Among the hundreds of seniors graduating this year will be the first ever graduates of the Honors Institute. Started only four years ago with the Founders class, the Honors Institute’s membership has grown along with its determination to make an impact on the University.

As the years progress and the Institute gains momentum, members are becoming more eager to fulfill the mission statement of the Institute: “to provide an all-university home for challenging, interdisciplinary, undergraduate scholarly activities and opportunities available in and through the University.” Caleb Carlin, one of the graduates of the Honors Institute, owes much of his success in research to the opportunities provided by the organization. “In order to get into research, you’ve had to have done research. The biggest benefit [of the Institute] was the SURF program which really kicked off my research.” SURF is the acronym for Summer Undergraduate Research fellowship, one of the programs the Institute works closely with.

Other benefits enjoyed by Institute members include expanded library privileges, funding for research or travel and Honors classes. Another important benefit is the network of peers and faculty the Institute provided to its members. “It got me set up with a really good group of people,” said Carlin.

Although the Honors Institute provides many perks to its members, being accepted into the Institute and meeting with its requirements can be challenging. Applicants must complete an application which includes an essay and ACT scores must be a 30 or higher and SAT scores must be a 1980 or above. In order to graduate while being in the Institute, students must maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA and complete three contracts over the course of their four years at Tech. Contracts are personal research projects that can take twenty to twenty-five hours to complete.

Auriel Van Der Laar, a member of the Speakers Committee for the Institute, has high hopes for the organization’s future. “It gives a lot of opportunities to students and has the potential to give even more. The Institute can give students some great connections. Having that edge can be a good benefit.” The Speakers Committee provides speakers from Tech and other universities and organizations to enlighten the Institute and Michigan Tech as a whole. Next year the committee plans to bring in several speakers, some of which will be available for non-Honors students to enjoy.

Being a young organization, the Honors Institute is in some ways still trying to discover how to best serve its members and the University. Carlin had some wishes for the Institute’s future. “I’d like to see it fulfill its mission of providing and promoting educational opportunities rather than just being a fancy name.”
As new applicants are accepted and it gains standing on campus, the Honors Institute will continue to pursue its mission of fostering an environment for academic excellence.