Tag: MSU

  • MSU Eliminates 99 Positions Amid $85 Million Budget Reduction Plan

    MSU Eliminates 99 Positions Amid $85 Million Budget Reduction Plan

    Michigan State University has cut 99 positions as part of a comprehensive cost-reduction strategy aimed at addressing mounting financial pressures, President Kevin Guskiewicz announced in a recent letter to campus stakeholders.

    The elimination of positions—spanning executive roles, support staff, faculty, and academic staff—represents the first phase of an $85 million budget reduction plan the institution unveiled in May. The cuts do not include non-renewed fixed-term appointments.

    The predominantly white institution in East Lansing is targeting a 6% spending reduction this fiscal year, totaling $50 million, with plans to cut an additional $35 million—or 3%—in the following fiscal year.

    Departments were directed to minimize personnel reductions during the initial year of cuts. Nearly two-thirds of this year’s $50 million reduction came from non-personnel expenses, including supplies and services, though layoffs proved unavoidable.

    Beyond internal budget constraints, federal funding cuts eliminated an additional 83 positions at the university. In late July, 94 MSU Extension staff members lost their positions following the discontinuation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed), which provided nutrition and physical activity programming to low-income families.

    Combined, the reductions have impacted 1.3% of MSU’s workforce since March 1.

    Guskiewicz attributed the budget crisis to multiple factors: double-digit increases in employee healthcare costs, federal funding reductions, and accumulated general fund deficits from previous years.

    The financial challenges persist despite MSU reporting its second-largest fall enrollment of 51,838 students and receiving a modest 2.1% increase in state appropriations, totaling approximately $333.8 million.

    “We have taken the first difficult and necessary steps to assure the university’s financial sustainability,” Guskiewicz wrote, thanking faculty and staff for their commitment to the institution’s mission.

    The university will launch its next budgeting cycle shortly, with request letters scheduled for early November and submissions due Jan. 23. Guskiewicz pledged to share additional information as the fiscal year concludes.

    MSU is providing outplacement services to eligible individuals affected by the cuts. The president acknowledged that some reductions continue to unfold through union and Human Resources processes.

    “I appreciate the compassion our teams are showing one another during this period, as well as your patience in understanding that we are trying to share information transparently and in a timely manner,” he stated.

    The university operates on a nearly $3.7 billion budget, with $1.7 billion allocated to the general fund.

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  • Michigan Governor Declines to Remove Two MSU Trustees

    Michigan Governor Declines to Remove Two MSU Trustees

    After more than a year of uncertainty, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer has decided not to remove two Michigan State University trustees as requested by the board, The Lansing State Journal reported.

    Michigan State’s Board of Trustees asked the Democratic governor to remove Rema Vassar and Dennis Denno last year after a university investigation found both trustees violated MSU’s code of conduct. The investigation determined that the pair had “created a fear of retaliation amongst administrators and other MSU personnel,” according to the report, which said they encouraged students to call a frequently critical faculty member a racist. Vassar also accepted gifts from donors, including flights and tickets to athletic events, the report said.

    (Vassar and Denno are currently facing a lawsuit from the professor they allegedly targeted.)

    The report also found the duo intended to “embarrass and terrify” former interim president Teresa Woodruff. The trustees have refuted most allegations and taken issue with the findings.

    Both trustees were stripped of their duties by the board and Vassar stepped down as chair.

    While Whitmer called Vassar and Denno’s actions “shameful,” she decided not to remove her fellow Democrats. (Trustees at Michigan State are elected, unlike at most institutions nationally.)

    “The denial of the request by no means indicates a condoning of the conduct alleged in the referral,” Whitmer’s deputy legal counsel Amy Lishinski wrote in a letter to the MSU board obtained by the newspaper. “Rather, it only means that other considerations related to the Governor’s removal authority weigh against removal under these circumstances at this time.”

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  • After Trump DEI order, MSU cancels Lunar New Year event

    After Trump DEI order, MSU cancels Lunar New Year event

    A college within Michigan State University canceled a lunch celebrating the Lunar New Year in part because of President Trump’s recent executive orders cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal government and elsewhere, the news site Bridge Michigan reported Thursday.

    The order, signed last week, doesn’t define DEI but calls on federal agencies to “combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities.” Colleges with endowments valued at $1 billion or more could be investigated for potentially violating the order, under the White House directive. Michigan State has a $4.4 billion endowment.

    A handful of colleges have taken down or reworked websites related to DEI since the order, while others have called off events. For instance, a conference at Rutgers University about registered apprenticeships and historically Black colleges and universities was canceled last week following the order. (Rutgers officials say calling off the conference wasn’t a university decision. Rather, it was canceled because the organizers, a group outside the university, received a stop work order from the Department of Labor.)

    Michigan State administrators told Bridge Michigan they canceled the lunch, which was scheduled for Jan. 29 and has been held four times before, after Chinese students “expressed concern about an event tied to one racial group.”

    The College of Communications Arts and Science was set to host the event. Lauren Gaines, the college’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion director, wrote in an email obtained by Bridge Michigan and the State News student paper that the cancellation was in response to concerns related to Trump’s immigration and DEI executive orders.

    “These actions have prompted feelings of uncertainty and hesitation about gathering for events that highlight cultural traditions and communities,” Gaines wrote. “We feel it is important to honor those concerns with sensitivity and care.”

    Heidi Hennink-Kaminski, the college’s dean, wrote in a follow-up email obtained by the news outlets that the decision was not “a statement of policy, but rather as an appropriate on-the-ground response given a very short decision window.”

    Michigan State officials did not respond to a request for comment by press time but confirmed after publication that staff at the college canceled the event, adding that other Lunar New Year events continue.

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  • Recent Tour at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.

    Recent Tour at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.

    By Lisa Schmidt LPC, NCC, College Planning Counselor at Parros College Planning LLC.

    Living and working just an hour from East Lansing, we felt pretty confident that we understood what Michigan State University had to offer to our students. However, on our recent campus tour, with a group of Independent Educational Consultants, we discovered there was still much more to learn about the large state university in our backyard.

    The facilities were top-notch, but the brand new STEM building blew us away. MSU transformed a 70-year-old power plant into a “student-ready maker and collaboration space. Old silos are now conference rooms, and a 1946 limestone entrance welcomes students. Original steam boilers and mechanical hardware are art installations.” The cool urban design includes high-tech classrooms, a dining area, and cozy study spots containing the latest technology needed to complete group projects and coursework.

    A short walk from here is the brand new music building. It is a beautiful spot for students to attend class and work on their musical skills. All of the MSU bands and orchestras have competitive auditions to gain entry, but all students, no matter their major or skill level, have the opportunity to try out. Also, the community music school offers lessons for a small fee to non-music majors.

    Another highlight was getting to understand the Residential Colleges better. We feel these smaller communities within the large university may be the perfect fit for many students. “The residential colleges at MSU offer the best of both worlds: the finest qualities of small liberal arts colleges combined with the energy and resources of a large research university. Three living-learning communities unite students with similar interests in designated residence halls on the campus. This assists in creating distinctive educational atmospheres. They are:

    • James Madison is where students share a common goal of addressing and examining the major political, legal, social, and economic issues affecting our world.
    • Lyman Briggs empowers students to change the world by understanding science and math in society.
    • Residential College in the Arts and Humanities is for students passionate about the arts, humanities, and community engagement.

    The majority of the consultants we traveled with were not Michigan residents, and they were not disappointed by their first trip to MSU. Here is some of what they had to say:

    “This was my first visit and tour of Michigan State University. I was impressed with the beauty of the campus, the sincerity and energy of the staff members we had the pleasure of meeting throughout the day, and the consistent message that was shared at every department/college we visited of a desire to help every student find their place and be successful at MSU.”

    “After years of suggesting MSU as an option to my students, I am so much better informed on the fantastic offerings. I have a much better understanding of the residential college system (James Madison, Lyman Briggs, and ARCAH), which is very appealing to many of my students.”

    “I especially enjoyed eating at Thrive, an allergen-free dining hall. Thrive is committed to being sesame-conscious and free of the Big 8 allergens (milk, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish) plus gluten. Another dining highlight was the unlimited swipes so students with meal plans can eat anywhere on campus as often as possible. A snack can be picked up at one hall and then a meal at another.”

    In regards to major areas of study, most students list their intended major on the application but are not admitted to the specific program until after they complete their first year of college. For example:

    • Engineering – students interested in engineering take 28 prerequisite credits the first year and are automatically admitted to engineering if they have over a 3.0 GPA.
    • Business – students interested in business must apply after taking 28 credits. Admission is competitive. A select few students will be accepted directly to the Broad School of Business from high school.
    • Nursing – is a VERY competitive program, only admitting about 100 students each year through the application process after students take the required 28 prerequisite credits. A 3.9 GPA is generally needed to be competitive.

    After the tour, we were all very excited to look at our client list and match some of our students with MSU. We appreciated the red carpet that the admissions team at MSU rolled out to us, and we had a fantastic tour! Please reach out to us to schedule your complimentary consultation so that we can help you in the college application process!

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