School administration decides to fund honors program

Sam Tovmasian, Staff Writer

De Anza’s administration alongside DASB, will fund the honors program with a $25,000 budget for the 2014 to 2015 academic year.

Thirty-two percent of the budget funded by DASB is allocated for student assistants’ salary.

Mehrdad Khosravi, honors program coordinator, said he has “no doubt that honors will continue. The question is how it will be funded.”

While the funding of the program is uncertain for the 2015 to 2016 academic year, Khosravi remains optimistic.

He said he hopes to increase the number of full honors courses to create an environment better suited to honors students.

Currently, four-year universities do not recognize courses taken as honors. Universities will accept the course, but not as an honors course. Khosravi also hopes to change this. He hopes to formalize courses so students may have an official fulfillment next to each honors course on their transcripts when transferring.

“I think the program will be stronger now that it is funded by the administration,” said honors student Darya Chumakova, 19, math major. “It will be regarded differently by the four-year colleges, more legitimately.”

Khosravi said there will be 15 to 20 honors courses in English, math, economics, accounting, history, biology and humanities available soon.

Rowena Tomaneng, associate vice president of instruction, will oversee the allocation of the budget. Khosravi will organize and shape the program.

Students can be assured that the FHDA board strives to provide students an academically enriched environment.