College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Bailey Scholars Program

Want to know more about the Bailey Scholars Program? Check out our 2019-2020 annual report to learn more about Bailey!

What is the Bailey Scholars Program (BSP)?

At its core, BSP is a learning community where each student, graduate and faculty fellow design their own learning journey and achieve whole person development.  In this program, community members work towards fulfilling personal, professional, and academic goals. There are two facets of the Bailey Scholars Program:  the Minor in Leadership in Integrated Learning and the Bailey community.

Earning the Minor in Leadership in Integrated Learning

Every scholar's learning experience (courses and topics) are different. The Learning Vision Statement (LVS) is the foundation of a BSP experience. Each BSP Scholar creates their LVS, which reflects their personal, professional, and academic goals and their learning interests.  The LVS will be revisited each semester with the Learning Coordinator.

There are nine credits of BSP core courses that provide undergraduate scholars the opportunity to explore interests and connect their academic disciplines with 21st century skills. With a faculty and a graduate student convener, each semester the classes decide what they are going to learn, how they are going to learn it, and how they will assess their learning.

The other nine credits of electives (Middle 9s) are used to customize each scholar's learning experience.  The purpose of the M9s are to enable students to further their learning goals as identified in their LVS.  Course can be from any department in the university and can be classes students already need for their major degree. The only criteria are that the courses help to achieve stated LVS goals.  Once students have completed their M9's, they share their learning experiences with the BSP community, via a community lunch or Bailey Daily article.

During a student’s final year at MSU, they present their Learning Journeys to the rest of the community. This is a capstone experience in the BSP typically provides evidence and reflection of their time in the BSP and at MSU.

Co-Curricular Activities

Co-Curricular Activities are valuable not-for-credit life experiences. These activities happen outside of the traditional classroom and are an integral part of a scholar’s minor of study. Examples of co-curricular activities may include an internship, volunteer experience, conference, or leadership positions.

Bailey Community

As a member of the Bailey Scholars Program, students have 24/7 access to Justin Morrill Hall of Agriculture, the BSP community space, and classroom.  They are free to study, nap, use the technology or kitchen area, or just stop by for a visit.

There are frequent Community Lunches where members hear from guest speakers, listen to presentations from fellow scholars, or discuss important issues.

Financial scholarships are available exclusively to Bailey students for study away experiences. Additionally, each undergraduate may also apply for an annual Learning Allowance to support their goals as set forth in their Learning Vision Statements.

To learn more about all the ways students can become involved in the Bailey community, visit "Get Connected".

The Bailey Declaration

The Bailey Scholars Program seeks to be a community of scholars dedicated to lifelong learning. All members of the community work toward providing a respectful, trusting environment where we acknowledge our interdependence and encourage personal growth.

Bailey Principles

INDIVIDUAL SCHOLARS:

We welcome, value, learn from, and rely on diverse voices, stories, and experiences.
We cultivate exploration and creative thought.
We are radical thinkers who depend on self-reflection to deepen and stretch our learning.
We foster the holistic growth of the individual through, experience-centered, scholar-driven learning journeys.

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY:

We are a dynamic, diverse, learning community.
We rely on our interdisciplinarity for the cultivation of authentic learning experiences.
We foster relationships through dialogue and accountability within a larger community by remaining a small collective of scholars.
We employ democratic decision making to conceptualize knowledge.
We are all co-learners who share multiple roles and responsibilities to foster the learning process.

RADICAL INFLUENCE:

We are leaders and role models in the scholarship of student-centered, experiential learning.
We are intentional, critical, and reflective in our practices.
We question and challenge traditional power structures within and beyond the classroom.
We deliberately make space for diversity and individuality in learning.
We foster leaders in integrated learning.