A new approach and course offerings in the MSU Department of Mathematics adds up to MSU student success. An essential component of undergraduate education is the development of the mathematical skills and knowledge that enable students to fully contribute to society and to succeed in their chosen professions. At Michigan State University (MSU), we believe …
The legacy of Martin Luther King and one of MSU’s core values, inclusion “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will …
In one brief sentence, Ralph W. Sockman summarizes the goal of an MSU undergraduate education – Spartans Will. “The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder.” – Ralph W. Sockman I recently ran across this quote from Ralph Sockman, who served as the host of the NBC radio program the National …
It is incumbent on all of us who work at MSU to make sure we create realistic pathways so that our students from all backgrounds can meet the learning objectives the faculty have established for MSU programs. At MSU, we believe that all students whom we admit have the ability to learn, persist, and graduate …
Advisors empower students to make life-altering decisions for themselves, armed with the best possible information. On Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 I had the opportunity to speak at the first annual MSU Advisor Recognition Ceremony. Advising is a unique academic role on campus: in this role, advisors need to carefully balance giving students accurate and realistic …
Improving student success requires each of us to change in ways that are difficult. One example is the need to encourage most students to take 14-16 credit hours per semester, and complete 30 credits by the end of their first year. As the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, I’ve had the privilege to speak with …
Heroes play a crucial role by showing us what we, individually and collectively, can accomplish and demonstrating that we can do great things despite long odds. Heroes play a crucial role by showing us what we, individually and collectively, can accomplish and demonstrating that we can do great things despite long odds. For many Americans …
A crucial marker of the success of a university is the academic standing of freshman students after the end of the first semester. Perhaps no stage of the college career is more critical to the success of traditional undergraduate students than the first year of college. Students arrive from high school having, for the most …
The post-election situation for many people, including many students on our campus, presents a conundrum: a complex situation which for many feels like, and in some cases has been, a real threat. In his book Thinking, Fast and Slow the Nobel prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman describes two “systems” that the human brain uses in understanding …