The Honors College is celebrating 60 years of an academic community committed to rigor and excellence, with its anniversary this year. The college was approved in November 1956 and the first students in the college started the next fall, Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, dean of the Honors College, said.

Jackson-Elmoore said the college was started to have a space for students craving an academically rigorous schedule.

“There was a sense that there needed to be a place and space for students who wanted a challenge academically,” she said. “(Having the Honors College) acknowledged the fact there were talented individuals who broke down barriers. It also recognized that MSU was a top-notch program and (it) could recruit and maintain these students.”

Magoulick said the best part about being in the Honors College was the community. Magoulick, who is president of the Honors College Dean's Advisory Council and a double major in history with a minor in anthropology, said everyone has the same interest in learning.

“I always thought it was a really neat way to make this really big campus smaller and everyone is super friendly,” she said. “It’s just a really good way to get to know like-minded peers.”

Through the Honors College, Magoulick has been able to work in two different research settings. Those options have grown for students during the past six decades, Jackson-Elmoore said.

She said there has always been an effort to make the program better for students. They have added research opportunities for underclassmen, honors research options abroad, more student organizations, more intensive advising and more to provide more opportunities to honors students.

The key to all those additions was the idea of flexibility in learning options, Jackson-Elmoore said.

“One thing that stays consistent, the most important thing that they remember is the academic flexibility,” she said. “You can create a schedule that allows you to do the coursework that gives meaning to your own work.”

Jonelle Roth, the Honors College adviser for human resource management, agreed. She has worked with Honors College students in her classes who have taken the course material to a new level in creative ways. She said some do presentations, case analyses and even make games for projects.

“They have done either extensive research on a topic or found a creative way to engage the class,” Roth said. “I give them fairly free reign and I’m (unfailingly) pleasantly surprised. I think they do a great job.”

The thing that has stuck out the most throughout the Honors College’s tenure is its commitment to improvement, Magoulick said.

“I think what makes it so special is that the Honors College is always looking to grow and expand and be better,” Magoulick said. “Not only is it all these great things where they’re welcoming and they care about you and they afford you all these great opportunities, but they really want to know how they can be even better at all these things.”