This is the first time MSU has publicly articulated the university’s stance on current events, though it has been moving toward such a decision for months.

Earlier this year, MSU requested the removal of department statements on the Israel-Hamas war and told administrators that the university’s "tone" on the war is "neutral." University leadership also cautioned faculty not to express personal views on the presidential election in ways that would silence students that feel differently.

Unlike the increasing number of universities moving toward "institutional neutrality" — a term used to describe formal policies barring universities from issuing political statements — MSU describes its new guidance as "institutional restraint."

"'Neutrality suggests that there is no position the university may have on a particular issue," MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz told The State News earlier this week. "But (restraint) is saying that we may have an opinion, but we’re gonna allow others to express themselves and to not marginalize any particular opinion."

Institutional statements could silence alternative views, "numb the community to leaders’ voices, appear performative and/or exacerbate the situation," Guskiewicz wrote in a letter to deans and department directors Wednesday.

MSU argues that institutional restraint can go hand-in-hand with academic freedom. Faculty shouldn't "sideline themselves in any public conversation," Guskiewicz wrote. But they cannot make personal statements on behalf of the university, like by using a university listserv or website, or by "using their administrative title."

Comparative Cultures and Politics Professor Jennifer Goett, who has been outspoken about MSU’s investments in Israel, said the ambiguity of the guidelines could still have a chilling effect on academic freedom.

The guidelines include exceptions for addressing "incidents that threaten MSU’s core mission" and "incidents that directly impact the broad university community" — carve-outs that Goett described as vague.

"There is a wide range of interpretation about what constitutes permissible and not permissible speech on campus," Goett said. "I think we’re going to have to see how the policy is applied moving forward."

The Supreme Court’s 2022 repeal of the federal right to an abortion, future federal decisions around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies, or incidents like the 2023 campus shooting are examples of issues that would warrant institutional statements, said MSU spokesperson Emily Guerrant.

The guidance, which took the form of a statement from the university rather than an official, board-approved policy, will be more loosely enforced, Guerrant said. While the university is "asking for cooperation" with the guidelines, there won’t be penalties for violating them, Guerrant said.

The decision was made after consulting with deans, faculty leaders and the board, Guskiewicz said.

Senior Reporter Alex Walters contributed reporting.