Cook, a trustee during the riots at MSU in 1999 and 2003, as well as the civil disturbances in 2005, said she hoped students had an idea of how much their actions damaged MSU’s reputation.

“All the people I know in the administration and the members of the Board of Trustees constantly try to show the people of the state of Michigan what they can expect with their tax money,” Cook said. “It takes a long time to put the ship back on the right course when students do this.”

Whether the riot will impact the value of an MSU degree is something that needs to be studied for a definitive answer, said John Hill, director of MSU Alumni Career Services.

But even if it does, MSU has a track record of turning out great students, Hill said.

“A talented student is a talented student. Recruiters are still going to come to campus and look for talent, and that’s because they have needs to be met,” he said. “This one incident doesn’t derail that at all.”

Political science sophomore Tom Murtiashaw said the riot isn’t a good representation of most MSU students.

“I read on CNN that half of the students that got arrested weren’t even from MSU, so I don’t think it’s the students’ problem. It’s more about the other rioters,” Murtiashaw said.

Police estimate about 5 percent of MSU’s undergraduate population participated in the riot, which has raised some discussion in the community as to whether the admission standards at MSU need to be reviewed.

June Youatt, senior associate provost, said it’s hard to predict which students would engage in a riot when the university goes through its admissions process.

“We do look at whether students have a history of academic dishonesty or a criminal record, but that’s the only information we have,” Youatt said.

Youatt said MSU’s academic standards have increased significantly during the last decade, but the behavior has continued.

“I don’t know how we screen for it at the front door,” she said. “What kind of things do you look for to suggest someone would ruin the reputation of your institution?”

One donor said his perceptions of MSU weren’t tainted by the riot.

Bob Skandalaris, who donated $5 million to expand MSU’s football facilities, said protests and riots aren’t unique to MSU.

“In the early ’70s, with Vietnam protests all over, my parents would have said I was crazy,” he said.

“I can’t speak for all the donors. Donors are individuals and have their own view, but it doesn’t affect mine.”

Staff writer Whitney Gronski contributed to this report.