From now until the end of 2017, the Honors College at Michigan State University, one of the oldest honors programs at large public universities, is recognizing its 60th anniversary.
In 1956, the Academic Council, the Academic Senate and State Board of Agriculture (the official governing body of the university at the time) approved a proposal from the Committee on Instruction, Curriculum and Research to establish an Honors College.
Since its founding, the Honors College has been a pioneer in honors education, representing the breadth and depth of MSU. In fact, more than 600 faculty and staff from every college across campus engage with the Honors College by serving as departmental honors advisers, teaching honors courses and honors research seminars or mentoring students assigned as professorial assistants.
In addition, the academic profile of students entering the Honors College is on par with the academic profile of the entire entering class of several Ivy League schools and other high-profile private and public schools.
“Members of the Honors College excel in all aspects of life, whether it is doing exciting research and creative activities, tackling new career opportunities or volunteering in our respective communities,” said Dean Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore. “The MSU Honors community near and far is finding ways to make the world a better place.”
Some points of pride:
- Graduates of the Honors College have a 97 percent placement rate (work or graduate school).
- Throughout the past 10 years, 149 Honors Research Seminars have provided 1,451 first- and second-year students with the opportunity to do hands-on research alongside a faculty member.
- Students whose academic records place them in the top 1 percent of entering college freshmen nationwide are offered the opportunity to participate in the Honors College’s Professorial Assistantship program. Each year, approximately 200 students work with regular members of the teaching faculty on tasks directly related either to scholarly research or to innovative teaching.
- Honors College Dean Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore is editor-in-chief of Honors in Higher Education, the journal of HERU: Honors Education at Research Universities.
Faculty, students and alumni are encouraged to share their stories via the Honors College website and engage the community on social media using #msuhonors. In addition, the college will be hosting several events, in various locations, through mid-November 2017.