Dear Spartans and friends,
Congratulations all around are in order for the approximately 10,300 spring graduates of the class of 2025 and the university community that supported their academic journeys as undergraduate, graduate and professional students. This accomplished and dedicated group of scholars goes on to start their careers or continue their educations, bringing their energy, knowledge and dreams to communities across Michigan and around the world.
And thanks to the families and friends who joined our university and college ceremonies to celebrate our graduates as they move toward the next chapters in their lives. Thanks also to the speakers at these events who lent their wisdom and personal examples to our graduates. Those speaking at our three university-wide events included alums Mat Ishbia, CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage and a former Spartan basketball team member; Deirdre O’Brien, senior vice president of retail and people at Apple; and James Spaniolo, former MSU dean and University of Texas at Arlington president emeritus.
The excitement among our graduates was infectious as they took photos at The Spartan statue and other campus landmarks. It was also a thrill hosting graduates for our newly established annual tradition of climbing the stairs of Beaumont Tower and great fun spending part of an afternoon handing out ice cream treats to students and employees during finals week.
Spartan Bus Tour
With hardly a pause after the conclusion of another eventful semester, some 60 faculty and staff joined me for our Spartan Bus Tour of Detroit, which so many students and alums call home. Inaugurated with a swing around the central and western Lower Peninsula last fall, our bus tours are meant to deepen our knowledge of the communities we serve and explore new opportunities for engagement with them.
That’s exactly what we did during our 14 stops in the Detroit metropolitan area, and it was inspiring to see the many ways in which MSU and its partners uplift the region by supporting economic development, the arts, schools, health and environmental stewardship (see our recap video). The trip reaffirmed Michigan State’s commitment to Detroit, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our bond and build our future together.
It was a busy and informative couple of days, and we’re grateful for the hospitality of all our Detroit hosts. Now, we’re making plans for the fall leg of our bus tour, which will take us into Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula.
Institutional assessment
Last week, we announced an institutional assessment and responsive action that will be shaped by input from the relationship violence and sexual misconduct survivor community as well as experts in assault prevention, crisis response and institutional health.
It is our responsibility to acknowledge our history and seek opportunities for healing through our commitment to continuous improvement. With a newly appointed Collaborative Advisory Board, we aim to identify a firm to perform an institutional assessment of our culture, structure and policies. This process will recognize our progress in RVSM prevention, support, reporting and response and help identify best practices and areas for growth and improvement.
The Collaborative Advisory Board will seek input from the survivor community and stakeholders and develop goals for the assessment. It will also seek avenues for safe survivor engagement in the responsive action process once the assessment is complete.
Federal/financial update
I’ve discussed recent federal orders, actions and proposed budget cuts in prior community letters, and we continue to monitor and assess the status of our federal funding across multiple agencies and programs. Many millions of dollars are either already affected or at risk, together with the services we provide on the public’s behalf.
Impacted or potentially impacted programs include those from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Institutes of Health, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and the Department of Education, which administers student financial aid.
Additionally, some international students on our campus — with many more across the country — experienced cancellations of their visas or alteration of their federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS, listings. Those SEVIS entries have since been restored, and we continue to support international students directly through our Office for International Students and Scholars. We also joined 85 other institutions recently in submitting a legal brief to protect the ability of noncitizens to study at American universities and colleges.
Alongside other MSU leaders, I’ve been meeting with countless policymakers and their staffs to advocate for critical student support services and research programs. I also regularly engage with peer institutions and national higher education associations to strengthen our collective efforts. Those who wish to lend their voices can learn how to get involved at the Spartan Advocate web page. I also encourage you to visit our Research for You page, which highlights the many ways in which Spartan research makes life better. And in the Detroit News, I wrote an op-ed about how the partnership between the federal government and research universities like MSU drives innovation.
From the start of my tenure as president, it has been a top priority to comprehensively assess our financial challenges and ensure the university’s financial health. As I told our faculty and staff members in a recent message, these new financial impacts unfortunately compound existing university financial challenges that include balancing our budget. But we will do our best to support our employees over the next few months as we make necessary decisions for the long-term success of this university.
In closing
I am confident in our future as a passionately public university that transforms lives and advances knowledge. Every day, we see our impact and commitment to excellence reflected in our alums, like Daniella Bruce, the first female color analyst for the Detroit Red Wings who covers the Detroit Tigers too. We see it in the outstanding accomplishments of our world-class researchers and educators, with an announcement just this week of a new Guggenheim Fellow, Professor of Jazz Trombone Michael Dease in our College of Music. And we see it in how Spartans, partners and friends come together to strengthen the university.
On that note, I am deeply grateful to the MSU Research Foundation for designating $75 million to support our comprehensive campaign, Uncommon Will, Far Better World, and the funding will be allocated toward strategic research priorities showing promise for high impact discoveries. Building on our decades-long partnership, this investment underscores the foundation’s unwavering belief in our mission. And it affirms Michigan State’s role as one of the most societally impactful universities — fueling research, expanding opportunity and creating a far better world.
Sincerely,
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D.
President
Professor, Department of Kinesiology