Mission & Benefits

The mission of the Honors Program at Lake Superior State is to provide an important dimension of the University’s strong commitment to excellence in teaching and learning. The Honors Program seeks to create a community of scholars characterized by strong student and faculty interaction.

This community fosters an approach to education that incorporates

  • Qualities of self-directed learning,
  • Positive response to demanding work
  • An appreciation of knowledge for its own sake

Benefits

One of the most intriguing benefits of the Honors program is the availability of small seminar classes of 15-18 students. These classes facilitate strong student/faculty interactions, are interdisciplinary in focus, and incorporate experiential learning activities.

Additional benefits include:

  • The Honors Student Organization sponsors activities such as a Fall retreat on Lake Superior (Vermillion field station), dinner with a professor, movie nights, mentoring, Slendertag, Relay for Life, etc.
  • Honors students have opportunities to present at state, regional and national honors conferences.
  • Other benefits to Honors students include early scheduling of classes (on the first day of scheduling-same as seniors), advising from the Honors Director (in addition to regular academic advising), and the option of living in Ontario Hall (the “Honors house”).
  • Honors students receive a University Honors Degree upon graduation; all 18 Honors credits are noted as such on the student’s transcript.
  • Honors Program graduates receive an Honors stole to wear at commencement in recognition of their achievements.
  • After graduation, letters of recommendation from the Honors Program Director and Honors Council will help you gain fulfilling employment or admission into law, medical, or graduate school.

Message from the Director

The Honors Program is a unique program on a unique campus. We take motivated students, and, through our close work with them, we help those students to bring their own gifts to fruition. We require much of our students: academic focus, leadership, and conscientiousness. The Michigan Honors Association conference, the Fall retreat, and the Senior Thesis experience have become hallmarks of our Program in recent years. I look forward to our being joined by the future honors students, who will inherit our traditions and shape our future.

Dr. Jason Swedene