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Remembrance of Things Past. Developing an Honors Oral History Fordham College at Rose Hill Honors Program. Prepared for the 2009 NCHC Conference October 30, 2009. Fordham College at Rose Hill Honors Program. Established in 1950 A developing program Currently 126 students in the program
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Remembrance of Things Past Developing an Honors Oral History Fordham College at Rose Hill Honors Program Prepared for the 2009 NCHC Conference October 30, 2009
Fordham College at Rose Hill Honors Program • Established in 1950 • A developing program • Currently 126 students in the program • Over 1,000 Alumni
Origins of the Oral History Project • A Half-Century of Honors: November 5, 2005 • Preserving memories from the earliest years
Initial Considerations • Focus on the earliest years of the program • History of the program itself • Student-driven process • Choosing the students: • Active in the Honors Program • Committed to the project • Would work well in an interview with alumni • Logistical Considerations • Summer: best time for research and interviews • Stipend • May wish to work with other departments for grants
Research Methods & Equipment • Acquaintance with form/structure of Oral Histories • Internet search/Library • Successful projects: Columbia University, Brigham Young, UC Berkeley, United Methodist Church • Other Oral History Projects at Fordham • Meeting with them to discuss strategies that work well at the University • Recording and Transcription Device Panasonic RR-930 Microcassette Transcriber
Researching the Honors Program • University Archives, including student newspapers • University histories/memoirs • Older Faculty who taught/participated in the program
Arranging the First Interviews • Beginning with faculty who taught/were students in the program • Other interviews with alumni who expressed interest at alumni events • Development office – source of additional names and contact information • Topics for discussion • Targeted from research • Send interview topics/questions out beforehand • Letter from the director
The Interview • Important to be familiar with: • Equipment: that it works, and how to use it • Location: free of extraneous sounds or interruptions • Topics: familiarity/delegating to each interviewer • Alumni – field of study, life after graduation • Group picture, Tokens of the program • Networking (other interviews) • Refreshments
Continuation of the Project • Focus on the later stages of the program • Training of new group of student interviewers • Growing pool of alumni to be interviewed
Expected Results • Wonderful stories from alumni • Strong sense of tradition • Enhanced alumni relations
Unexpected Results, Part I • Revival of older traditions • Return of an Honors Alumni Newsletter • Reestablishing an Alumni Christmas Party • Younger alumni projects
Unexpected Results, Part II • Establishing new traditions: • Invitations to Honors events • Honors Reception at the Alumni Jubilee • Events Featuring Alumni: • Alumni Career Night • Alumni Lecture Series