Dr. Norbert Schedler, professor of philosophy and founder of the Honors College, has been named a Distinguished Professor Emeritus.
He envisioned and created the Honors College in 1982 with the idea of developing a comprehensive program for gifted students. Since its inception, the Honors College has seen nearly 1,300 students complete its curriculum. More than 80 percent of Honors graduates pursued post-baccalaureate education.
Schedler was honored for his contributions to the university during a reception on April 19 hosted by the Honors College, the College of Liberal Arts and the Department of Philosophy and Religion.
Schedler came to UCA in 1976 as the chair of the Department of Philosophy. He has received national awards and distinctions for his scholarship and service to professional organizations.
“I don’t really know what to say about someone who is an institution and a state asset, but that’s what I consider Dr. Norb Schedler to be. He’s a visionary,” said President Tom Courtway. “He founded something that has become one of the great things of this university, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Dr. Rick Scott, the dean of the Honors College, said Schedler’s impact on the university is nothing less than a defining moment. He compared Schedler’s time at UCA as a chairotic moment, which indicates an instance of intense meaning that marks a before and an after.
“Dr. Schedler’s founding of the Honors College thirty years ago is a chairotic moment that transformed UCA,” Scott said. Ask his students. Ask anybody at UCA that knows the before and after. We have not been the same school since, and we are so much the better for it.”
Schedler said he is honored with the fact that he has received the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus.
“The joy of my life has been the strangers that I’ve met,” Schedler said. “My life has been so graced with unexpected things.” – Lisa Burnett
