RISE Residential Program
The RISE Residential Program is for incoming freshmen who are interested in stewardship of our environment. The program offers students a close-knit community of learners with shared academic and career goals within the larger context of the university.
Students in the RISE Residential Program live together with other RISE students on designated RISE floors in Hubbard Hall. This togetherness fosters strong relationships among students with similar interests. Students often form study circles and assist each other with homework and other projects. RISE students also enroll together in special reserved sections of chemistry, math, writing, and biology.
RISE students participate in environmental stewardship field trips and activities with the program coordinator and resident mentors. Students get their feet wet and their hands dirty as they apply their knowledge to real life problems and projects.
Employment recruiters indicate that the strongest job candidates are those with real world experience in problem solving and teamwork. RISE students have engaged in projects such as:
- Conducting energy audits in the MSU resident halls to develop energy conservation strategies
- Lobbying state legislators to pass a bill prohibiting garbage from other states from entering Michigan
- Gardening with elementary school children to help youth understand our food system
- Analyzing records of groundwater wells to map contamination from a local Superfund toxic waste site
The RISE Residential Program provides students many unique opportunities while living and learning in a friendly community.