Thursday, March 28, 2024

MSU president addresses community in wake of Russian invasion of Ukraine

February 25, 2022
<p>The Spartan Statue photographed on May 15, 2019.</p>

The Spartan Statue photographed on May 15, 2019.

Photo by Matt Zubik | The State News

On Friday, Michigan State University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. addressed the Spartan community in an email surrounding Thursday's Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"I've been deeply troubled by the Russian government's unprovoked attack on Ukraine and the quickly escalating conflict," Stanley wrote. "It reminds us that these world events have an impact on many among our local and global Spartan community."

No MSU-sponsored travelers are currently located in Ukraine. The small numbers present in Poland, Hungary and Russia have been in contact with the university.

Stanley said the university is working closely with numerous organizations, including the U.S. Department of State's Overseas Security Advisory Council, to monitor the situation and give additional guidance to the individuals as the situation develops.

The president emphasized resources that affected communities at MSU can use in wake of this conflict. Counseling and Psychiatric Services, or CAPS, and the Employee Assistance Program, or EAP, will be offering services on an individual basis.

Additionally, CAPS and the EAP will be collaborating with the Office for International Students and Scholars, or OISS, to provide community-wide support for those affected. While the form of this support has yet to be cemented, MSU Deputy Spokesperson Dan Olsen said it could include events such as community group sessions.

As a member of the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, Stanley joined more than 500 other university presidents on Thursday in calling on Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to give Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, to the roughly 104,618 Ukrainian non-citizens currently working or studying in the United States.

Such an action would apply to two non-citizen Ukrainian students who are currently studying at MSU.

There are currently no study abroad programs planned in Russia or Ukraine. Other European programs, such as those in Poland or Hungary, are still planned to proceed. However, Olsen said the university will reassess as the conflict develops.

"We're keeping a very close eye on how these conflicts may develop, and then we'll take additional action as needed to protect our Spartan community," Olsen said.

To end his email, Stanley emphasized the need for the community to come together in the face of the crisis.

"Spartans, together, have a common thread that keeps us connected. It’s our mission to make the world a better place for today and tomorrow," Stanley wrote. "We all should rise to this occasion and be there for one another during this difficult time."

Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.

Discussion

Share and discuss “MSU president addresses community in wake of Russian invasion of Ukraine” on social media.