LOCAL

By Chris Chapman

EAST LANSING, Mich. - In a move that sets a new standard for transparency and accountability in higher education civil rights, Michigan State University has unveiled its first-ever Office for Civil Rights Data Dashboard. This public-facing tool provides customizable graphics through which users can gain insights into how the university responds to reports of discrimination and harassment, provides accessibility services and initiatives, and measures participation in prevention and education efforts.

Developed by the Office for Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance, or OCR, the dashboard provides an innovative solution that, along with other initiatives over time, responds to years of sustained calls from students, faculty, staff and external partners for greater visibility into MSU’s civil rights processes and initiatives. OCR launched the dashboard in concert with its 2023-25 Biennial Report, which offers deeper context on the office’s progress and strategic priorities.

“This dashboard is a powerful advancement in how we share civil rights data,” said Laura Rugless, vice president and Title IX and Title VI coordinator at MSU. “My hope is that it conveys the openness and accountability with which our team approaches the important work we are entrusted with.”

The dashboard is organized into three programmatic branches — Investigation, Support and Resolution, or ISR; Office of the ADA Coordinator; and Prevention, Outreach and Education, or POE — with plans to expand further over time. Users can explore data on case outcomes, resolution timelines, accessibility initiatives and prevention programming participation across student and employee groups.

Highlights from the biennial report and dashboard include:

• Policy updates shaped by legal standards and community feedback
• Accessibility improvements across physical and digital spaces
• Aggregate case outcomes and resolution timelines
• Prevention programming participation and engagement across student and employee groups
• Strategic planning to guide future efforts

“OCR’s dashboard exemplifies the kind of next-generation operations and organization that we set out to achieve through the MSU 2030 strategic plan,” said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. “I’m proud of the leadership and innovation of our team as they seek to make us a leader in higher education civil rights and work to continuously strengthen trust and engagement across our campus and beyond.”

OCR is one of the largest higher education civil rights offices in the nation. MSU’s investments in OCR means the university is uniquely positioned to lead the development of this tool.

The dashboard and biennial report are available at civilrights.msu.edu. OCR will update and build upon the dashboard regularly and publish biennial reports in odd-numbered years, with brief infographic updates in even-numbered years.

“This is a noteworthy moment because it reflects what we can accomplish together to advance civil rights,” Rugless added.

-courtesy story

By Mark Johnson

EAST LANSING, Mich. -  When Laura Tran first stepped onto Michigan State University’s campus, she didn’t know anything about college. Tran, a first-generation college student, came to MSU without a strong support system to help start her college career. She didn’t understand FAFSA and financial aid, didn’t know which classes to enroll in and struggled to navigate the extensive MSU campus.

Just as Tran was beginning to feel lost, a friend three years ahead of her shared information about TRIO Student Support Services, or TRIO SSS, a program at MSU dedicated to supporting first-generation students throughout their college journey. She connected with TRIO SSS a few weeks before starting her freshman year and, soon, her questions were being answered. With each interaction, Tran gained confidence and comfort as she embarked on her journey as a Spartan.

“When I came to MSU, I didn’t know what to do,” she said, crediting TRIO SSS for helping her reach academic success. “I evolved mentally and academically, and I’ve learned so much. I’ve grown as a person, and it’s all thanks to TRIO SSS because, without them, I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. They taught me so much, and I will forever be indebted to them.

TRIO SSS is a federally funded program designed to support first-generation and limited-income undergraduate students, as well as students with disabilities. Through support such as academic advising, peer mentoring, academic tutoring, financial literacy coaching and graduate school preparation, TRIO SSS works to increase graduation rates, retention and persistence among its student population.

Over the last five years, graduation rates of the students served offer a look at the success of the program, including a 79% graduation rate for 2023-24, an increase from 77% in 2022-23; in 2021-22, the graduation rate rose as high as 82% over 76% in 2020-21. In addition, about 85% of TRIO SSS students have finished in good academic standing every year from 2020-21 to 2023-24.

MSU’s TRIO SSS is funded to serve 600 students per year, making it the largest single student support services program among universities in the state and among the largest in the country, according to Jieron Robinson, TRIO Student Support Services program director.

Robinson, who also was a first-generation student at Eastern Michigan University, understands the challenges faced by the students he now serves. He and his team work diligently to ensure that TRIO SSS provides the services, support and resources needed to help their students succeed.

“One of the first challenges students face when they come to college is the hidden curriculum. We bring them to Michigan State, give them this amazing opportunity, and then just set them free,” he said. “They have to figure out how financial aid works, how to register for classes and how those choices affect their aid. The hidden curriculum is something students must navigate, especially during the transition from high school to college. TRIO SSS is a program that helps them with that transition. We provide resources to guide them in registering for classes, setting academic and professional goals and ensuring they are supported holistically.

To receive TRIO SSS support, students submit an application, provide necessary documentation and income verification and acknowledge whether they are first-generation students. Applications are vetted by an academic advisor and approved by Robinson. After completing an orientation, students are free to use the tools and resources that TRIO SSS offers.

Eligible students can receive supplemental grant aid from TRIO SSS each spring semester. The program also provides emergency grant aid for students who are at high risk of dropping out or facing barriers that affect their college journey. These efforts are designed to improve TRIO SSS participants’ retention by supplementing financial assistance.

Robinson and the TRIO SSS team also work to provide cultural enrichment to the students they serve, giving them experiences they may not have access to outside the program. Past trips to cities like Boston and Chicago gave students opportunities to visit museums, tour historic sites and explore graduate schools.

Through the TRIO SSS summer bridge program, eligible students can come to campus a week before the fall semester begins for workshops, sessions and partner presentations. This gives them a chance to get acclimated to campus and to learn about the various resources offered by MSU to help them succeed in their college journey.

It’s through the summer bridge program that Kayla Lewis first got involved with TRIO SSS. Lewis, now a TRIO SSS alumna and a social work graduate student at MSU, is also a first-generation college student. She arrived at MSU without knowing anyone and without awareness of the tools and resources available to her.

As Lewis approached high school graduation and prepared for her journey at MSU, a TRIO SSS representative visited her school to share information about the resources offered, including the summer program. Once she arrived on campus, Lewis found not only the support and resources she needed, but also a community that provided a sense of belonging she hadn’t realized was missing.

“TRIO SSS has really helped me build the confidence and the skills to succeed in college,” she said. “From the advising to the tutoring and mentorship, those were all essential but, just as important, was having people who believed in me and pushed me to my highest potential. Without TRIO SSS, I may not have had the guidance or the encouragement to keep going when things got tough.”

The TRIO Student Support Services program has been a staple at MSU for more than 30 years, making it one of the largest and oldest TRIO programs in the country. Its continued success is something that students, as well as Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Student Success Renata Opoczynski, credit the TRIO SSS staff for.

The staff is composed of former first-generation college students who know the struggles, challenges, abilities and strengths that the students they serve face.

“What gives it that unique spark is that the staff really does take it personally because we have been that student,” Robinson said. “We have been in their shoes.”

Some students may encounter impostor syndrome and feel they can’t be successful at MSU, that they don’t belong here. But by connecting with peer mentors and working with staff, they come to understand how much they matter, that they belong and add value to MSU, and they can be successful at the university.

“It increases access. They show students that a path for them is feasible at MSU. They’re wanted here and we have full faith that they can be successful here, and the TRIO SSS program will be a key part of that,” Opoczynski said. “With our land-grant mission, I think the more pathways and opportunities we provide for students to come to MSU, the better.”

Thanks to federal support, the MSU TRIO Student Support Services program will carry forward its work from the past three decades to continue to create pathways and opportunities for some of MSU’s underrepresented students. The TRIO Student Support Services grant was renewed by the Department of Education for another five-year cycle, securing about $4 million in funding to allow TRIO SSS to continue its mission.

“The fact that we’ve been around for so many years speaks for itself,” Robinson said. “We’ve done the work, and the Department of Education believes we’ve done good work, and it’s why they fund us cycle after cycle.”

The funding will also support the TRIO SSS team as they look to enhance their work and the student experience. Among the new changes Robinson, Opoczynski and Strategic Innovation Manager Joy Hannibal added to the latest approved grant proposal was the creation of an on-campus living-learning community. Robinson said it would allow TRIO SSS students to live on the same floor of a residence hall and further build their community while also providing them with advising and other supportive services within the hall.

The success of the program is aptly represented in #TRIOWorks, a hashtag that celebrates the decades-long mission of helping students thrive and graduate.

“It’s not just a program. We’re really like a family,” Tran said.

Learn more about MSU’s TRIO Student Services Support program.

-courtesy story

By Amber McCann

EAST LANSING, Mich. - In a year of significant challenges brought about by an evolving landscape for higher education, 65,506 donors committed a historic and record-breaking $380,110,317 during the past fiscal year to support Michigan State University’s students and faculty as well as programs and initiatives throughout the university.

MSU has recently undertaken cost-cutting measures to align with budgetary constraints, making the outpouring of generosity from donors particularly inspiring and helpful, noted Michigan State University President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D.

“We could not have asked for a better way to ignite our capital campaign than by having a record-breaking year in Spartan generosity to pave the way forward,” said Guskiewicz. “I am grateful for donors’ belief in MSU, which underscores that when there is a need to be filled or a mission to be carried out — to make the world a far better place by supporting the next generation of leaders, fueling boundary-breaking research and sparking innovation on our campus and in communities beyond — Spartans will always answer the call.” 

The fundraising total topped $300 million for the first time in a single year and reflects the passion for MSU’s impact on the world from alumni, partners, faculty, staff, students, parents, friends and fans, said Vice President for University Advancement Kim Tobin, Ph.D. 

“In both periods of abundance and times of challenge, philanthropy is the difference maker between maintaining the status quo and achieving excellence. It’s an optimistic act that promises a brighter future,” Tobin said. “Through their generosity, MSU’s donors have demonstrated their commitment to settling for nothing less than greatness.” 

The record-breaking year set a new momentum for MSU’s Uncommon Will, Far Better World campaign, led by co-chairs Ben and Barbara Maibach and Dawn and Greg Williams. 

The Maibachs are longtime MSU donors, whose support has grown from their first gift of $1 in 1969 to an endowment that created the Maibach Smiley Alzheimer’s Research Professorship in the College of Human Medicine in 2022. The couple has also supported student scholarships and fellowships, athletic facilities and, most recently, the Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences Research Center. 

“Imagine if there is no longer Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s or cancer,” Barbara Maibach said. “That is what we believe can happen with the synergies that are coming together for solutions to challenges like these that will impact our state, our country and our world.” 

“This campaign is more than dollars,” Ben Maibach added. “It is our future.” 

Alumnus Ceo Bauer holds the distinction of being one of MSU’s most steadfast donors with a consecutive giving streak of 72 years — longer than any other donor. Last year, he gave to the College of Engineering, which he has been supporting consistently since earning his civil engineering degree in 1949.  

The World War II veteran gives because he feels a sense of responsibility to help and to inspire the next generation. “It is my duty — as a soldier, as an MSU graduate and as a citizen of the world — to do what I can to make it better for everyone.” 

On the other end of the giving spectrum were 8,704 donors who made their first gift to MSU during the past year. Among them were 2025 graduate Ella O’Neill and student Addyson Richard.   

Richard gave $5 each to MSU Libraries’ world-renowned comic art collection and an MSU Archives program that preserves video assets — both causes near and dear to her as a film studies major. While O’Neill, who majored in communication, gave $65 to the Sales Alumni Endowed Scholarship in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, which earned her a philanthropy cord to add to her gown on graduation day. 

“The Sales Leadership Minor program really changed my life. It’s the reason that I have the opportunities I have today,” said O’Neill. “I wanted to give other students opportunities that I had.” 

Donor support in fiscal year 2025 impacted every part of MSU’s campaign ambitions to activate talent, catalyze synergies and build for the future, including:  

• The MSU Research Foundation designated $75 million to support strategic research priorities showing promise for high impact discoveries. 
• Alumni Kristen and Justin Ishbia made a $10 million gift to support Spartan Athletics. 
• Spartans across the world helped set a new record for Give Green Day on March 11, with 7,145 donors contributing a total of $2,231,350 — the first time the day’s total exceeded $2 million. 

The milestone year magnifies the unwavering support of MSU’s donors, helping to ensure that Michigan State can continue to support student success and thrive for generations to come.

The campaign’s $4 billion goal was announced in March and, to date, more than $1.27 billion has been raised. Learn more about supporting the Uncommon Will, Far Better World campaign at farbetterworld.msu.edu.  

Listen to the MSU Today podcast where President Guskiewicz and Vice President Tobin discuss the campaign’s success. 

-courtesy story

LANSING, Mich.  — To eliminate transportation barriers and ensure voter access, the tri-county region’s three transit agencies – CATA, EATRAN and Clinton Transit – are offering systemwide free rides for the Nov. 4 general election.

Beginning Sept. 25, free transportation is available for tri-county residents to register to vote, return absentee ballots at drop boxes, participate in early voting and cast their ballot on Election Day. Just let the driver know you are going to register or vote when you board. No ID is required to receive a free ride.

For voting information, including sample ballots, polling sites and ballot box locations, visit www.michigan.gov/vote or check your local city, township or county website.

CATA Rydz customers can redeem promo code FreeRydz2025Election for one free round-trip ride Sept. 25-Nov. 4 to access registration and voting locations. Zone restrictions apply. Trips on CATA’s Spec-Tran and Rural Service must be scheduled by 5 p.m. the day before you need a ride, as same-day rides are not available for these services. CATA also recommends scheduling all Redi-Ride trips at least one day in advance. Demand-response rides can be arranged by calling 517-394-2282. Spec-Tran trips can also be scheduled online at myspectran.cata.org or through the MyRideCATA app.

EATRAN riders must reserve their free trips to qualifying locations one day in advance by calling 517-543-4087 no later than 5 p.m.

Clinton Transit voters should call 989-224-8127 or use the Clinton Transit mobile app to schedule a ride at least a day in advance. Scheduling hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Visit www.cata.org/vote, www.eatran.com or www.mybluebus.com for additional information regarding free rides.

-courtesy story