What is the Green & White Council?
The Green and White Council includes some of Michigan’s foremost business, industry and civic leaders coming together to champion bold initiatives that amplify MSU’s role as Michigan’s state university and address the state’s biggest challenges.
Harnessing MSU’s distinctive assets and the unparalleled expertise of its members while focusing on what matters most for Michigan, the Council will:
- Develop talent for in-demand jobs across the state and equip Spartans with the skills of the future.
- Connect Spartans to great companies and careers in Michigan.
- Leverage MSU’s cutting-edge research and intellectual property to propel Michigan’s economy.
The Council helps align education, research, and industry by identifying current workforce needs, anticipating future skills, and guiding initiatives that prepare Spartans for a rapidly evolving economy.
Who are the members of the Green & White Council?
The Green and White Council comprises more than a dozen prominent leaders, including representatives from Assembly Ventures, Bedrock Detroit, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Carhartt, Dart Container, Ernest & Young, ITC Holdings, the Michigan Agri-Business Association, and OpTech, reflecting a cross-section of industries driving today’s economy.
A complete membership list is available on the Council’s website.
What are the transformative initiatives identified by the Council?
The Council’s work is organized around three transformative initiatives that better align education, research, and industry:
- AI-Ready Spartans
- Builds digital competencies across the undergraduate experience by prioritizing AI through an industry-backed, employer-informed approach, ensuring every graduate can use AI effectively and responsibly.
- Includes the development of a new foundational AI in Industry course, designed to introduce students to how AI is used across key sectors and expose students to solve real-world applications.
- Launches industry-specific AI certificates that leverage and map existing and under-development AI-related courses across disciplines in areas such as health care, advanced manufacturing, and other high-impact fields, allowing students to deepen their expertise in contexts aligned with workforce needs.
Offers immersive hands-on experiences throughout the year where students learn collaboratively to design AI-enabled solutions to real-world challenges faced by a variety of industries.
- Career-Connected Spartans
- Expands access to career exploration and real-world experiences at scale, building skills, confidence, and clarity for workforce entry.
- Establishes a university-wide framework connecting applied learning with internships, externships, and employer-connected projects.
- Encourages students to complete at least two high-impact experiences during their time at MSU.
- Creates the Spartan Experience Record to help students document learning and communicate career readiness to employers.
- Spartan Catalyst
- Accelerates collaboration between MSU researchers and industry partners to translate discovery into innovation and economic impact.
- Leverages MSU’s innovation ecosystem, including the MSU Innovation Center, Spartan Innovations, Red Cedar Ventures, and the MSU Research Foundation.
- Initial focus area advances smart, resilient supply chain networks by integrating AI, analytics, and sustainability, with early collaborations modeling how industry and researchers can work together to strengthen competitiveness.
When will MSU launch the transformative initiatives?
The process of incorporating the initiatives is underway. Efforts will be integrated across colleges and units at MSU, with continued implementation and expansion supported by philanthropic investment.
How is the work of the Council supported?
The Council benefits from an initial $5 million gift from a Michigan State University alumnus for programmatic support of the initiatives. The Council anticipates additional philanthropic investments to expand opportunities for students and partners nationwide.
How does the Council support Spartan graduates?
The Council is focused on supporting the long-term success of Spartan graduates through their three transformative initiatives:
- AI-Ready Spartans: Builds digital competencies across the undergraduate experience by prioritizing AI through an industry-backed, employer-informed approach, ensuring every graduate can use AI effectively and responsibly.
- Career-Connected Spartans: Ensures every undergraduate gains access to career exploration and real-world experiences, building the skills, confidence, and clarity needed to launch successfully into the workforce.
- Spartan Catalyst: Accelerates collaboration between MSU researchers and industry to translate discovery into innovation and economic impact by tackling their most pressing challenges.
How can my organization get involved?
Visit the Green and White Council website and complete the “Get Involved” form to connect with MSU about partnership opportunities or student engagement.