The purpose of the Hicks Honors College is to foster the enlightenment, empowerment, and ennoblement of Honors students. It does so by facilitating the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and values that will inspire students to be effective life-long learners and critical thinkers; by giving students confidence to venture forth into and participate actively in communities beyond those with which they are most immediately conversant and comfortable; and finally by encouraging students to serve or contribute to those communities in lasting and tangible ways by putting their knowledge, skill, and values to meaningful use.