<p>We just got back from the Honors Preview Day which was in the main a great success. DS and I flew out Nov 3 on the red eye from California, arriving in Birmingham the morning of Nov 4. Birmingham Airport has easy access car rental in the covered parking lot right across from baggage claim. Access to I-20 west is well signposted and about 5 minutes away. The drive to Tuscaloosa is straightforward and takes about an hour. </p>
<p>Dr Sharpe spoke first and came across as very knowledgeable about, and committed to, the Honors Program. He gave the audience a thorough overview of the program, lots of details of the opportunities available such as study abroad, and shared that a recruiter has recently been hired to source internships and employment opportunities for the students. Two honors college students followed Dr. Sharpe. They were both very articulate and were able to give a good account of their experiences at UA and the opportunities that were made available to them.</p>
<p>Next our group was split up and we were able to visit Ridgecrest Honors housing. We were impressed with the high standard of the facilities. The suites were compact but had everything needed and DS was particularly keen on having his own bedroom. The communal kitchens were spacious and clean, and the laundry with machines that text the user would be very useful. Other nice touches included the wall mounted monitors which displayed the weather and bus schedules, the volleyball and basketball courts, and the staffed reception desk which deals with security, problems, questions, and is even able to lend out a vacuum cleaner.</p>
<p>Lunch was next and we were escorted to Lakeside Dining. Lakeside is a large food court facility with multiple serving stations each with its own food selection. The food quality there is pretty standard for a cafeteria, not notably good but not terrible either.</p>
<p>Advising sessions followed lunch and honestly I thought this was the weakest part of the program. We were part of the College of Arts and Sciences group and within the group were students who were intending to major a number of different subjects. The adviser addressed us as a group and showed us the UA webpages for Environmental Science and Pre-Medical. He then showed everyone how to access the webpage to sign up for tutoring services if needed. Lastly he asked if we had any questions. Since he had made no mention of the major my son was intending to study I asked a couple of questions, one regarding the University Scholars program and the other about job placement data. Since the adviser was unable to answer either of these questions he referred me to alternate faculty members. I left feeling that the adviser didnt usually deal with programs such as University Scholars and didnt really know what was involved. </p>
<p>Last we took the walking tour with a student guide who was delightful. She had lots of information to share about the campus and student life. It was during this tour that we really began to appreciate what a walkable campus UA has despite being so big. Students living in Ridgecrest in particular have an easy walk to the quad where most of the instructional buildings are located. During the tour we saw lots of diverse, happy students including asian, middle eastern, white and african american walking through the quad in groups chatting and laughing. Overall it gave us a very good feeling about UA.</p>
<p>Outstanding issues for us include:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Are the opportunities and advising in the Honors College as good for subjects outside of business and STEM? </p></li>
<li><p>What is it like to live at UA without a car? Within the campus seems fine as the Crimson Ride works well, but the rest of Tuscaloosa might be a problem. There are few sidewalks that we saw and the bus routes seem few. Also, what is there to do in Tuscaloosa if you want to leave the campus? We saw the Strip but were wondering if there is a downtown or center of Tuscaloosa with things to do.</p></li>
</ol>