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The provost appointed the first dean for the University’s new Honors College.
On Aug. 15, UNM Provost Chaouki Abdallah appointed UNM economics professor Catherine Krause as interim dean of the Honors College until the University completes a national search for the position.
Krause is also the dean of University College.
In fall 2010, the Honors College Task Force looked to convert the University Honors Program into a college. Now, the University is in the process of opening a new Honors College, which aims to keep honors students in honors classes while in a degree-granting college.
“Dr. Krause’s name came up as a potential candidate for the position and I was pleased that she accepted to help in that capacity,” Abdallah said. “As we moved to implement the plan for the Honors College as a separate entity from University College, it was logical to ask Dr. Krause to step in as the dean for Honors College while we conduct a national search for the position.”
Abdallah said he chose Krause for the position because he was familiar with her work in University College, and her research and academic credentials. He said Krause has been working closely with Honors Program faculty members throughout the past year, and has contributed a lot of time and effort to the position.
“I have been very pleased with her performance and level of contributions to student retention and student success,” Abdallah said. “In my judgment, Dr. Krause has the temper, the values and the skills to lead the Honors College.”
Krause joined UNM in 1996 as an economics professor and has conducted research in areas such as public economics, economics behavior of children and economics of families. During the past 16 years, Krause has been an active faculty member, participating in economic research, assisting University College and teaching.
Krause said her priority as interim dean is integrating the core curriculum into honors classes, such as honors philosophy, in order to provide students with an opportunity to graduate on time with a major in honors and a minor in an area of the student’s interest.
Krause said she is concerned with the success of students who take honors classes because in the past, students enrolled in the Honors Program have often had delayed graduation rates due to the workload of extra honors courses. The six-year graduation rate for UNM students is about 44 percent.
Krause said she also hopes to hire new faculty members to fill the Honors College now that the college is its own entity.
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