Austin Peay State University launches Honors College to champion high-achieving students

By: Ethan Steinquest August 26, 2026

APSU’s Honors College brings together five distinct programs under one roof to challenge, connect, and prepare motivated students for a life of purpose. | Photo by Taylor Sengstack

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Austin Peay State University has launched a new Honors College, bringing the institution’s high-impact learning programs together to strengthen recruitment, support, preparation, and celebration of high-achieving students.

The college houses the Honors Program and the President’s Emerging Leaders Program (PELP), alongside three offices dedicated to hands-on learning: the Office of Global Education and Competitive Fellowships, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovative Learning, and the newly created Office of Community-Engaged Learning.

"The Honors College reflects Austin Peay's belief that ambitious students deserve opportunities that challenge, inspire and prepare them to achieve at the highest levels,” said Dr. Mike Licari, APSU president. “By bringing together distinctive opportunities for learning and leadership, we are creating a stronger foundation for student success and further distinguishing APSU as a place where talented students thrive."

Uniting these areas also positions the Honors College to grow them over time, from additional funding for study abroad scholarships to expanded research mentorship and service-learning support.

“We created the Honors College to make high-impact learning a connected and intentional part of the honors student experience, rather than a collection of separate opportunities students have to find on their own,” said Dr. Mitch Cordova, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “By bringing these programs and offices together under one academic home, we can help students connect these experiences in ways that are truly transformative. At the same time, this model allows Austin Peay to better coordinate our resources, strengthen collaboration across the university, and build distinctive educational experiences that can grow in both reach and impact.”

Dr. Tony Morris

Leading that effort is Dr. Tony Morris, who became the Honors College’s interim dean when it launched on Aug. 1.

“Our main goal is to increase APSU’s visibility as a school of choice for high-achieving students to attend,” Morris said. “We want to make sure our success is outward-facing and that we’re doing everything we can to serve ambitious scholars on campus.”

Each of the Honors College’s programs and offices gives students a different way to build experience beyond a traditional classroom setting:

• The Honors Program offers motivated students a rigorous curriculum of honors-designated courses with close faculty interaction and the option of a senior thesis. Students also receive priority registration and 24/7 access to the Honors Commons.

• The President's Emerging Leaders Program (PELP), directed by Dr. Tracy Nichols, selects 20 incoming freshmen each year for four years of leadership training, mentorship, and community service, backed by a renewable $3,000 annual scholarship.

• The Office of Global Education and Competitive Fellowships, directed by Dr. Dan Shea, oversees study abroad, study away, and faculty and student exchange programs, along with Washington Center internships. It also helps students compete for prestigious awards such as Fulbright and Goldwater scholarships through workshops, individualized advising, and faculty mentoring networks.

• The Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovative Learning, directed by Dr. Frank Ferdik, leads undergraduate research initiatives and coordinates internships, externships, and cooperative education experiences that connect students’ academic interests with professional pathways. This year, the office is launching a new program dedicated to pairing students interested in undergraduate research with faculty mentors.

• The Office of Community-Engaged Learning, directed by Dr. Tracy Nichols, is a new office developing service-learning and community-engaged learning opportunities that connect students with the needs of campus, Clarksville-Montgomery County, and the surrounding region. It also serves as a liaison for related engagement efforts across the university, and tracks student engagement in high-impact practices to support continuous improvement of Honors College programming.

"These high-impact practices are career readiness," Morris said. "We're targeting high-achieving students to come to APSU, but we're also making sure they're career ready when they leave — that they've built skills they can put on a resume and use in a job interview."

During the college's first year, Morris plans to integrate the honors curriculum into the university bulletin, including new honors certificates that will make the program easier for students and advisors to navigate.

Another priority of the Honors College is to grow the Faculty Fellows program from four members to six, providing more opportunities for honors students to engage with the faculty across all of the university’s academic colleges.

The Honors Commons — a combined study and social space — will also remain central to the college. Already a hub for honors students, the Commons will further strengthen their community and make it more inviting for faculty and staff to visit this fall — whether to support student research presentations or attend events.

"What's great about the Honors Commons is we have both study and social spaces," Morris said. "Having these students together in one space helps facilitate great conversations, academically and socially."

A national search for the college’s inaugural dean will begin this academic year, with the new dean expected to start on July 1, 2027. For more information about the Honors College, visit apsu.edu/honors-college.