Broad School News
New ‘residential option’ gives select group strong start
In fall 2006, 50 freshmen who have declared an interest in becoming business majors will participate in a new program designed to help make their academic goals a reality. The new one-year Broad Residential Option for Academic Distinction (BROAD), gives selected students an opportunity to live together in Shaw Hall, the dorm just west of the Broad Business Complex, while providing them with unique learning opportunities.
“The program is designed to integrate the learning and living aspects of college as a seamless experience, in order to promote collaborative learning among students who are pursuing similar academic and career interests,” says Peggy Lux, associate director of the Broad School’s Undergraduate Academic Services.
Intensive business experience
Students will participate in a one-credit Broad
Freshman Seminar, designed to provide them with
the opportunity to explore their interests, interact
with business and academic professionals and
build a foundation of basic skills and knowledge
while working in a small community of their peers.
They can also enroll in special reserved sections of
Writing and, when applicable, Integrative Studies
in Arts & Humanities.
In partnership with the Lear Corporation Career Services Center and Shaw Hall, special programming initiatives are being planned, including a fall welcome event, special dinners and presentations by business leaders, student leaders and alumni.
Given the convenient location of the program, participants will also have easy access to the services provided by Undergraduate Academic Services, the Lear Center, the Multicultural Business Program, the Business Communication Center and the Gast Business Library.
The road to being accepted
Like many business schools, the Broad School
allows students to take business classes only until
they have reached junior standing. They must then
apply for and be accepted into the college, which
is highly competitive: In order to be accepted for
one of the 1,050 available seats in the junior class
for the 2005-06 academic year, students needed
a minimum 3.1 in both pre-core classes and overall
to gain admittance; the average was a 3.5 GPA.
“Given how competitive our admissions process is, we wanted to be able to offer a program to prepare students more intensively, right from the first day they are on campus,” says Lux.
For academic year 2006-07, 550 potential participants were identified. Out of that group 50 BROAD freshmen who had the highest high school grade point averages were chosen. Of those students, 25 are men and 25 are women. Thirty-seven of the students are Michigan residents, six are from outof- state and seven are international students from Hong Kong, India, Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Tunisia.
Lux says MSU has had success with residential academic and living learning programs, such as Lyman Briggs and James Madison.
“Based on Michigan State University’s track record to date, and the response to the BROAD Freshman Program, we anticipate that it will be very successful and provide a unique opportunity for our incoming freshmen to start strong.”