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Representing a cross-section of the DHC’s student body, the Council supports honors engagement and advises Dean Nichols with the students’ perspective on honors issues and activities.

Serve on the front lines of student recruitment and engagement efforts for the DHC. Ambassadors correspond with and host visiting students and their families and represent the DHC at a wide range of UM recruitment events. Ambassador applications open in the spring for service in the following year.

A club for all honors students with a strong focus on service and social activities. HSA’s big fall event is Trick or Treat so Missoula Eats, which is also integrated as a service project in our Introduction to Honors course. For more information, contact HSA Presidents Jaxon Caufield (jaxon.caufield@umontana.edu) and Sebastian Driver (sebastian.driver@umontana.edu).

Learning Assistants (LA’s) are integrated into many DHC courses, including Introduction to Honors and Ways of Knowing, where they work to engage students in active learning and community building strategies. LA’s enroll in a College of Education seminar, and may count the experience as fulfilling a DHC experiential learning requirement.

Current DHC students volunteer as mentors for new students who want an extra resource person and friend to help them with their transition to college life, professional networking, and more.

Learn more about the

Located in the newly renovated Knowles Hall, the Honors LLC provides an opportunity to live in proximity to other honors students. Resident Advisors on honors floors are DHC students, and the LLC regularly participates in a wide range of honors-oriented activities.

DHC students are active in honors education at the regional and national levels. The National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) conference is held in the fall each year and the Western Regional Honors Council (WRHC) conference is held in spring. WRHC publishes Scribendi a regional literary/creative scholarship magazine that accepts submissions each fall. The ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú hosted the WRHC conference March 30-April 1, 2023. 

Founded and directed by former post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Holly Riley, ‘Roots’ is an ASUM-recognized student organization which performs American Roots music at events throughout the campus and Missoula community. Open to students of all majors and levels of musical training!

The following Honor Societies for students of all majors are hosted and endorsed by the ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú. Those honors programs are:

• Alpha Lambda Delta
• Golden Key
• Mortar Board
• Phi Kappa Phi

In addition, there are many reputable Honor Societies at UM that are specific to a single academic discipline, such as Lambda Pi Eta (Communication Studies) and Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science). We would certainly encourage you to consider joining such an Honor Society if you are invited.

If you are invited to join an Honor Society that is not listed above, we advise you to consult the website of the  (ACHS). ACHS publishes a set of guidelines, "" In general, you should only consider joining an Honor Society if you receive the invitation from a reputable source whose identity you can verify, such as a local UM chapter officer or advisor. 

A ‘coming together’ of the DHC community at the beginning of fall semester, convocation includes bingo, treats, time to connect with faculty, staff, students, and opportunities.

Join Dean Nichols and the DHC team for these monthly morning gatherings in the lounge. 

Dr. Hardy and Dean Nichols (aka Bruce and Tim) hike with students at 6:30 AM most Fridays during the semester. Watch the DHC’s weekly e-newsletter, the Need-to-Know, and social media for the site and directions to the trailhead. Hikes (which are sometimes more like strolls) are approximately 1.5 hours and everyone’s welcome.

A welcome event for the DHC family hosted by the DHC’s External Advisory Council. All new and returning students are welcome!

Each year the DHC partners with the ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú Osher Lifelong Institute for an intergenerational book club focused on the Griz Read. This year’s text is Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven. Book club meetings are set in September each semester. Book Clubbers also attend St. John Mandel’s Presidential Lecture in October.

Share tea and themed conversation with Dean Nichols and the honors community at these informal monthly events. 

Once a month, Andy Josten, Student Success Coordinator, hosts Trivia Night in the DHC Lounge. Team up with your friends and compete to see who has the most random knowledge. Categories change each month as do the prizes. Last place team gets to pick a category for the next game!

Come share your talents with your honors friends – read a poem, sing a song, perform a skit, or just enjoy being part of the audience. These are always fun evenings, everyone’s welcome, and snacks are provided. 

Our very own DHC ‘Friendsgiving’ held the Monday before Thanksgiving, it’s a time of gratitude and feasting for the honors community.

A February event highlighting exemplary work from students in previous semester’s Introduction to Honors course.

Held in March, the Evening of Excellence celebrates the individual and collective achievements of DHC students, faculty, and friends.

The ÁÔÆæÖØ¿Ú is one of the top-tier research and academic institutions in the world, and research and creative scholarship are integral to the undergraduate experience. The UM Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR) is an opportunity for undergraduates from all disciplines to present on their research and scholarship to a larger, interdisciplinary audience. It also offers the campus and wider Missoula community a chance to discuss and celebrate UM’s legacy of excellence in research. Every April, nearly 100 Honors students present their capstone projects and other research at UMCUR.

The DHC’s signature event for graduating seniors and their families is held on the eve of Commencement each semester. University Scholars are presented with DHC medallions signifying their successful completion of honors requirements. Faculty contributing to students’ success are also recognized.