From the President - Spartan Alumni Magazine, Fall 2024
INAUGURAL SPARTAN BUS TOUR: Strengthening community ties and highlighting our impact
Hello, Spartans!
An exciting new academic year is underway following a busy summer of planning and preparation. I’ve enjoyed greeting new Spartan students and families during move-in, Fall Welcome activities and athletic events.
Much of the time since my arrival last March has been spent touring the campus to listen to and learn from leaders, faculty, staff and students across our colleges and administrative units. Travels farther afield have taken Amy and me to communities around this beautiful state of Michigan and beyond to meet alums and stakeholders. A particular thrill was spending time in New York with former MSU President Clifton R. Wharton Jr. and first lady Dolores Wharton.
I’m looking forward in October to what I hope will be the start of a new tradition for us, the inaugural Spartan Bus Tour. I’ll be leading a motorcoach filled with some 60 faculty members and campus leaders from across the university on a multiday loop through central, northern and western Michigan. We plan to make 15 stops to engage with local communities, network with stakeholders, showcase MSU’s impact, gain insight into the state’s strengths and challenges and identify opportunities for future collaboration.
Understanding and engaging with these places will enrich our perspectives and strengthen the university’s impact across the state. Additionally, I’ve found such tours deepen connections among participants, potentially leading to new educational, research or outreach collaborations across the university’s academic disciplines.
Everywhere I’ve visited, I’ve been struck by the attachment of our extended Spartan community to Michigan State University. Our bonds are strong, and I hope to tap into that sense of connection going forward as we work together as one team to support the success of our students and the advancement of the university.
Much of what I’ve learned on my visits informs the vision for the university I’ve been forming since even before my arrival. I am excited to share that vision—and encourage our global Spartan family to engage with it—at my presidential investiture Sept. 29. You can visit the investiture navigational tab on my website—president.msu.edu—to learn more, including how to access the ceremony’s livestream or view the recording afterward. I hope you can join us and will feel a special connection back to our proudly public, global research university.
Understanding and addressing the complex and stubborn challenges confronting our state, nation and world is a daunting mission, but we are built to do just that. As a land-grant university for the 21st century and in the spirit of “Spartans Will,” we can and will make a difference.
Go Green!
Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D.
PRESIDENT
PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF KINESIOLOGY
