Honors Education at Research Universities (HERU) is a biennial gathering of honors leaders from top-tier research institutions across the country. HERU provides a dedicated space for sharing ideas, best practices, and scholarship focused on enriching the educational experiences of high-achieving students.
For many years, directors and deans of honors programs and colleges in the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), now known as the Big Ten Academic Alliance, met annually to collaborate on shared challenges and innovative practices. In 2008, prior to joining the Big Ten, the University of Maryland was invited to attend one of these meetings. Maryland’s participation was seen as highly valuable, prompting a new tradition: inviting a different peer institution to join each year.
This expanding circle of collaboration revealed a gap. While other conferences addressed elements of honors education, none were fully meeting the unique needs of Research 1 universities. HERU emerged to fill that space.
HERU was designed with intention. It is not a formal society with standing committees or complex administration. Instead, it follows a flexible, grassroots structure centered around a biennial conference.
Each conference is hosted by a different institution, which serves as chair of the planning committee. That committee includes representatives from the CIC and forms a subcommittee to select the next host. This "daisy-chain" model ensures that leadership rotates, and new ideas are welcomed, while maintaining continuity and connection to HERU’s roots.
Since its inception, HERU has continued to grow and evolve. Past and upcoming conferences include:
Each conference brings together honors professionals from across the nation to explore emerging trends, share research, and develop meaningful collaborations.
The founding committee envisioned HERU as more than just a conference. It was created to be a gathering place for thoughtful conversation, lasting professional relationships, and shared commitment to academic excellence. Its structure allows for organic growth and responsiveness to changing needs, without becoming restrictive or cumbersome.
In the end, HERU belongs to the community. It is shaped by those who attend, contribute, and carry forward its spirit of collaboration.
Thank you for your interest in Honors Education at Research Universities. We hope to see you at the HERU2026 conference.