Peterson Welcomed as Honors Program Director

Photo provided by Janine Peterson

Janine Peterson celebrated her new role as director of the Marist College Honors Program by buying her one-year-old King Charles spaniel a red t-shirt with the writing “Marist Honors Program Mascot.”

Peterson has taught 12 honors seminars since she started as an English professor at Marist in 2007. All professors are invited to propose a seminar they believe students would enjoy.

“I always enjoyed one-on-one mentoring with students and seeing them get excited and curious about a topic,” Peterson said. “Being the honors director, I am able to facilitate that.”

Many of Peterson’s classes reflect her research on gender in medieval Europe, including a one-time seminar on witch hunts. She also partnered with one of the former Honors Programs directors, James Snyder, to build a medieval renaissance minor.

Now, as director, Peterson is looking to provide more opportunities for students who are curious about research outside of the Honors thesis, a three-credit research project conducted with a faculty member, and the Honors-by-Contract, a one-credit research project with a faculty member. 

Having taught classes of up to 100 students before coming to Marist, Peterson is adamant about capping honors seminars at 15 students to increase professor-student interaction. With around 450 students in the Honors Program, she is also looking to enhance the honors program by expanding and revamping the honors courses offered in Italy.

Peterson completed her dissertation in Italy, so she recognizes the research possibilities of studying abroad. The program used to offer more honors classes at Marist’s Italian branch campus, and with 40 honors students in Florence this fall, she wants to establish a standard honors seminar that students can take.

“We have 40 honors students in Florence right now, so we want to expand our honors classes offered,” Peterson said. “Working with students directly through a standard honors class is much better.”

Honors classes generally have a more distinct interactive element. Classes may involve working in the on-campus garden, a trip to New York City to see a play or visiting lecturers. 

For the spring, Peterson is excited to expand the classes offered. One class will be taught by Melissa Gaeke, director of Marist’s Center for Civic Engagement and Leadership, about changemakers in the local community. There will also be an environmental science-focused seminar that concentrates on the Alaskan coastline and involves weekend trips to the coast. Marist will host a supernatural research conference in the spring and, therefore, is offering a supernatural seminar on gothic tales of terror. 

Peterson is also looking to add to the living-learning environment aspect of the Honors Program. She notes that bigger schools have a designated honors dorm building, as opposed to just one floor, but that may lead to students feeling left out. To engage her students this fall, Peterson is planning an off-campus hike, a welcome-back taco celebration and to bring back the Honors Thanksgiving.

As director, Peterson hopes to clarify that although students are invited mainly into the honors program when accepted to Marist, students can still reach out to her to apply. Students are able to apply up until the fall of their sophomore year. An application comprises a letter of recommendation from a professor, meeting the GPA requirement and then the honors council will deliberate. 

“We have students who are curious beyond ‘I want to take this just so I can get a job or check a box,’” Peterson said. “This is the last time in your life that you get to take classes that really interest you for the love of learning.”