Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University

About Lyman Briggs College
Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State UniversityThe Lyman Briggs College (LBC) at Michigan State University is a residential learning community devoted to studying the natural sciences and their impact on society. All under one roof, LBC encompasses physics, chemistry, biology, and computer laboratories; classrooms; faculty, administrative, and academic support staff offices; student residences; a dining hall; and a convenience store. With approximately 1500 students, LBC offers the benefits of a small, liberal arts college with the resources of a great research university.

Curious about the natural world around them, LBC's highly motivated students and faculty work together to learn what is known and explore what is new. Students select from six main concentrations with the College and twenty-six* coordinate majors from the College of Natural Science, ranging from astrophysics to zoology.

Who was Lyman Briggs
Lyman Briggs College is named after this distinguished scientist, administrator, and writer.

LBC Mission Statement

Lyman Briggs College bridges the sciences and humanities through
inter-disciplinary teaching and research,


• Sustaining an inclusive residential college environment within a major research university

• Fostering collaboration between students, faculty, and staff, to advance scholarship, teaching
  innovation, and community engagement

• Inspiring students to become lifelong learners, engaged citizens, and effective leaders


LBC Vision
I. Promote a culture and curriculum that advances the critical understanding of science and society.

What does this mean?

• We will foster a culture focused on making sense of scientific information and identifying connections within and across scientific topics.

• We will encourage and reward the attainment of knowledge and wisdom as opposed to data and information across disciplines.

Through what specific objectives will we realize the vision?

1. Our curriculum will provide a cumulative foundation of knowledge and methodologies that helps students develop a critical understanding of science and society.
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2. Our curriculum will require students to analyze hypotheses and conclusions about data from disparate sources, cultural contexts, and time periods.

3. We will incorporate the development of critical thinking skills as a fundamental goal of all LBC course offerings.
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4. We will continue to develop course offerings that increase technical scientific literacy and science process skills.
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5. We will help students recognize and appreciate the connections between concepts and content within and across courses and scientific disciplines.
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II. Increase the reach and depth of our intellectual inquiries.

What does this mean?

• We will actively pursue and nurture an intellectual environment that has no boundaries (institutional, disciplinary, geographic, methodological, nature of participants) and that results in the development of life-long habits and behavior related to learning and exploration of new ideas.

Through what specific objectives will we realize the vision?

1. We will value scholarship that spans traditional disciplinary boundaries as well as research that probes questions within a single discipline.
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2. We will support the scholarship of teaching and learning within LBC both to advance knowledge about best practices and to improve our own pedagogy.
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3. We will model the ideal of the teacher-scholar and engaged life-long learner.
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4. We will ensure that all students participate in an inquiry-based investigation by the time of their graduation.
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5. We will provide multi-disciplinary opportunities for research, reflection, and experiential learning that are integrated into and valued within the LBC academic program.
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6. We will engage a wide array of participants in broadening the intellectual experience of our students, faculty, and staff.

III. Integrate personal and social responsibility with daily activities and professional practice.

What does this mean?

• We will develop a cultural philosophy and environment that encourages and develops citizenship, service, and stewardship as a state of mind … a mode of routine behavior and principle.

Through what specific objectives will we realize the vision?

1. We will model and reward behaviors that further our culture of service and personal responsibility.

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2. We will celebrate achievements of faculty, staff, and students in a way that focuses on broader impact as well as individual accomplishment.

3. We will provide an integrated learning experience that includes theoretical and practical engagement with issues of service and personal responsibility.

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4. We will evaluate and incorporate existing models that support our culture of service and personal responsibility.
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5. We will proactively develop and communicate a broader understanding of society’s needs and the roles science can play in meeting them.
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IV. Reflect the diversity of the national population.

What does this mean?

• We will attract students having diverse backgrounds, including, but not limited to, ethnic, cultural, geographic, socio-economic, and educational backgrounds; improve retention and graduation rates of all students; and narrow achievement gaps between groups of students.

• We will increase access and improve opportunities to foster success of traditionally underrepresented student populations.

Through what specific objectives will we realize the vision?

1. We will increase the diversity of students enrolling in LBC and MSU through our outreach efforts.
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2. We will increase retention and inclusion of students from all backgrounds.
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3. We will provide an inclusive environment and appropriate accommodation for students with disabilities.
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4. We will increase the diversity of LBC staff and faculty.
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5. We will enhance awareness of diversity issues and appreciation of the importance of diversity in all activities of the entire LBC community.
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V. Foster internal and external partnerships to advance the mission of LBC.

What does this mean?

• We will capitalize on resources outside of LBC to help support our mission and goals.

Through what specific objectives will we realize the vision?

1. We will identify desired partnerships and will build strong relationships with those partners. Candidates include, but are not limited to, a) alumni, b) foundations, c) corporations, d) granting agencies, e) parents/families of students, f) academic think tanks, g) other universities, h) primary school districts, i) other MSU academic units, and j) MSU non-academic units (e.g., advancement, admissions, etc.)
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2. We will build a broad network of external expertise to assist LBC in reaching its academic (research and teaching) mission
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3. We will develop and execute communications strategies that keep the College connected to its alumni and friends.

4. We will develop strategies to increase our external financial support
VI. Be an international model for residential colleges within research universities.

What does this mean?

• We will sustain and build on our residential college mission to become a recognized leader within the MSU, national and global communities.

Through what specific objectives will we realize the vision?

1. We will identify and implement enhancements to our residential model.

2. We will foster innovation among the other residential colleges at MSU.

3. We will communicate our successes within MSU, nationally and internationally.

4. Our graduates will serve as ambassadors for the College.
35 East Holmes Hall
East Lansing, MI 48825-1107
Phone: 517-353-6480 or Contact Us.
Michigan State University
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