The M. Eugene Sundt Professorship in the Conroy Honors College is designed to provide select faculty with support to develop and lead an innovative, interdisciplinary, and experientially-focused seminar outside the traditional curriculum. 

This 1-2 year Professorship has two components: the Sundt Honors Professorship and the Sundt Honors Seminar. This opportunity is open to full-time, tenured, NMSU faculty available to teach in Spring 2024.

Structure of Professorship: The 2023-24 Sundt Honors Professor will receive a salary increment of $5000 for course development and planning. A budget of up to $10,000 may also then be used to help finance the experientially-focused Sundt Honors Seminar to be taught in Spring 2024. The opportunity to lead the seminar a second year may be possible, but the salary supplement does not continue.

Sundt Honors Seminar Guidelines: The Sundt Honors Seminars aims to foster student engagement by offering intensive learning opportunities both inside and outside the traditional classroom. The Seminar may include a travel experience related to the seminar topic, hosting of outside specialists, or other unique experiential activities. The course must be structured to satisfy the Viewing the Wider World requirement with an interdisciplinary perspective on an issue that will enhance students’ global perspectives.

Funding for course experiences may go toward paying the costs of student travel, course supplies, hosting guests, or other activities permitted by NMSU policies; however, major equipment purchases or GA support is not permitted from this fund. Up to 15 students will be selected from applications by Honors-eligible students. The students in the class will be designated Sundt Honors Scholars for that semester.

Application Format 

The Sundt Honors Professorship selection committee is appointed by the Honors Dean and will review both a personal statement and seminar proposal. Because the Sundt professor has 6+ months to prepare for the seminar, the proposal can beconceptual in nature, while providing evidence of thoughtful and realistic pre-planning.

Personal Statement (one page, single spaced)

1. Name, Academic Rank/Title, and Department

2. A statement explaining why the applicant is interested in being named the Sundt Honors Professor

3. Evidence confirming a commitment to teaching excellence including an example of engaging with students in an active teaching mode

4. A statement confirming availability to teach the seminar in Spring 2024 and verifying that the applicant has their Department Head’s support to do so.

Seminar Proposal

1. Course title

2. A brief (100 words or less) description of the course that represents the kind of summary that might be used for announcements and student recruitment

3. A more comprehensive summary of the planned content explaining both the course learning goals and the nature of active learning/experiential components of the class (not to exceed 500 words)

4. An outline of the experiential components of the class (e.g., travel, lab, community engagement, guest speakers) with estimates of funds required including a final estimate of the total cost per student.

Additional Attachments

• Current CV is required
• Additional materials in support of the proposal may be included

Complete applications should be compiled in a single Word or PDF file and submitted to Dean Camarena by May 1st at 5:00 pm.