From the Provost's Desk

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Waiting, while moving forward

For many of us on campus, it feels like we’re in hold mode. Charge letters from early September have gone out, and those responsible for drafting recommendations are in the process of doing so. But for those who sit and wait, unsure of what might happen as a result of those recommendations, it can be a time of anxiety.

While some have expressed concern that the administration has no vision – or that no explicit directives have been put forth – I would remind them that we are not yet at the stage of the process that would produce either a singular vision or set of directives. President Simon has set forth design principles that are guiding current discussions. At this point, many of us are holding pieces of a larger whole, but those pieces have yet to be put together.

When the recommendations are received on October 16, they are not expected to provide a single or overarching vision for the entire University. Instead, each college and unit involved will be submitting local recommendations based on local knowledge and leadership. Insofar as a university is its people – a broad and diverse collection of individuals – a university’s vision is collective.

The challenge, then, will be to find ways to unify these visions around common values and shared goals. As we work toward sculpting the University in ways that maximize efficiency and effectiveness, we will continue to use a common set of tools, the design principles – one overarching set, and a number of specific sets for focus areas for change – to guide our work.

Like President Simon, I have used the word messy to describe the process we have undertaken. It may have been less messy – not to mention easier – to put eight people in a room and tell them to draft a singular vision for the entire University. But that’s not what we’re doing. And that’s not what we want to do. While the current waiting period may cause a degree of anxiety, it’s actually a relatively short time frame to draft some serious long-term recommendations.

Some of you may have recently heard me say that a nearly anyone can balance a budget, but thoughtful long-term planning involves a great deal more work. Each of us is going to need to find ways to adopt a thoughtful and long-term perspective as we go about our everyday work. We’re all going to have to work differently. As President Simon, recently said in the Detroit News column “MSU sets example in how to lead,” by Daniel Howes, “Everybody’s got to be part of the solution.”

Michigan State University has a strong history of leadership, and of finding creative solutions to challenging problems. We will continue to innovate, to grow, and to invest in areas that we’ve identified as strategically valuable for the future of the University. Indeed, there is already much good news to share from the start of the academic year.

• The College of Osteopathic Medicine recently celebrated the grand opening of its new campus site at the Detroit Medical Center.
• The latest study of University Research Corridor impact shows a rise in URC rankings and a $14.5 billion impact on Michigan’s economy.
• MSU has received $26.6 million in stimulus funding grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and has submitted nearly 200 grant proposals that will be considered over the coming months.
• The College of Engineering has secured three grants for alternative energy research.
• Cornerstone Engineering, the new academic program for freshman engineers, and the Residential Experience for Spartan Engineering, a new residential program for engineering, were featured in a recent story in the Lansing State Journal.
• A team of MSU researchers and archaeology students found a 16,000-year-old sand dune beneath a grove of pine trees between Dem Hall and Munn Ice Arena.
• We celebrated the grand opening of MSU’s new Surplus Store and Recycling Center.
• MSU hosted the opening of the new MSU Detroit Center, which represents our expanding commitment to partnerships that promote the prosperity of Southeast Michigan.
• A date has been set to break ground on the Broad Art Museum and a museum advisory board has been named.

Finally, I would like to extend my deep appreciation to all of you for helping to make Fall Welcome’s Fill-the-Bus initiative an outstanding success. As many of you know, we welcomed the academic year with Fill-the-Bus, our first university-wide service learning event. The purpose of the event was to introduce newly admitted students to an important MSU value - Spartans giving of themselves, to others, in community, for the public good. I’m pleased to report that the MSU community filled four buses and one van with school supplies, non-perishable food items, recreational equipment, pet supplies, and health and hygiene supplies that were delivered to various charitable organizations around the Lansing and East Lansing area. Your active participation helped us both exceed our expectations and demonstrate MSU’s continuing commitment to enriching our community. Collectively, your individual contributions made a significant difference in the lives of many.

Michigan State University is, and will remain, one of the top universities in the world. It will continue to innovate and move forward. In doing so, it will emerge from the current challenges it faces more efficient and more effective, while remaining firmly committed to its core values and mission. To expect anything less would run counter to who we are, to what we do, and to that which we aspire to become.