Dear Spartan students, faculty and staff,
Welcome to the 2026 spring semester at Michigan State. I hope you’ve been able to relax and recharge over the holiday break as we return to the rhythms and routines of our scholarly community.
As you may recall, my welcome back message in August likened a new academic year to starting off on a journey or a long run. Enjoyment and success in a new challenge begins with mental preparedness and an open mind to what the road will bring — perhaps even discovering a different path from where you started. We’re now halfway through the academic year, and my wish for you as we return to classes or work is to build on the knowledge and other gains achieved in the first half of the year. Let’s finish strong, aiming to get the most out of the journey as possible.
I’m excited about the eventful semester ahead, particularly the opportunities to connect with many of you in the coming weeks. Several events this month will focus on our university’s 46th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration, including our annual Community Unity Dinner on Jan. 15. The university will be closed and classes paused on Jan. 19 to observe the federal MLK holiday.
A long-anticipated highlight of the semester for me is the inaugural event of our Presidential Speaker Series. I announced the series during my 2024 presidential investiture, conceiving it as a means to model respectful dialogue across differences — a set of skills and behaviors I believe our society very much needs. We will kick off the series on the evening of March 17 with a discussion panel featuring respected thinkers and doers focused on the role of higher education in civil discourse. We are encouraging students to attend and will share more information as the event draws nearer.
For now, I wish all our Spartan students, faculty and staff a successful spring semester.
Sincerely,
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D.
(pronounced GUS-ka-wits)
President
John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor
Department of Kinesiology