{"id":242384,"date":"2026-04-01T07:30:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T11:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=242384"},"modified":"2026-04-01T12:04:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T16:04:43","slug":"explore-create-lead-the-science-of-a-world-class-honors-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2026\/04\/explore-create-lead-the-science-of-a-world-class-honors-education\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Explore, Create, Lead’: The Science of a World-Class Honors Education"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ten years ago, when it came time to revamp the UConn Honors Program for a new generation, program director Jennifer Lease Butts knew there was an invaluable resource to tap \u2013 right here on campus.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

UConn is recognized across the country for its research in gifted education. It is, quite literally, home to the National Center for Research on Gifted Education<\/a>, as well as the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development<\/a>. And the latter\u2019s namesake, Joseph Renzulli, is one of the world\u2019s foremost experts in the field. His three-ring model of giftedness<\/a> has become foundational for gifted education at all levels.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What better way to design a curriculum for Honors education at UConn than to implement findings from research conducted right here at UConn?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, the UConn Honors Program<\/a> was (re)born.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really about wanting to build something different, to make Honors education at UConn a signature feature \u2013 to bring in elements that were research-based, that were intentional,\u201d says Lease Butts. \u201cAnybody can require a thesis. But if you don\u2019t know <\/span>why <\/span><\/i>you\u2019re requiring a thesis, then it\u2019s just a paper.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Jennifer
Jennifer Lease Butts, Ph.D., is the Associate Vice Provost for Enrichment Programs and the Director of the Honors Program at the University of Connecticut. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lease Butts worked with then-Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Sally Reis (another nationally prominent gifted education researcher based at UConn, who happens to be Renzulli\u2019s research partner and wife) and Jaclyn Chancey \u201813 Ph.D., to form a committee in charge of revising the Honors curriculum. They worked to adapt the key findings from Renzulli\u2019s and Reis\u2019 research into meaningful experiences for college students.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I joined UConn Honors in 2013 … we had \u2018pillars\u2019 that talked about <\/span>what<\/span><\/i> we\u00a0did, but nothing talked about\u00a0<\/span>why,\u201d<\/span><\/i> says Chancey, who is now an Associate Director of the program. \u201cI realized that those pillars, as well as the values expressed by our staff, aligned with the different Renzulli models. I proposed what eventually became the theoretical model\u201d for the program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chancey was able to integrate findings from her own doctoral research conducted at UConn, which focused on supporting gifted college students, and built upon the foundational research of Renzulli and Reis.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe entire process \u2014 from having the initial idea, then working with the task force to create the new curriculum, and finally seeing the students engage with it and thrive \u2014 is without a doubt the most satisfying experience of my career,\u201d Chancey says. \u201cIt was a fantastic team effort, and I\u2019m very proud that we have, to the best of my knowledge, the only college or university program in the world explicitly based on these models.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, the UConn Honors curriculum boasts an evidence-based set of unique opportunities for students, organized under the three pillars of <\/span>exploration<\/span><\/b>, <\/span>creativity<\/span><\/b>, and <\/span>leadership.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a fantastic team effort, and I\u2019m very proud that we have the only college or university program in the world explicitly based on these models.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Honors students can choose to pursue extra depth in their major, graduating with the distinction of Honors Scholar<\/a>. Or, they can add on to this by taking additional Honors courses across a breadth of fields and pursuing extra co-curricular experiences, earning them the University Honors Laureate<\/a> distinction.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUConn classes are plenty difficult already; with Honors classes, it\u2019s really about going deeper,\u201d says Lease Butts.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Going Deep<\/h2>\n

Renzulli loves to tell the story of how he became interested in gifted education. Early in his career, he was working as an elementary school teacher and was asked by the district superintendent to start a Saturday program for students with IQs of above 130 (this used to be considered the \u201cofficial\u201d cutoff point for giftedness).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sally
Sally Reis and Joseph Renzulli at Reis\u2019s investiture ceremony as the Letitia Neag Morgan Chair for Educational Psychology. (UConn Photo, Courtesy of Sally Reis)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI knew that I had a lot of students in my general science class who were just as interested and as talented in science as those high-IQ kids,\u201d Renzulli says. \u201cSo I started sneaking these new kids into my Saturday program. And they did just as well \u2013 in many cases, better.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This strengthened his growing conviction that giftedness was something more dynamic \u2013 and expansive \u2013 than the way it was traditionally imagined. His subsequent research into this topic led him to develop the three-ring model of giftedness. Beyond thinking of giftedness as only linked to IQ (or <\/span>above-average ability<\/span><\/b>), Renzulli showed that it was also tied to <\/span>task commitment <\/span><\/b>and <\/span>creativity<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Renzulli was able to get this research published \u2013 a tough sell, he says, since most journal editors at the time were staunch adherents to the 130-IQ cutoff point \u2013 it \u201cjust got legs.\u201d Then it ran away on those legs. Today, it is the most widely cited article in the field.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From there, Renzulli went on to develop the <\/span>Enrichment Triad Model<\/span><\/a> of gifted education, which is designed to encourage <\/span>creative productivity<\/span><\/b>. Beyond just getting good grades, creative productivity is what happens when students are excited and engaged, using their gifts to positively impact the world around them.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Enrichment Triad Model emphasizes three different types of enrichment activities for students: general exploratory activities (like a guest speaker in a classroom), group training activities in areas like creative and critical thinking skills, and investigation of real-world problems. It\u2019s no coincidence that the UConn Honors curriculum also prioritizes all three.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, a requirement for the University Honors Laureate track is called Academics in Action<\/a>, an activity that combines a student\u2019s academic knowledge and creativity to produce something that is shared with an authentic audience. Lease Butts champions Academics in Action for its multi-modality, allowing students to explore interdisciplinary interests without being constrained to their major field of study.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s common for us to have students who are interested in neuroscience, and then they\u2019re also writing for the Long River Review<\/a>,\u201d she offers as an example. \u201cAcademics in Action really gives them a way to add in that additional element.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another Renzulli model, Operation Houndstooth<\/a>, is also foundational to the current structure of the Honors Program. Operation Houndstooth (so named for the interlocking geometric shapes in the houndstooth pattern) considers interlocking traits in gifted individuals that can encourage them to use their gifts for social good. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, we have an entire set of offerings around \u2018Staying Whelmed,\u2019 which are essentially about supporting our students as\u00a0<\/span>people<\/span><\/i>\u00a0and ensuring that they have the tools they need for creative productivity,\u201d says Chancey. \u201cWe also do a lot around community, leadership, and service that connect to Houndstooth\u2019s goals of creative productivity towards the common good.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding Sparks<\/h2>\n

Another staple of the Honors curriculum is co-curricular activities which enhance and support students\u2019 learning. From lecture series to film screenings to community-building events, the <\/span>Honors calendar<\/span><\/a> stays packed with opportunities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This, too, is based on research. Reis <\/span>has found<\/span><\/a> that creative productivity and engagement are often sparked by experiences like this.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you study adult gifted individuals who have gone on to make big and important intellectual or creative contributions, it almost always goes back to an experience that inspired and engaged them \u2013\u00a0a field trip, a project, a lecture they attended,\u201d says Reis. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no telling what will spark someone\u2019s interest or alter the course of their lives. So the Honors Program provides as many opportunities as possible for students to have these moments \u2013 whether related to their major area of interest or something completely unexpected. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Reis, these experiences are all about instilling the values of creative productivity in students, setting them up for lifelong learning and success. She emphasizes that they help students think about education beyond just the typical classroom environment, equally championing creative problem-solving and expression.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope to increase the reservoir of highly creative and productive people in all areas,\u201d Reis says. \u201cWe want more creative students, in all majors, who think about solving important problems.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A
University Scholar Christian Chlebowski ’24 (BUS) ’24 MSA earned three degrees in four years at UConn. (Nathan Oldham \/ UConn School of Business)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Proof Positive<\/h2>\n

During the 2016 refresh of the Honors Program, Lease Butts not only wanted to make the curriculum \u201cmore responsive, and more reflective of new thinking on what an Honors curriculum can and should be\u201d \u2013 she also wanted to expand the program\u2019s reach.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want an Honors education at UConn, it\u2019s our job to make sure you have one,\u201d Lease Butts says. \u201cThat\u2019s been very, very important to me \u2013 that no matter what campus your feet are on, you can get an Honors education if you want one.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Her efforts have paid off. Currently, there are over 2,400 students enrolled in the Honors Program across 77 majors, at all UConn campuses offering undergraduate degrees. Since 2002, the number of Honors students at UConn has more than doubled.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, a third of incoming Honors first-years in 2023 were first-generation college students, reflecting Renzulli\u2019s principle of purposely opening gifted education opportunities to people who have been historically excluded from them.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The program is <\/span>ranked in the top 10 nationally<\/span><\/a>, and its alumni have gone on to achieve prominence in many fields. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n