Laurie Thorp, director of the Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment. Photo by G.L. Kohuth.

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The Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment, or RISE program offers Michigan State University students an opportunity to study environmental issues and earn a specialization in environmental studies.

And for RISE director Laurie Thorp and her staff, it’s imperative for them to help the students succeed.

“This is a big institution which has lots of wonderful things to offer, but it also can be overwhelming for students and they can get lost very easily,” Thorp said.

The program helps freshmen acclimate to their first year of college. RISE students live in Hubbard Hall, attend many of the same classes and have tutors available in the residence hall.

“We’re very much cognizant of the data that says if students are going to struggle, it’s going to happen the first semester that they’re here at MSU, transitioning from high school to college, and for some, it can be quite difficult,” Thorp said.

“We have a lot of pieces in place to help make sure that those students succeed that first semester here.”

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