical next year. He came to ASU
thirty-seven years ago and he believes that as he retires as dean, it will be from an excellent university. His
retirement will mark the first time that he will be a tenured professor without administrative duties. He looks
forward to the future of the university.
Lynn Silber added that Honors Parents have grown over the last four years. She thanked Dean Humphrey for his
vision and support of HP. He has helped the organization to grow and to provide support for the BHC.
Mike invited everyone to stay and make smoothies for the students and the meeting ended at 11:20 a.m.
Summer planning sessions will be held at the Coffee Plantation, Mill Avenue, Tempe, at 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays,
June 14, July 12, and August 2, 2003.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcy Díaz, Secretary