Dear Spartans and friends,
We’re off and running with a new semester, gaining momentum in areas from institutional initiatives to our sports teams. Many of us gathered this month at campus and community events to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including our annual MLK Commemorative March (moved indoors due to the weather) and our Community Unity Dinner.
Federal executive orders
Our commitment to making this an inclusive university where every member can feel safe, welcome and supported is unshakable. We can only fulfill our mission and reach our full potential by embracing all of our lived experiences and perspectives. In response to recent federal actions impacting vital elements of our mission, I’ve appointed several Rapid Response Teams to analyze the new executive orders and suggest potential actions.
These university experts are focused on campus life, international students and scholars, research, teaching, and finance and tax policy. I joined Board of Trustees Chair Kelly Tebay and Interim Provost Jeitschko Friday in updating our campus community and will continue to keep the university community apprised as new information and guidance become available.
Meanwhile, we are closely studying the impact of the White House’s call for a broad pause in federally funded activities. Although blocked by a federal court and now reportedly rescinded by the administration, such a freeze would significantly disrupt our research and innovation work. Governmental agency funding is a major component of the nation’s medical, energy and other vital research.
Safe and inclusive campus
Our commitment to our university community also includes our ongoing work to prevent and respond to relationship violence and sexual misconduct. Our Prevention, Outreach and Education Department reported that more than 42,500 students and nearly 7,500 employees underwent required training in this area last year, and about 10,200 Spartans took part in additional training opportunities. This and other vital areas that define our culture will be represented in our third Know More Campus Survey, which will open to students, faculty and staff members after spring break. I urge campus community members to look for it and consider participating. In addition, we continue to work with relevant stakeholder groups, including survivors, around additional institutional assessments and improvements. More information on those efforts will be shared soon.
Maintaining momentum
This week, I joined Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko for a University Innovation Alliance, or UIA, leadership retreat with colleagues from around the country. Michigan State was a founding member of the UIA, which is dedicated to sharing best practices around our work supporting our students’ success. I’m a member of the group’s executive board, and it’s great to see MSU recognized among peers as a powerful agent of change in student success and experiential education initiatives aimed at improving career readiness for our students. We are proud to have earned a top 10 place among public universities for “employability of graduates,” and we intend to maintain that ranking!
With an impressive range of medical education, research and clinical care programs and partnerships, I’m continuing to work with our Health Sciences Council to develop and align our vision across the university. I recently hosted several Michigan health care leaders at Cowles House and received positive input on how MSU can be an even greater force for addressing the challenges facing our state and society. It reminds me of the impact Michigan State has not just regionally but across the state and nation in preparing health care providers for an ever-changing landscape and applying new technologies such as artificial intelligence to everything from drug discovery to patient care.
I also had a chance to discuss some of that and other aspects of Michigan State’s innovation agenda with my counterparts from the University of Michigan and Wayne State University last week on a discussion panel at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual Policy Conference. Together, our three institutions comprise Michigan’s University Research Corridor, and it’s always great to join my colleagues to talk about how we can be an even more impactful talent activator driving Michigan forward by working as one team.
Spartan medalists
Speaking of powerful teams, we recently celebrated some very special recognitions for Spartans. MSU Research Foundation Professor Teresa Woodruff became the first Spartan to be honored with the National Medal of Science award. Her research focuses on female reproductive health, molecular science and cancer and has innovated a new field of medicine — oncofertility, which combines oncology and reproductive health. She is among the few recipients of two such recognitions, having also been honored by President Barack Obama in 2011 with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring for her work with hundreds of students throughout her eventful career.
She joined Michigan State as our provost in 2020 and served as interim president from 2022-24, and we are fortunate to have such an outstanding scientist, leader and humanitarian at Michigan State!
And to his five NBA championships, Olympic gold medal and 1979 NCAA championship with the Spartans, Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson added a Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor. In addition to his achievements on the court, Johnson was honored for his business success, his philanthropy to underserved communities and his honesty and stigma-shattering advocacy around HIV. An MVP on and off the court, Magic continues to make Spartans and the Lansing community proud.
Ethics Week
Achievements such as these are built on strong ethical foundations. One of the university initiatives I announced at my presidential investiture in September was the MSU Ethics Institute, which we envision creating this year as a global hub for ethical thinking and decision-making. It will evaluate and address institutional ethics and practices beyond the classroom through research, study, pedagogy and the advancement of community-engaged activities.
Michigan State’s annual ethics symposia have helped lay a strong foundation for our institute, and this year’s Ethics Week activities from Feb. 17-21 encourage engagement of our students, faculty and staff with contemporary moral challenges. Each day will explore a different issue, including artificial intelligence and freedom of speech, and I encourage members of our campus community to attend one or more of the week’s special events.
Feb. 13 commemoration
This month, we near the second-year mark of the violence our campus experienced Feb. 13, 2023, which I know can continue to affect members of our campus community in different ways. I want to remind our students and employees about the supportive resources we’ve put in place as we remember those students we lost, those injured and all those impacted.
A committee of students, staff and faculty is working with our Office for Resource and Support Coordination to plan this year’s commemoration, which will include a day of service and supportive gathering areas across campus. Most classes won’t meet on Feb. 13 and will resume on Feb. 14. The university will remain open, including dining halls, mental health support services, recreational sports facilities and CATA transportation. See the Spartans Together website for more. Updates will be emailed to the campus community early next month.
Remember, too, that the arts provide healthy outlets for personal expression, reflection and healing, and our campus offers many such opportunities. The “Reclaiming Space” exhibition at the MSU Union Gallery and another collaborative project at the MSU Broad Art Museum,“Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism,” provide such spaces leading up to Feb. 13.
More notable dates
I want to acknowledge a milestone that arrives next month with the 170th anniversary of the university’s founding on Feb. 12, 1855. Over the generations and through times of joy and sorrow, we have faced challenges together as Spartans, making the world a better place through our uncommon will to make a difference.
And one more anniversary of note: Statehood Day in Michigan, Jan. 26, celebrated the official creation of the state in 1837. Nearly two-thirds of our graduates starting their careers stay in Michigan, supporting critical industries including manufacturing, financial services and health care. I’m proud of the university’s work to advance the state’s economy, environment and quality of life. Here’s a glance at some of our impacts in regions around the state. We are proudly Michigan’s state university!
Go Green!
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D.
(pronounced GUS-ka-wits)
President
Professor, Department of Kinesiology