If anyone needs an example of Spartan spirit, they don't have to look very far. No, the person with the truest green-and-white colors isn't a student, a faculty member or even Sparty himself. It's MSU President M. Peter McPherson, and, during the decade he has been at the helm of the university, he has reinvented what it means to be a true Spartan.
Not many universities can boast a president who works as hard or has stayed as long as McPherson. He obviously is at home here at MSU and his care for the future of the school is apparent in the choices he makes. On Wednesday, McPherson marked the 10th anniversary of his presidency at MSU. Provost Lou Anna Simon also has been serving in her job, making these two leaders the longest-standing president-provost duo in the Big Ten.
The fact that Simon also has remained at MSU for 10 years speaks well for McPherson's personality and professionalism. Simon could probably be president of a university by now, but she has stayed true to MSU and McPherson. Both McPherson and Simon say they have developed mutual respect and work ethic over the years. Never losing sight of their goals for MSU, the two have dealt with everything from budget cuts to riots to McPherson's leave of absence in Iraq.
"We tend to approach problems a bit differently, but we both care deeply about Michigan State and its success," Simon said. Success is a good word to describe much of the work McPherson has done for MSU. McPherson has helped increase diversity at MSU, minority enrollment steadily increasing since he took office in 1993. The April 2002 opening of the $93 million Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building and the continuing competition to host the Rare Isotope Accelerator has put MSU on the map for making science a priority, as well as helping to recruit top researchers and faculty.
McPherson also has continually stressed the importance of international study, helping make MSU's study abroad program one of the best in the nation.
But there still are things McPherson and the administration need to work on. Consistent issues with domestic partner benefits, tuition, staff diversity and a free-standing multicultural center have yet to be addressed by university officials.
The 1999 and 2003 riots also are blemishes on the president's record, but the school's involvement in correcting that behavior speaks well for the university as a whole. The post-riot reactions show the university and its leaders are getting a better grip on athletic celebrations and its relationship the city. McPherson's decision to allow police to infiltrate the activist group Students for Economic Justice also is a blemish on his presidency. Although McPherson says he does not regret his decision, the need for a campus task force shows he might have overstepped his bounds. McPherson should learn from these mistakes and work toward improving other Spartan's trust in his leadership.
McPherson has shown he has true Spartan spirit with his staying power, his hard work ethic and his dedication to see the university succeed. There are still many issues to be worked on, but McPherson is learning and growing right along with every student at MSU. Here's to another 10 years.
