This year the College of Arts and Sciences begins a new tradition by moving the Arts and Sciences Honors Day awards from the end of April to the Friday before Commencement. The newly named College of Arts and Sciences Honors Ceremony will allow more families an opportunity to attend the celebration of outstanding academic achievement of graduating seniors. The ceremony will be held May 16 at 3:00 PM in the Ira Allen Chapel and a reception will follow in Billings.

Honors Day evolved from Founder's Day, which began in 1893 after the 1892 commencement speaker, John Ellsworth Goodrich, delivered the centennial oration in which he praised the "Life and Public Services of General Ira Allen," founder of the university. From this oration the annual Founder's Day on Allen's birthday, May 1, was born. For many years, the event was purely ceremonial and did not include awards to seniors for scholastic honors. It is believed that adding scholastic honors began in the late 1940s. The event was still called Founder's Day until 1960, when it was officially changed to Honors Day.