The Honors College recognized 20 years of service Wednesday night from one of its finest professors and his “escape from administration.”
At least that’s what former Honors College Dean Billy Seay called it.
James Hardy has served as a professor in the college for 20 years and as an associate dean of the college for the past 10 years. He resigned from the position of associate dean at the beginning of the semester.
“Now he is returning to his true love – teaching and research,” Seay said.
The Honors Fellows and several honors professors hosted the celebration in honor of Hardy.
The celebration, a “surprise tea,” left Hardy frozen in shock when he entered the East Laville lobby to a room filled to the walls with Honors College students and professors.
“I had no idea,” Hardy said.
Hardy thought he was attending a weekly Honors College Tea where he was to deliver a lecture on professional athletics. Fliers promoting Hardy’s presentation circulated throughout the Honors Residential College and the French House throughout the past week.
But e-mails from the Honors Fellows and Advocates were sent to the students of the college informing them of the “secret surprise party.”
At the celebration, Edward Henderson, Honors College associate dean, honored Hardy with the title “Senior Honors Fellow,” which denotes him as senior faculty member in the college.
“Hardy will always tell you the purpose of a university is to educate the faculty,” Henderson said. “He has certainly educated us. I’ve listened to many of his lectures – I’ve never fallen asleep.”
Hardy is commonly seen by faculty and students as the “activist arm” of the college, said Bainard Cowan, Honors College and English professor.
“He knows it is important to nourish the intellectual life of the faculty,” he said. “Whether he lectures on the Platonic Philosophy, the joy of opera or baseball, you always learn something, and so does he.”
Almost every student whom Hardy has taught knows of his obsession with baseball. He has even written a book about it.
He also is known for his open door policy to students and his inspirational teaching style.
“He never makes students feel stupid, even when they’re wrong,” said Anita Byrne, a former Honors College student. “He is comforting and inspiring.”
In her remarks given at the reception, Byrne called Hardy the “quintessential academic.”
“He is wholly a student and wholly a teacher,” she said. “I am blessed to have known him.”
Some students, like Chris Broussard, a political science graduate student, think Hardy doesn’t often get the recognition he deserves.
“He’s just a pillar of this college,” Broussard said. “What he has done for this college and these students is amazing.”
Hardy was one of the first professors to be involved in the Honors College, Seay said.
When the University formed a committee to decide the direction of the college, Hardy was on it. He decided on the content of the core curriculum of the college and created new courses.
He has taught almost everything in the college, from Ancient Western civilization to constitutional law.
He teaches some of his classes this semester in the lobby of the Honors Residential Hall, East Laville – the students’ environment.
That’s typical of Hardy’s style, Byrne said.
“His office is a home for the students,” she said. “He is at the core of this college.”