According to the Let East Lansing Vote website, as it currently stands, the only offices regularly elected during odd years are members of the City Council, causing low voter representation and turnout.

The group, co-founded by Michigan State University professors in the Department of Political Science, Sarah Rechow, Liam Richichi, Nazita Lajevardi and Adam Delay, officially organized in spring 2026 and is out collecting signatures now.

They are required to collect signatures from 5% of registered voters in East Lansing and submit them to the city clerk by July 28, 2026.

If they meet the mark, the petition goes on the ballot for the November election, where East Lansing voters will decide if they want to adopt the charter revision to have even-year city council elections.

If the petition passes, the revision would be implemented by the city council. This would move the next city council election from 2027 to 2028.

While there has been previous political science research done about disparities in voter turnout when elections take place in odd years, Rechow and her fellow co-founders have collected data about the disparities in East Lansing specifically.

On average, there was approximately 35% less voter turnout between the East Lansing 2024 general election and the 2025 local election across all age groups. With almost 45% less voter turnout for voters in their 20s and 30s, according to the Let East Lansing Vote website.

Richichi, an MSU alum and current Chair of the 7th Congressional District Democratic Party, said one of the common misconceptions from the potential pushback for this initiative stems from the concern that this is only to get students on and off campus to vote.

However, the group emphasizes that in a time of voter disenfranchisement in the form of legislation like the Save Act, their initiative is in favor of democracy, broad civic engagement and ensuring every demographic in East Lansing is represented.

"Past research has taught us that it is wealthier people, older people and typically homeowners who show up to vote in (odd) elections," Lajevardi, an associate professor of political science at MSU,said. "That means that young people, renters, lower-income residents and frankly many voters of color- they're the ones that are most disenfranchised in odd-year elections."

This initiative would also save the city of East Lansing at least $60,000 to $80,000 a year by condensing election cycles to even-numbered years, Richichi said, adding that during the last city council election, a big issue was budgetary problems.

"Figuring out ways to save money and save time for the city is going to be really crucial that we continue to do that, and make sure that we're holding the city and its finances accountable," Richichi said.

Rechow explained that this initiative is not new to the East Lansing area. In 2023, an effort was made by the council but was turned down by the governor and attorney general.

After that, Let East Lansing Vote discovered another grassroots group in Grand Rapids called Empower The Citizens, which successfully revised their city charter to require city council elections in even-numbered years.

Let East Lansing Vote used the success of Empower the Citizens as a guide, looking into the steps they took to get approval and adjusting them to fit East Lansing.

"There have been people in the community for a while who have talked about this. It's something I've talked to people about for years," Rechow said.

Lajevardi said that formalizing protections and rules to protect the right to vote is a kind of core tenet of democracy, and it's all about ensuring that people have the ability to exercise their right to vote.

While Let East Lansing Vote emphasizes that the current petition to change elections to even-numbered years is not solely to increase student voter turnout, it will aid in eliminating a barrier for student voters, Lajevardi said, adding that with such busy schedules, it can be difficult to find the time to go to the polling place on Election Day. Voting in odd years on only local matters can be a roadblock for voters.

"From young adults to parents to older adults and Gen Xers and millennials, they should all have a say in our elections, and that only happens when we have a say in our elections," Richichi said.

For more information on how to engage with Let East Lansing Vote, visit their website atleteastlansingvote.com.

In 2023, the Campus Archaeology Program (CAP) at MSU made a groundbreaking discovery: the foundation of the original, 145-year-old campus observatory that was demolished in the 1920s.

Now, the team is back at the excavation site hoping to uncover more information about the history of the building and the people who once utilized it.

Recent MSU graduate and current volunteer for CAP, Max Levanduski, was part of the program when they made the discovery. She recalled how exciting it was for the project to make national news and how it helped her figure out her path in archaeology.

"Today, we're trying to figure out where a pipe went that we discovered in my unit two years ago," Levanduski said. "So, it's kind of closure in a way, a little symbolic. As I'm finishing my time here at MSU, we're finishing out this site. And later on, we're going to do shovel tests to find a privy (outhouse) that I remember learning about when we started."

Levanduski participated in the CAP 2024 undergraduate field school where they found much more of the building foundation, the original telescope podium foundation and a lead pipe that went through it.

MSU PhD student, Gabrielle Moran O'Dell is the campus archaeologist overseeing the project for this field season.

"We are out here this year trying to follow that pipeline to see if it leads to the (telescope) podium or where it goes to, to try and determine whether that pipe was put in during the construction of the observatory in 1880 or if it was put in after demolition or after that," Moran-O'Dell said. "We do know that Will's House at one time here was the weather bureau, so it may be associated with that, or it may be associated with whatever technology was used for the telescope itself."

The CAP was founded by Dr. Lynne Goldstien in 2005, becoming the world's first university-run archaeology program.

Their team works with MSU's Infrastructure Planning and Facilities (IPF) department to ensure that below-ground artifacts and archaeology sites are preserved when found during campus construction projects.

The program uniquely gives students, alumni and the surrounding community access to work on archaeology projects directly on campus, whereas many must travel for that opportunity.

In addition, the CAP team regularly handles the preservation of indigenous artifacts and communicates with tribes, which is also unique to MSU as the nation's first land-grant university.

Levanduski reflected that they believe it's significant to engage with the "rich history" that MSU offers and to see how previous students existed on campus.

"I think it's really important for students to know the history of the institution they were a part of, and know how it went before and really appreciate what things look like now, especially as a woman here at MSU," Levanduski said. "As we looked more into the observatory, especially old photographs, there was a singular woman who was a part of the astronomy courses. So, getting to be like, 'look at how far we come.' Now, I'm in a very female dominated field working here and kind of uncovering this."

Goldstien originally pitched the idea of excavating the university's first dormitory which burned down, Saint's Rest, to President Lou Anna K. Simon, which began the idea for starting the program. The dig revealed thousands of artifacts that sparked curiosity about the building across campus and propelled the CAP university funding forward.

Since then, CAP employs students each year to do various work on campus archaeology projects. Students work directly with construction staff, excavate sites, catalog artifacts in labs, develop outreach projects and even engage in academic research if desired.

Sometimes, CAP fellows do research on campus construction projects years ahead of time to get a scope for the work they need to do each year.

However, for last-minute projects or repairs, construction crews are mandated to contact the current CAP director, Stacey Camp, if they find anything that may be historic when digging.

"We ask that if they find something, they stop until we can come out, which we usually can say the same day," Camp said. "We also are following federal, state and tribal guidelinesthat if they hit something that's indigenous, everything stops."

In 2023, IPF was installing hammock poles in various outdoor locations across campus when they hit a concrete pad near the old observatory site in present-day North neighborhood.

Normally, the CAP team is used to seeing similar cases where IPF runs into remnants of old construction materials. Especially because the site had so much infrastructure surrounding it, they didn't expect to find anything.

The CAP team did research on the site and realized that it was in the same location as MSU's old observatory, which sat behind the original faculty row houses, and took students out to do ground tests.

Their team dug small holes, called burr holes, across the landscape to see if there was any archaeology in the area.They also use ground penetrating radars for these tests that essentially give them an x-ray of the ground.

"And funny enough, this is what happens in archaeology, the last hole that they opened up, which had nothing to do with the concrete pad and the reason we got contacted, was the foundation of the observatory," Camp said.

Camp also explained that there's a privy, or outhouse, they're hoping to find that was associated with the old observatory and buildings near faculty row.

These sites are of interest to archaeologists because of the surprising number of artifacts they usually contain. This is because, when indoor plumbing was invented, many people would throw their trash in their outhouses and then demolish them. In some cases, archaeologists can learn more about a site from its privy than from the main building.

"Gabrielle was part of that discovery (the old observatory), we were like gung-ho about finding the outhouse from the professor who was teaching classes in there," Camp said. "So maybe that will be the next exciting discovery. But those kinds of discoveries are really rare."

Only one privy has been uncovered on MSU's campus so far at Saint's Rest.

"We have found really cool things in privies and landfills. It can tell us so much about who was on campus during that time," Moran-O'Dell said. "You think about campus, and you think about college students, but back then, faculty and families were living on campus. So, it's really cool to see that through the archaeology."

From May to mid-July, the CAP team will have excavation sites on campus.

Next, the team hopes to return to the Saint's Rest dormitory or to another documented landfill near the admin lawn, which was owned by the first groundskeeper at MSU.

Hours after the announcement that Batt would join the University of Kentucky, men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo voiced his frustration with the successive departures, saying, "I'm a very invested stakeholder, but the alums better stand up. What happened with our president is ridiculous, he said it, we know the reasons and I'm ashamed, disgusted, hurt."

Izzo's calls for "Spartan Nation" to stand up fueled existing public criticism of the trustees on social media, where students and alumni jointly championed petitions, mass email campaigns andspreadsheetsdoxxing trustees' personal information amid calls for the immediate resignation of members of the Board of Trustees.

"I think it's very easy for some people to interpret that as a call to action, that they should take adverse action against people on the board," trustee Mike Balow said of Izzo's comments.

Balow clarified that he did not want to speculate on who on the board Izzo was referring to.

"It's all of our responsibilities right now as leaders of this university to kind of lower the temperature," Balow said.

Balow said that public pushback has gotten "really worse since Monday" and that hehas "seen some pretty ugly emails that people have sent that are threatening in nature, and even racial hatred in nature, and it's very disappointing."

"It's kind of sad, disappointing and a sad state of affairs ... that people who say they love MSU would engage in behavior like that," Balow said.

Vice President of Communications and MSU spokesperson Emily Guerrantsaid that Izzo "didn't mention board members" but that "he just expressed frustration and talked about alumni being engaged, but he didn't even say a board member's name or the board as an entity."

"The university does not condone offensive or derogatory or disrespectful language and outreach against any member of our community," Guerrant said.

Just last night, officers from the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety were dispatched to the homes and neighborhoods of trustees living in East Lansing, trustee Rebecca Bahar-Cook told The Detroit News.

In a statement to The State News, Guskiewicz and Board Chair Brianna Scott condemned the threats to trustees' safety, while allowing for public criticism.

"We understand that elected officials will be subjected to public critique and criticism, and that at times it may be pointed, crass or even offensive. But no person should fear for their safety or be obligated to sacrifice their sense of security in exchange for holding public office," the statement read. "The MSU DPPS is fully engaged with members of the Board of Trustees to evaluate and respond to concerns, and we thank DPPS for their continued efforts to help ensure the safety of trustees, on and off campus."

Balow, trustees Rema Vassar and Dennis Denno have faced the brunt of the discourse, with a change.org petition to have all three trustees resign from the board gaining over 13,000 signatures.

Balow, Denno and Vassar have pinned in the board majority, though Denno did sign the board's newly revised code of ethics and conduct, breaking that historical side.

The day of his departure announcement, Guskiewicz wrote in a May 27 letter to the communitythat "despite this discouraging behavior by a few trustees, I am appreciative of the five trustees" who signed the code.

Guskiewicz also said divisions among the board created an "unsustainable situation" at MSU.

Balow rejected claims that trustees leaked confidential information and undermined the president as blame for Guskiewicz's departure, saying they were false.

"People are obviously looking for someone to lay the immediate blame," Balow said.

In a text message sent later to The State News, Balow also pushed back against the "narrative" that the outgoing president's plans were "thwarted." He pointed to the amount of resolutions passed by the board during Guskiewicz's tenure - the majority of which were passed unanimously.

"Everything was going his way," Balow said. "Regardless of any board friction."

Vassar did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.

The events have led to discourse amongst students, alumni and even men's basketball coach Tom Izzo who called for alumni to stand up, adding, "What happened with our president is ridiculous, he said it, we know the reasons and I'm ashamed, disgusted, hurt."

That discourse has led to petitions, emails, brand-new social media accounts and posts streamlining potential cell numbers and home addresses of the trustees.

Here are some of the ways people are acting and reacting.

Change.org petition

MSU alumna Victoria Bell started an online petition via change.org three weeks ago, calling for the resignation of Trustees Rema Vassar, Dennis Denno and Mike Balow. The petition was published in response to Guskiewicz's departure and has been updated since its creation.

Guskiewicz's willingness to leave MSU for a pay cut "tells you everything you need to know," Bell said in a phone call.

Bell's petition had about 200 signatures when she started it, but took off following Izzo's Monday interview, she said. Her petition had garnered over 11,987 signatures at the time of this publication. That was about 4,100 more than the night before.

"I never thought I would find myself writing a petition calling for the resignation of members of Michigan State University's Board of Trustees," Bell wrote in her petition. "But after years of controversy, dysfunction, and failed leadership, I believe enough is enough."

"As Spartans, we expect our university's leaders to put Michigan State first. We expect them to act with professionalism, integrity, and a commitment to the long-term success of our institution. Instead, we have watched repeated turmoil, public infighting, and instability damage the reputation of one of America's great universities."

In the petition, Bell referred to Guskiewicz and Batt's departure as damage, adding they brought alignment and momentum to MSU that has been jeopardized. She told The State News the university has been losing presidents for the last 20 years.

Bell was a student at MSU when Larry Nassar was terminated and later convicted of child pornography and sexual conduct as a team physician. She watched presidents, athletic directors and other staff members resign or be pushed out. The constant changes were "distracting" and Bell can imagine current students feel the same way.

"At this point, it has escalated into something different," Bell said of the current Trustees' and leadership events. "(Izzo) called on us to rally together, and that's exactly what we're doing. We haven't really seen something like this before, and I'm excited for the momentum to keep growing, and hopefully the right thing is done."

Bell said she is not an expert on every trustee but called for the removal of Vassar, Denno and Balow based on what she does know, adding "those three specifically I think have caused the most problems."

"At this time it does feel systemic," Bell said. "We need a young, good presence of people who actually give a damn about the university that they're representing, instead of their own self-serving interests. So, I do think it means a little bit of an overhaul. I don't know if that means we do a special election, but I would love to see some of us, younger Spartan alums that really, really love this university, step up."

Bell said she has MSU alumni friends who would love to run for the Board of Trustees as part of a solution.

"I think 11,000 is already enough for them to open their eyes and finally step down," Bell said. "If they're not, then we'll keep going till 20,000 signatures, we'll keep going until 30 (thousand), and we'll keep pushing this."

MSUUntrustees account on X

An X account under the username @MSUUntrustees echoed Bell's message in a post on Tuesday afternoon: "The cost of leadership turnover isn't measured in dollars. It's measured in lost momentum."

The account bio says, "Tracking MSU board decisions, transparency issues, leadership turnover, and alumni concerns, with a mix of satire. 600,000+ Spartans. Accountability starts now."

The account was created in June 2026 and posts several times throughout the day, often with brief statements like the following:

"Alumni don't expect perfection. They expect accountability."

"Every leadership search starts over at zero. Relationships. Trust. Vision. Progress. All reset."

"Michigan State doesn't have a talent problem. It doesn't have an alumni problem. It doesn't have a donor problem. So what's left?"

Change MSU account

Similarly, an X account with the username @ChangeMSU was created yesterday. The first post, which is pinned on the account, said:

"Starting this account because I'm tired, and I know a lot of you are as well. We went to the greatest university, but on-campus "leaders" are ruining it. It's not permanent, but it's time for common-sense Spartans to rise up. Follow to show we have strength in numbers #GoGreen."

The account is run by an MSU alumnus and had a little over 600 followers at the time of publication. It links Bell's petition in its bio and encourages reposting content, signing Bell's petition and following @MSUUntrustees, although the account managers do not personally know each other.

The alumnus started @ChangeMSU to facilitate change as someone who is no longer local, adding, "It's all about strength in numbers." They were motivated by family, friends and neighbors who have attended MSU in recent years and lacked some of the positive experiences the alumnus experienced. The account holder wishes to remain anonymous on the basis that the account is not about one person, but about the community.

Like Bell, the alumnus was a student at MSU during the Nassar scandal. They witnessed John Engler step in as Interim President of the university, and saw Engler leave due to community activism.

"He was pushed out entirely because of actions taken by students on campus, and also by a handful of professors," @ChangeMSU said. "I didn't necessarily agree with their approach to it, but it shows that MSU faithful can actually create the changes they want to see with their university."

While the alumnus said students and professors fostered Engel's resignation, they also believe students are at MSU to learn and find communities for themselves, not to ideate solutions to administrative struggles.

"I appreciate all those students who are equally fed up and who are trying to create actionable change," @ChangeMSU said. "But at the same time, students are there to explore what they want to do themselves, not to explore how to fix a university, right? That's for alums. … So I'm going to keep doing that. I hope students keep enjoying themselves."

The alumnus said MSU has wrestled with one embarrassing headline after another for nearly a decade. They never saw themselves creating something like @ChangeMSU and wish they weren't in this situation. However, they believe the current conversations and activism surrounding the Board of Trustees are stronger now than in previous situations.

"This feels different right now," @ChangeMSU said. "It feels like there's going to be a level of persistence and follow-through, and I don't think that dismissing the common voice of the alums, like the Board of Trustees has done, is going to be enough. I think they're going to actually take into account what the community thinks."

The alumnus believes every member of the MSU community will have a different solution that deserves equal weight, creating the need for a virtual community.

"It's just about having a community discussion about what's the best pathway forward," @ChangeMSU said. "Hopefully, Michigan State University, and those who still want to see it at its best, can recognize that there are voices who are passionate about this."

Letters to the board

In addition to the new advocacy accounts, other social media accounts are sharing letters addressed to the Board of Trustees.

A 2021 alumnus with the X username @HagadornDreams has sent a daily letter to the board since June 13.

The alumnus calls for the resignation of all but one Trustee, Kelly Tebay:

"The rest of you have governed this university the way students run a high school lunchroom - cliquish, self-serving, and utterly indifferent to the consequences for those you were appointed to protect."

"You have failed the students. You have failed the faculty. You have failed the alumni. And if allowed to continue, you will fail every Spartan yet to come. I am formally requesting a meeting. I want to understand, on the record, what specific challenges make this role so difficult that abandoning your fiduciary and ethical obligations became an acceptable outcome."

The alumnus has posted the email address and phone number of the Board of Trustees, as well as individual email addresses for Secretary of the Board of Trustees and Chief of Staff Stefan Fletcher, Deputy Secretary of the Board of Trustees Jackie VandenBosch and Executive Assistant to the Secretary and Chief of Staff Heather Waldrop.

They have also shared the link to sign up for public participation at the next Board of Trustees' meetings, scheduled Sept. 10 and 11 at 11 a.m.

Another alumnus with the X username @cayrp has posted their email to the board with the caption: "Doubt that it will make any difference but nothing to lose by doing it. Let the board know they are bad at their jobs. Send an email to trustees@msu.edu"

The alumnus wrote that the Board of Trustees has made them question their high regard for MSU because "there have been a number of scandals and issues that tie directly to you as a board."

"You are supposed to represent the greater interests of the University not your own political interests. In the span of three weeks your actions have cost the university not one but two vital leaders, and there seems to be no semblance of an apology or even an admission of guilt."

"On his way out the door former university president Kevin Guskiewicz listed the board of trustees as the main reason he was leaving FOR NEARLY A 50% PAY DECREASE OF WHAT HE WAS MAKING AT MSU!!"

Contacting trustees directly

A spreadsheet with potential phone numbers and addresses of all Trustees but Sandy Pierce has been posted by an X account with the username @MSU_NYJetsFan. The account said they were not confident about Denno, Renee Knake Jefferson and Rebecca Bahar Cook's numbers. The post had 25.4K views as of Tuesday night.

In the caption, the account wrote:

"I am sharing public records contact info of MSU BoT solely for lawful, polite, respectful communication urging resignation. I explicitly discourage harassment, threats, intimidation, or home visits. Respect their privacy. Improper actions are your responsibility only."

Several accounts cautioned the X account with comments including the following:

"This doesn't work. You're opening yourself up to liability."

"Don't share this, plenty of crazies out there."

"You gon get yourself hurt"

The account and another commenter defended themselves, writing that the information is available to the public.

Another account responded: "Moronic post. Home addresses are completely unnecessary to proactively push to social media-public or not."

The spreadsheet was supported by some, commenting:

"thank you for your service"

Prior to releasing its spreadsheet regarding the Trustees, the account posted, "Would I get in trouble if I posted the phone numbers and home addresses of the members on the Board of Trustees?"

It received two comments in response: "Do it!!!!!!" and "Only if they figure out the true Richard Wood" (the name on the account's profile).

A bid for the MSU presidency

An Instagram account with the username @Edtillet_rootedinMSU made its first post on June 4, eight days after Guskiewicz's departure was confirmed. The account encourages the sharing of stories involving positive interactions with Ed Tillett, including campaign graphics and slogans. Tillett is the Director of Multicultural Business Programs at Broad College of Business.

Tillett addressed viewers on camera in the account's second post, openly declaring he is campaigning for university president. Tillett grew up in Spartan Village, earned a bachelor's degree in physiology prior to a master's degree in health communications and has held full-time staff positions at the university since 2019.

"I spent so many years serving this university in a variety of ways, because I believe what Michigan State can do for people," Tillett said. "I've seen it open doors, create opportunities, and transform lives. That's why I'm openly pursuing the opportunity to serve as Michigan State's next president."

"Honestly, this wasn't something that I arrived at lightly. And what I've heard from so many of you is simple: we want a university that brings people together, we want leadership that's visible, connected, and accountable, and we want someone who understands what makes Michigan State so special. I believe in this community, I believe in our future, and I believe the best chapters in Michigan State are still ahead of us. By listening, bringing people together and staying focused on our priorities, we can build an even stronger future for generations of Spartans to come."

In a response to a comment, Tillett encouraged viewers to "please share, invite friends to learn. Write the board and the recently released search firm Isaacson Miller."

One viewer asked Tillett if he plans to keep and expand the development and funding initiatives Guskiewicz and Batt started.

Tillet said he intends to build on the initiatives and would begin with "restoring and maintaining the existing relationships that brought those to fruition" before finding new relationships.

Human Rights Commission members and community members called for a delay in the council's vote on the ordinance revisions that would strip the commission of investigative powers it had held for over 60 years.

Under the amended ordinance, the HRC would instead have the limited power to receive complaints, review them, evaluate them based on the information presented and hear from both the complainant and the respondent at public hearings and consider evidence.

The revisions would also protect the City of East Lansing, and all its departments and officials from any complaints filed against them by the HRC.

The revisions propose that, instead, complaints against these individuals should be filed with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or the courts.

At the meeting, Carlito Young was introduced as the new lead City Attorney, taking over for Steve Joppich, who held the role for the past year. Young was present at the meeting to answer questions from the council about the ordinance changes.

After reviewing the ordinance for potential conflicts with state and federal law, including the delegation of judicial authority, due process and standards of review, Young's office said that the original ordinance unlawfully bestowed the HRC with judicial powers. This information was outlined in a summary document for the East Lansing City Council at its May 26 meeting, Young said.

The East Lansing City Council does not have judicial power, according to the city attorney; therefore, it cannot extend judicial powers to its commissions. The council and attorney cited the need to comply with state laws in what some refer to as a "rushed" amendment adoption.

The ordinance amendment explains that although the granting of the HRC's judicial powers happened decades ago, "the HRC has not, until now, endeavored to exercise those powers in a significant way, which has brought the issue to light."

These changes come after the commission undertook a significant review involving the East Lansing Police Department. The HRC recently reviewed an incident where ELPD pepper-sprayed two Black men on campus during welcome week in August.

ELPD sent a press release after naming the two young men, violating a city policy that stops press releases from including the names of detainees unless a serious crime has been committed out of concern for reputational harm.

After the incident, the HRC issued corrective actions to the city at its May 27 meeting, including that the city pays the two young men $50,000 each for reputational harm and other damages, and that the city covers any ongoing medical, psychological and legal costs.

At the meeting, Councilmember Mark Meadows questioned the amendment that would protect the City of East Lansing, and all its departments and officials, from any complaints filed against them by the HRC.

In line with the previous City Attorney's statement on the matter, Young explained that the HRC's investigative authority violated the city charter.

He said it could create overlapping authority and responsibility conflicts with existing city employees, such as the City Manager or the Human Resources Department.

Young also cited limitations related to union contracts and restrictions that may occur in East Lansing city employee investigations conducted by the HRC due to conflicts of interest.

Meadows originally requested a review of the HRC's abilities under its ordinance after he realized they may order restitution from the city in the Smith and Woods case.

In response to the changes, Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Grigsby recalled his time on the HRC and expressed understanding for where they're coming from, but that they must comply with federal and state laws.

"With these revelations of the federal litigation and some of the conflicts of interest, according to our city attorneys, it just really made it a confusing place not only for them (the HRC), but for the community," Grigsby said. "I also feel like this is not a one and done decision. I feel like we still have the opportunity as we move forward to make adjustments to this ordinance and really make sure they have the tools to do what they do best."

At the special meeting Tuesday, the council also approved a separation agreement between the city and former City Manager Robert Belleman.

They also introduced Annette Irwin as the Interim City Manager beginning June 22, relieving Interim Fire Chief John Newman of his acting city manager duties.

Damage to property and various traffic violations were reported last week.

The Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety disclosed the incidents under theJeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, which requires universities to publicly list reported criminal offenses and is subject to change as events are reported.

Guskiewicz announced May 27 that he would leave MSU to assume the helm of Clemson University later this year.Two weeks later, Batt announced that he would lead the University of Kentucky's athletics department and supervise its for-profit LLC, Champions Blue, as CEO. He will assume the position later this summer, according to a UK press release sent Monday.

Batt's tenure as MSU athletic director lasted 376 days, just over a year after he was hired into the role in June of 2025 by Guskiewicz on a $1.85 million salary.

For MSU, Batt was the third athletic director in five years, while Guskiewicz was the seventh president in 10 years.

Rising human biology senior Rylee Schlaud said that following the two departures, her biggest worry is the quality of future leadership amid potentially rushed hiring decisions.

"I worry that it's gonna have to be a rush decision to try to find new hires and that they won't necessarily be able to take the time to find the best candidates," Schlaud said. "So I just kind of worry that it's going to be this cycle of trying to find somebody on the fly because everyone keeps leaving and we only have two months before school starts again."

It is unclear what the timeline will be for the rehiring of the university's president and athletic director. In a press release sent Monday afternoon, Guskiewicz said he would appoint an interim athletic director in the "coming days."

Schlaud said that as a member of Spartan Marching Band, she felt like Batt and Guskiewicz's leadership brought "so many great changes" to the game day experience, such as light shows.

"Little differences like that can really separate game days between schools, and his (Batt's) support for the band and athletics and the university as a whole was really awesome," Schlaud said. "Seeing him (Batt) and President Guskiewicz leave is really disappointing because they were bringing so many great changes just in the year they had together."

Last fall, the board approved a myriad of capital and infrastructure initiatives that sought to dramatically change MSU's revenue streams and its campus. Nonprofit Spartan Ventures, with its for-profit counterpart Spartan Media Ventures, was founded by Batt and Guskiewicz to modernize MSU's fundraising efforts through corporate sponsorships and philanthropic support. For Sparta, a $1 billion capital initiative aimed at athletics was later announced in December. The enterprise was jump-started by a $400 million donation from Greg and Dawn Williams.

Earlier this year, the board approved big changes to MSU's campus with the Spartan Stadium District. The new project would erect hotels, retail, community spaces and student housing along Shaw Lane, nestled between MSU's athletic buildings. Now, questions mount over the future of such programs without the leadership pair who championed it all.

Journalism freshman Andrew Singler said the executive shake-up comes at an "incredibly unfortunate" time for athletics.

"We just lost our president over some nonsense. As for athletics, we're in a rebirth with football, and basketball is seeking to go to the national championship," Singler said. "While I understand his decision, it's kind of dumb to commit yourself to something so big, just for it to be a short stint and ultimately leave after one year."

1992 alumnus Keith Koeppen said he's not concerned Batt is leaving; rather, it's the successive departures that are concerning. Koeppen added that he has no faith in the board choosing its next leadership.

"It was apparent he wasn't committed to MSU, so he can go. It was the chain reaction of President Guskiewicz leaving that led to him leaving," Koeppen said. "The root cause of our Board of Trustees creating instability is what concerns me."

In a hastily scheduled special May 17 meeting, the Board of Trustees revised its code of ethics and gave Guskiewicz a $1 million raise in a last-ditch attempt to retain the president, acknowledging that other universities were pursuing him for the same role.

2026 graduate Yousef Melai said the changes at the top reflect how the board invested too much in Guskiewicz without giving the proper effort to retain him.

"Unfortunately, we are going into a downward spiral after losing a semi-good president and a good athletic director," Melai said. "Kevin wasn't that good, but the fact they offered him $2 million, and he still left, tells you a lot about our board."

In a campuswide email sent the day of his departure announcement, Guskiewicz pointed to issues among the Board of Trustees that had created an "unsustainable situation."

"The Board of Trustees does not seem to be collectively operating in the best interests of Michigan State University," Koeppen said. " The fact that this is becoming the overwhelming opinion of alumni and stakeholders should send a message that we need a change in the board."

First-year electrical engineering PhD student Chakradhara Pemmasani said that Batt's resignation speaks to the university culture and the pattern of the Board of Trustees "getting in the way of what the university is trying to do," and that changes within the board may be necessary moving forward.

"It is kind of a shame that we haven't had that stability in a while, so it'd be nice to have someone and have a change from the ground up that would serve us," Pemmasani said. "As a student, it's nice to have some kind of stability, even in terms of just programs in general. I feel that affects everything, not just the athletics."

Former AD Mark Hollis resigned in 2018 amid fallout from the Nassar scandal. He retired just days after former MSU and USAGymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to prison for sexual misconductafter sexually assaulting hundreds of young women under the guise of medical treatment.

Then, the former Vice President and Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Bill Beekman, took over. Although Beekman stepped down from previous roles to assume the AD position, it was still highly scrutinized for hiring an internal candidate.

Batt's predecessor, Alan Haller, was dismissed in May 2025 following NCAA sanctions and underperforming seasons.

Rising communications senior Ezra Williamson said the legacy of such turnover may send the message that MSU "isn't worthy of having good leadership."

"It's just sad seeing how much bad press we've gotten with the athletic field and athletic department in the past like 10 years and when we finally start to get good people in, it feels like they're leaving," Williamson said. "I want our school to represent all of the best values that we have, and if we have people keep leaving, I feel like that's just showing to the world that we're not who we say we are."

Williamson said the turnover may deter prospective candidates, but that "it gives good opportunities for people who might have been underrepresented in certain areas to step in and fill those positions."

"So I think that while it's disappointing, there's definitely a hopeful note," Williamson said.

On May 27, MSU lost President Kevin Guskiewicz after a 27-month incumbency. He left for Clemson over concerns about divisions within the MSU Board of Trustees, claiming that trustees used their positions to "promote personal agendas."

376 days after his formal appointment at MSU, Batt now heads to Kentucky to lead their athletics department and supervise their for-profit LLC, Champions Blue, as CEO.Batt is expected to start at Kentucky later this summer, according to a UKpress release.

Guskiewicz brought Batt to East Lansing from the ACC in June of 2025, and the two quickly became key partners in the department's fundraising efforts.

Their relationship dates back to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where Guskiewicz led concussion research while Batt served as a graduate assistant with the men's soccer program. Batt was the goalkeeper on North Carolina's 2001 national championship team.

When Guskiewicz announced his move to Clemson University two weeks ago, a clause in Batt's contract reduced his buyout from $5 million to $2.5 million. That is the amount the University of Kentucky will owe Michigan State.

Batt was earning $1.85 million annually at Michigan State, with $100,000 raises scheduled each year on a six-year deal. His salary represented a substantial increase from the $800,000 base salary earned by his predecessor, Alan Haller.

Haller was dismissed from his post by Guskiewicz in May 2025 following NCAA sanctions and underperforming seasons, spurring a month-long search for a candidate to take the helm of MSU's athletics department. Guskiewicz and Batt were committed to top-down university alignment in all initiatives and leadership.

The two introduced Spartan Ventures and Spartan Media Ventures in October 2025 as a way to modernize MSU's approach to raising capital in the NILera with skyrocketing spending across the NCAA.

The weekend after MSU football finished 4-8 for its fourth straight losing season, Batt fired head coach Jonathan Smith with a 9-15 record over two seasons. Batt then brought on former Northwestern head coach PatFitzgerald, who will lead the program this fall.

In December 2025, Batt announced For Sparta, a billion-dollar capital campaign directed at transforming MSU's athletics infrastructure and NIL streams, headlined by a $400 million donation from Greg and Dawn Williams. MSU released a statement on Monday afternoon confirming the July 1 start date for the non-profit Spartan Ventures alongside for-profit Spartan Media Ventures.

"In light of the recent news of upcoming MSU leadership transition, our message is simple: Spartan Ventures is moving forward and it is primed to elevate MSU Athletics to new levels," the statement read, in part signed by Spartan Ventures CEO Jon Palumbo.

Palumbo worked closely with Batt at Georgia Tech, where Palumbo oversaw fundraising initiatives and key coaching hires. At MSU, Palumbo is the Chief Operating Officer of the Athletics Department and now oversees Spartan Ventures alongside Jared Kozin and Tim House, who both work to increase corporate and philanthropic donations across athletics. All three Spartan Ventures executives have less than a year of tenure at MSU.

With Guskiewicz out the door, questions quickly followed about the fate of Spartan Ventures, the revenue-generating venture the two had championed together. At a Board of Trustees meeting Friday, board chair Brianna Scott moved to put those concerns to rest, saying the structure of the governing documents was designed to survive leadership changes.

"Everything is related and framed as a position versus a person," Scott said. "Whoever sits in that position, it will apply to that person just as much as it applied to Kevin."

Scott also said Batt was still "on board" after Guskiewicz announced his departure for Clemson. Three days later, he announced the contrary.

MSUhas yet to name an interim candidate for athletic director following Batt's departure. In a press release sent earlier Monday, Guskiewicz said he will be working to name an interim athletic director in the "coming days."

As for its next president, Scott said having someone who has the same values of ambitious fundraising is important, although no interim or permanent candidate has been named.

Following the loss of both President Kevin Guskiewicz and Athletic Director J Batt, Izzo calls for "Spartan Nation" to stand up.

In a video posted on The Detroit Free Press, Izzospoke about the multiple leadership changes the university is facing.

"I'm a very invested stakeholder, but the alums better stand up," Izzo said. "What happened with our president is ridiculous, he said it, we know the reasons and I'm ashamed, disgusted, hurt."

On May 27, Guskiewicz took the top job at Clemson University after less than three years at MSU. On the way out, he placed the blame for his departure on divisions within the Board of Trustees, calling it an "unsustainable situation."

This morning, Batt was hired by the University of Kentucky to serve as Athletic Director, as well as CEO for the university's for-profit LLC, Champions Blue.

Izzo referred to these losses as "self inflicted."

"We just lost one of the best presidents that has ever been here. There are other dominoes that could affect it when things go wrong like that."

Guskiewicz's departure marks MSU's seventh leader to hold the position of university president in ten years. Batt's replacement will be the fourth athletic director, including interims, to assume the position since 2021.

"I think 600,000 living alums are rallying together," Izzo said.

MSUdoes not have a timeline on whenGuskiewicz's last day will be at MSU. The university has yet to name an athletic director, permanent or interim.

Izzo said he will go into further detail in the "near future."

Since his hiring by outgoing president Kevin Guskiewicz in June of 2025, Batt's fundraising abilities have made him a shiny target for Kentucky.

"Across these institutions, J has distinguished himself as a record-breaker in fundraising and as a leader who strategically invests in facilities to maximize resources and revenue," UK President Eli Capilouto said today in a message to the UK campus. "As important, he has remained focused on ensuring student-athletes compete at the highest levels while being prepared for lives of meaning and purpose."