Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Ongoing efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Honors College earned the college the unit award for Excellent Progress Toward Diversity Collaboration at the 2018 All-University Excellence in Diversity Awards.
Members of the Honors College community at Michigan State University value integrity, critical thought, and collaboration. We approach learning with an openness and inclusivity that encourages consideration of diverse perspectives. We aspire to excellence – challenging ourselves and crossing boundaries of disciplines, communities, and cultures as we innovate for tomorrow.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan Objectives
- Access
- The Honors College membership will match or exceed the MSU representation of students of color, international, low-income, and first-generations students.
- Retention
- We will provide support structures for underrepresented students to actively engage with the Honors College, leading to increased retention.
- Curriculum
- All Honors College community members are encouraged to demonstrate cultural awareness.
- Climate
- Our community fosters an environment in which every member feels a sense of belonging and support.
- Research
- We will increase the number of students of color, international students, low-income, and first-generation students who participate in undergraduate research.
Honors College Initiatives
MLK, Jr. Advancing Inclusion through Research Award is an effort to build the body of work authored by students that supports the MSU and MLK, Jr. ideals of inclusive excellence. Students from Honors College (all majors), James Madison College, Lyman Briggs College, and Residential College in the Arts and Humanities are eligible to apply for the Award.
The Academic Scholars Program is open to high-achieving, Pell Grant-eligible and first-generation college students. Members of the program are supported by additional academic, social, and career programming hosted by the ASP Advisory Council, a leadership group of current ASP-HC students. If you would like to contribute to the Academic Scholars Program, please click on the button:
The Diversity Research Showcase is an annual event that provides undergraduate students with the space to present their research or in-progress research on issues of diversity that advance inclusion with peers, faculty, and staff each January.
The First-Generation Community Initiative is a collection of efforts aimed at improving the experience and persistence of first-generation students in the Honors College and Michigan State University, including the First-Generation Honors Association and the Honors Navigators Peer Mentorship Program. The Honors College seeks to facilitate personal connections and build community among its first-generation students and current HC students, faculty, and staff, helping students to forge a network of resources that will positively impact student success from transition to graduation.
The First-Generation Honors Association (FGHA) is an Honors College leadership group that assists first-generation students in their transition to the Honors College/Academic Scholars Program & Michigan State University and fosters their continued success in college. FGHA is committed to building a sense of community among first-generation students on campus.
The Honors Navigators Peer Mentorship Program connects first-generation students, international students, and students of color with a peer mentor in the Honors College. Mentors help students succeed by sharing their personal stories & experiences, as well as challenging students to critically engage in their own experiences within & beyond the University.
The HC IMPACT Week of Service is a pre-matriculation service-learning experience during which 60 incoming first-year students engage with community organizations in the Greater Lansing area while learning about issues of social inequity and inequality.
The Honors Students of Color Coalition (HSOCC) is an Honors College leadership group aimed at supporting students of color in their transition to the Honors College/Academic Scholars Program and Michigan State University. HSOCC is committed to establishing community for students of color within & beyond the Honors College.
The Inclusive Excellence Strategic Committee works with the dean and staff of the Honors College to identify and implement strategies to encourage diversity, ensure equity, and foster a climate of inclusivity within the Honors College.
The International Scholars Advisory Board (ISAB) is an Honors College leadership group aimed at fostering academic and personal growth of international students in the Honors College.
MOSAIC is the College’s student organization that fosters multiculturalism and inclusion through programming and support of campus-wide diversity efforts.
The Mowbray Scholars Program honors the memory of Michigan State University’s first African-American graduate, Myrtle Craig Mowbray. The Mowbray Scholars Program, open by application to all students, includes in its mission the support of students of color in the Honors College who have demonstrated potential for leadership in promoting cross-cultural understanding and who will contribute to the intellectual and cultural enrichment of the Honors College because of their life experiences.
Thank you to those individuals and organizations who have provided financial support over the years to enable us to offer students opportunities for research and study abroad. If you would like to contribute to the Mowbray Scholarship program, please click on the button:
The Research Scholars Program focuses on underrepresented groups of students in research. This program includes students eligible for federal work study, students from urban high schools and students admitted to the Honors College through the campus-based admissions process.
Staff Roles/Liaisons
Academic Scholars Program: Erika Crews
First-Generation Honors Association: Erika Crews & Isabella Figueroa
Honors Navigators Peer Mentorship Program: Erika Crews & Sadiq Khan
Honors Students of Color Coalition: Erika Crews & Isabella Figueroa
International Initiatives: Dr. Kristin Janka
International Scholars Advisory Board: Sadiq Khan
MOSAIC: Dr. Bess German
Gender & Sexuality Campus Center Liaison: Dr. Bess German
Sexual Harassment Unit Liaison: Dr. Bess German
Additional MSU Resources
Career Services Network Affinity/Identity Resources
Student Services Building, Room 113
Phone: 517-355-9510
Email: CareerServices@csp.msu.edu
Counseling & Psychiatric Services
Olin Health Center, 3rd Floor
Phone: 517-355-8270
CAPS Contact Site
Gender & Sexuality Campus Center
Student Services Building, Room 302
Phone: 517-353-9520
Email: gscc@msu.edu
Migrant Student Services
Holden Hall, Room C249
Phone: 517-432-9900
MOSAIC: The Multicultural Unity Center
MSU Union, Room 226
Phone: 517-432-7153
Email: mosaic@msu.edu
Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions (OCAT)
Student Services Building, Room 339
Phone: 517-353-7745
Email: ocat@msu.edu
Office for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
408 West Circle Drive, Olds Hall Room 114
Phone: 517-353-4563
Email: inclusion@msu.edu
Office of Institutional Equity (OIE)
Olds Hall, Suite 5
Phone: 517-353-3922
Email: oie@msu.edu
Office for International Students & Scholars (OISS)
International Center, Room 105
Phone: 517-353-1720
Email: oiss@msu.edu
Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD)
Bessey Hall, Room 120
Phone: 517-884-7273
University Health and Wellbeing
Phone: 517-355-1855
Email: uhw@msu.edu
University Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Plan and Steering Committee