The MSU Board of Trustees met on Oct. 28. Here are some of the highlights.
1. Simon addresses freshman Reyna Muck’s Instagram post
During her report, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said the family of Ashton Brooks, the female kicker from H. H. Dow High School in Midland, Mich. who was mocked by MSU predental freshman Reyna Muck last week in an Instagram post, called her yesterday and said, “it was an individual, not the university who made this action.”
Simon expressed concern for the students affected, and pointed out university resources to turn to in the crisis, by the likes of Paulette Granberry Russell of the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives and Denise Maybank of the Office of Students Affairs.
“No letter, no words will be sufficient here,” Simon said.
Simon sent a letter to all university students addressing the actions of Muck on Oct. 27.
2. Renovations and technology improvements at Bessey Hall, Natural Science, and Veterinary Medical buildings, Lot 63 reconstruction and Hubbard Hall exterior brick repair
Bessey Hall, the Natural Sciences and the Veterinary Medical buildings are largely used as instructional spaces, which is the reason behind the upgrades.
Lot 63 will be given new pay-by-plate features, and the reconstruction will open up eight new parking spots.
3. IM Sports-West’s indoor pool, locker room and electrical systems slated for a makeover
There was $3.9 million was set aside in the Healthy Campus Initiative’s $35 million budget for the betterment of health and wellness at MSU.
Read more about that and the Healthy Campus Initiative at here.
4. MSU Basketball Hall of Fame named the Tom Izzo Hall of History
Bob and Julie Skandalaris designated $4 million of a $10 million gift to the Empower Extraordinary Campaign to support the Breslin Expansion Project.
Simon explained that donors, when they make a large contribution to the university, can choose who to honor with that donation. The Skandalaris family chose to honor head basketball coach Tom Izzo for the new site that will record the history of MSU basketball.
“It was terrific that the Skandalaris family wanted to recognize Tom Izzo,” Simon said. “What better thing to do with Tom’s sense of trying to connect the past with the present in Spartan basketball?”
5. Appropriations request to state of Michigan
MSU educates more Michigan students than any other college in the state, Simon said during a presentation for appropriation requests that will soon be made to the state of Michigan.
Simon also cited statistics that 40 percent of MSU students graduate with debt. This is lower than the rest of Michigan, where she said 63 percent of students overall graduate with debt.
The trustees approved the appropriations request, which was to return state funding to what it was in 2011.
Simon said part of the reason for the request is for growing pressures to bring in out-of-state-students to MSU, because they pay higher tuition than in-state students.
6. Student activists and students of color express concerns of campus climate to President Lou Anna K. Simon, trustees
Students who are part of the Climate Reality Project Campus Corps expressed their concerns on the growing issues of climate change nationwide at the meeting. They asked President Simon to be their “climate hero.”
Latinx students called for action from the Board of Trustees on varying issues of campus climate relating to students of color. They told the trustees about the Latinx Students in Need of Solidarity Town Hall hosted by Culturas de las Razas Unidas, or CRU, two weeks ago. Political science senior Maisie Rodriguez requested a name change for Justin S. Morrill Agriculture Hall to Cesar Chavez Hall.
Students of color spoke about the Movement for Black Lives to the trustees and President Simon. They noted the board’s silence on the Black Lives Matter Movement issues. Social science junior Salman Pervez said the university has failed to take a stance on the movement.
