“We’re taking a very deliberate approach to this, being very deliberative,” he said.

Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts will remain a priority despite threats from Washington, he said, and the university is honing arguments for state and federal policymakers in hopes of protecting funding in coming budgets. 

‘Three horizons’

Guskiewicz said he’s instructed his staff to look at the changes along “three horizons.”

First, he wants them to make sure they “have all the facts,” both about MSU’s financial position and the federal policies that could change it.

Thus far, that’s involved a close review of MSU's budget process and an examination of enrollment, he said, both of which were planned before Trump took office.

The university is also closely watching state government, Guskiewicz said, fearing that changes across the federal government could prompt a shake-up of the state budget, which provides some of MSU’s funding.

As Republicans in Washington eye cuts to Medicaid, for example, Guskiewicz said he could imagine bigger investments in state healthcare programs from Lansing. The fear, then, is that funding could come from appropriations to Michigan’s public universities, which MSU already gets a disproportionately small slice of. 

Second, Guskiewicz said he’s asked leaders to search for short-term adaptations to funding changes.

Vacant positions, for example, could be “rethought” amid budget uncertainty, or building projects slated for coming years could be put on hold, he said.   

“Those are sort of levers we could push or pull given the changing conditions,” Guskiewicz said.

In recent days, many universities have opted for widespread hiring freezes to account for the many questions surrounding the future of federal research funding. Guskiewicz, however, said MSU is not currently considering such maneuvers.

Deans and directors have been asked to “take a close look at where there may be opportunities for efficiency” going forward, but no decisions have been made.

Third, Guskiewicz said he is looking at larger steps that would have a longer-term effect on the budget if funding cuts persist. MSU’s various partnerships abroad, for example, could be reconsidered, he said, while stressing that no decisions have been made.

Committed to DEI

Many of the Trump Administration’s most direct attacks on higher education have centered around popular diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. 

Proponents of the policies argue they encourage belonging and success for students and faculty who have long been marginalized by institutions; opponents — including Trump — say they often amount to unfair advantages for some and a new form of discrimination against those who have historically been privileged.

At a meeting of MSU’s board last month, Guskiewicz and other university leaders offered a full-throated defense of the university’s DEI efforts. Since then, the Trump administration has sought ways to punish universities that do not drop DEI — including MSU — and issued a scathing guidance that attempted to outlaw many programs.

Still, Guskiewicz was unflinching in his defense of the policies Thursday.

“What I’m committed to is what I know to be true,” he said of DEI, arguing his decades as a professor formed his strong belief in the efforts.

“You can have the best curriculum in the country, but when you’re sitting in a class with students having discussions, it’s their different lived experiences that allow the curriculum to come to life,” he said. “That’s how I’ve been talking about this.”

MSU is trying to strike a balance, he said, attempting to “stay true to our values” while being compliant with the evolving regulations. But, he characterized much of the criticism as largely unfair.

“It’s suggested that universities are overemphasizing DEI,” he said. “I don’t think we are.”

A fundraising opportunity?

The changes to MSU’s federal funding are coming just as the university undertakes its largest ever capital campaign: a tension that has proved fruitful, according to Guskiewicz.

“I always say that fundraising is about telling stories,” he said, adding that donors have been curious how the university could offset lost federal funds. 

“Several have stepped up and said, ‘How can I help,'” Guskiewicz said.

Different audiences

Guskiewicz explained that MSU is presenting different arguments to skeptics in state government and the new federal administration.

“We have to be sure that we make a strong case for the negative impact it would have on society if there’s a significant cut to funding,” he said of the efforts.

In Lansing, he said the university has had success by emphasizing programs that directly benefit the state, such as the statewide agricultural extension or medical schools, which have been graduating record numbers amid shortages of healthcare professionals.

In Washington, Guskiewicz said the arguments tend to frame universities and the research they produce as a means of improving America’s global competitiveness.

A healthy collaboration has developed between various universities as leaders are forced to defend the sector, Guskiewicz said. He was encouraged by recent meetings of the presidents of the Association of American Universities, he said, and apparently maintains a smaller, friendly circle of presidents from various types of schools that regularly gather to discuss issues and brainstorm solutions.

“I’ve probably spent more time in the last month having conversations with my colleagues across the country than I did in the last three or four years,” he said.