A Look Inside the Honors Program

Most new college students grapple with the same anxiety-inducing concern — whether they’ll be able to make friends once they arrive on campus. Honors students at the University of San Diego, however, do not. The Honors Program at USD provides students with a built-in community straight away, including Honors Program roommates, smaller classes with other Honors Program students and support from faculty members devoted to the academic needs of honors students. Outside the classroom, honors students are supported by advisors and a new Honors Program Director.

Professor of Communication Jonathan Bowman, PhD, was appointed as the new director of the Honors Program in the fall of 2024. For the past 18 years, Bowman has been an integral member of the USD community, serving as a professor, associate dean and mentor to students through his work directing honors theses. As the new director, Bowman continues to put the students first. That has been his largest calling throughout his professional life — his students’ success is also his success.

“My personal mission statement is ‘to help students grow and mature in order to impact their world,’” Bowman states. “Everything that I have undertaken as a professor, a researcher and an author is focused on directly or indirectly accomplishing those goals over the past decades of my academic career. I feel really fortunate to work at a university where my own personal goals for my life so directly match the mission and raison d’être of the institution.”

A nationally recognized researcher in human behavior, Bowman uses his communication studies expertise in supporting and mentoring students, one of his favorite aspects of the job. With his friendly personality and even friendlier dog, Nala, who frequently visits campus, Bowman creates a welcoming environment for all students to discover what matters to them.

“I really want to help students to think outside themselves, considering their own values in order to make choices that increase justice in the world,” says Bowman.

It’s no surprise that students within the Honors Program build strong friendships with their peers. Living together in the Honors Living Learning Community provides extra support. Furthermore, the 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio in honors classes allows students to build strong relationships with their professors. This ability to connect has made an immense impact on Thomas Fuller, a second-year student majoring in marketing and minoring in both film studies and public relations. “When I   think of the USD Honors Program, I think of fulfillment,” he states. “The honors courses are challenging, but you’re with people who are going to help you throughout your time here at USD. All of the  advisors are amazing, the staff is amazing and my classmates are amazing.”

Emilie McClellan ’25, a recent graduate who majored in international relations, credits the Honors Program with challenging her to expand her view beyond the classroom and San Diego.

“The Honors Program has been a way for me to interact with professors, interact with different intersections of studies and academics in ways that I probably wouldn’t have gotten to if I had just taken a traditional route of education,” McClellan reflects.

Building on this sense of connection and support, Bowman envisions several new opportunities for the program moving forward. He hopes to grow the Honors Pre-Orientation Retreat program, to increase engagement with social teachings, along with developing international programs specifically for honors students so they can learn in varied environments.

Under Bowman’s leadership, the program is taking an even stronger student-first approach. As a graduate of an honors program himself, he understands firsthand the importance and impact of the tools provided to students.

“The program is driven by the values of the institution, including the desire to create community and to foster engagement and to facilitate the growth of the mind,” Bowman explains. “I can honestly look at each graduating student and see the ways that they have developed and grown as part of this intentionality.”

Grounded in curiosity and community, the Honors Program at USD is not just about academic achievement — it’s about finding your people and perhaps even your purpose. Bowman looks forward to the Honors Program continuing to encourage students to explore big questions and discover meaningful answers along the way.