By that Wednesday afternoon, the results were in — Mosallam beat Foster by a popular vote margin of about 75,000.

Mosallam described the election and the months leading up to it as a “whirlwind.”
In the next eight years, Mosallam said he hopes to cater to students’ needs and make college affordable.

Mosallam, a 1996 alumnus and former Spartan football player said his own experiences will help him connect with students today.

The State News spoke with Mosallam to find out what his goals are as a trustee.

THE STATE NEWS: Would you say that you campaigned on the principles of keeping college affordable?

Brian Mosallam: My whole premise is, you know, making sure that working families can afford tuition for their children. … As a financial adviser, I see that today, the two most (important) questions my clients have are, ‘How much is college going to cost?’ — that’s the next most important (question) too, ‘Will I have enough saved for retirement?’ … We have a responsibility, as trustees of the school, (to ensure) students are getting the best bang for their buck.

*TSN: Will you ever vote for a tuition increase during your time as an MSU trustee? *

BM: I think that’s a very premature question, I can’t answer hypothetically. We have to look at every situation (as it comes). … Believe me when I tell you (that) nobody there wants to raise tuition. That is the last thing they want to do; they fret over it. Everybody there is really trying to cut costs, save money and find other ways to generate revenue, and the last thing they want to do is put it on the backs of the students.

TSN: In a Q&A with The State News last spring you said, ‘I will scrutinize the budget, understand revenue flow and costs and find ways to decrease the percentage of the budget that comes from tuition.’ In what ways do you plan to do this?

BM: I need to grasp and get my arms around the budget to completely understand where our expenditures come from and where our revenue comes from. From there, I need to really tear down line by line of the budget as to where we can (save) money. … This is where (I) need to be more involved in fundraising, building endowments for scholarships or some kind of endowment to help subsidize tuition.

TSN: How do you plan to use your own experiences and cater to the needs of students today?

BM: I would like to go to student government meetings and student association meetings. … I have an open-door policy. I (would like) students to reach out to me and explain their concerns.

TSN: What does this trustee position mean to you?

BM: There are three things that I love: I love education, I love children and I love MSU. And this is the greatest office anybody can hold. … My life changed overnight when I won the election.