Want to know how things are going with your Paterno Fellows Program? Here are some numbers that suggest just how remarkable has been your student response to this challenging program:

Class of 2012: Our “pioneer group” of Fellows, the first cohort that we welcomed to take up the Paterno challenge, has now completed the sophomore year.  When this group arrived, we had just unveiled the program and so it wasn’t widely known.  Still, over 200 students entered the program as aspirants–and now 113 of them have qualified and been recognized as full fledged Fellows (as opposed to aspirants) and thus now belong to the Schreyer Honors College. They are also eligible for the many benefits available to Fellows.

I hope to arrange an event to recognize those 113 students for their accomplishments early in the school year. Thirteen of those students were in the honors college when they arrived, but they decided to become Paterno Fellows as well. Twenty-four qualified as Fellows after their freshman year.  Another 46 qualified after the third semester. And 30 were accepted after the sophomore year.  Congrats once again to those of you in this cohort–our 113-member “pioneer class” of Paterno Fellows!

[Incidentally, you might be asking what happened to the other hundred or so 2012 aspirants.  Answer: Some transferred to another College outside of Liberal Arts. (Remember, only Liberal Arts majors can be Paterno Fellows.)  Some decided to leave the program for one or another reason.  And some were unable to meet the requirements to keep a high GPA and  to take at least three honors courses each year.  But no one “failed”: even those who have not made it to full Fellow status have benefited from the honors courses they took and from the other experiences associated with the program.]

Class of 2013 : At this time last year, 379 freshmen took up the Paterno challenge. And now get this:  already 59 of you, after just one year, are officially accepted Fellows, recognized as such by membership in the Schreyer Honors College. While over a hundred in this group have left the program, almost 200 others (in addition to the 59 I mentioned) will be working this fall and spring semesters  to clear the last hurdles that separate “aspirant” from full Fellow. This group  is already achieving at a high level and in great numbers, and I’m looking forward to seeing your continuing accomplishments this year.

Class of 2014: That goes for the class of 2014 too–of this year’s freshman class, well over 400 (!) have taken up the Paterno challenge. These freshmen will be taking the required honors courses, working hard to achieve the expected GPA, and in other ways making the commitments that distinguish Paterno Fellows. (Over two dozen of them are already SHC students.) So I will be shocked if over 200 of this group are not Paterno Fellows two years from now. Best wishes for a great start when classes begin next week!

Any questions?