Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Most people don’t realize that MSU is the largest institution of higher education in Michigan. Students can find a niche in strong preprofessional programs such as hospitality business management, prevet, and education. MSU’s self-contained campus is like a town unto itself, with a bus system available to get from one side to the other. Sexual abuse scandal continues to generate unwanted headlines.
Michigan State’s roots are agricultural-founded in 1855, the school pioneered the model for land grant institutions-and future farmers, plant scientists, and veterinarians still flourish here. So do those with wanderlust, thanks to study abroad programs on each of the world’s seven continents. MSU’s programs in natural sciences and multidisciplinary social sciences offer students the feel of a small, liberal arts college and the resources of a large research university. “Resources here abound,” says a senior.
The heart of the MSU campus, north of the Red Cedar River, boasts ivy-covered brick buildings, some of which predate the Civil War and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This area houses five colleges plus the MSU Union and 10 residence halls. Across the river are the medical complex, newer dorms, and two 18-hole golf courses. Most notably, MSU is home to the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. Current construction includes the $730 million Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, a new facility for nuclear physics research that is funded in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and the state of Michigan and expected to be completed in 2022. On the southernmost part of campus are farms and animal research and teaching facilities.
Michigan State students tend to be preprofessional and clear about their interests; the premed, prevet, and teacher education programs are strong, and the most popular majors include business, marketing, communication, journalism, various fields in the social sciences, and biological and biomedical sciences. Other popular options include engineering, supply chain management, environmental science, and hospitality business management; students in the latter program get real-world experience by staffing the university’s hotel and conference center. To graduate, all students must satisfy university requirements in math and writing, complete a major, and take a minimum of 24 credits in the integrative studies program, which includes arts and humanities; social, behavioral, and economic sciences; and biological and physical sciences.
Academics at MSU get tougher as students advance through their majors, according to a junior. “Many of our courses are very competitive because they play a part in determining whether or not you are accepted into a specific program,” notes a classmate. Classes are often quite large, with 24 percent enrolling more than 50 students, but students say that, for the most part, professors are accessible and dedicated. Hundreds of group-based and individual research opportunities are available to undergraduates. The Honors College offers the intimacy of a small-college atmosphere. MSU has a strong international component as well, with upward of 275 study abroad programs in more than 60 countries; 26 percent of undergrads take part.
“Students here are friendly and diverse,” says an elementary education major. “We also have a large international population, which is really cool because it gives you the opportunity to get to know people and cultures from all over the world.” Seventy-eight percent of undergraduates are Michigan residents, and 9 percent are international. Students report that their classmates care about the world around them. Indeed, more than 2,400 alumni have served in the Peace Corps since MSU first partnered with the agency in 1961. African Americans make up 7 percent of the student body, Asian Americans add 6 percent, Hispanics constitute 5 percent, and multiracial students represent 3 percent. Scholarships are offered in 25 Division I sports, and thousands of students also receive grants and awards based on academic merit, which average $9,000 annually.
Thirty-nine percent of MSU students-including nearly all freshmen-live in Michigan State’s residence halls and apartment communities, which one sophomore describes as “very convenient and well maintained.” Those seeking a traditional college experience can bunk in one of five huge “neighborhoods,” each with three to 10 residence halls plus libraries, advising and tutoring services, health services, dining halls, and recreation areas. Other living/learning programs, known by their catchy acronyms, include RISE (focus on the environment), MRULE (multiracial unity), and CORE (engineering). All 27 of the school’s residence halls have recently been updated. MSU’s dining services dish out meals at 10 dining halls, two food courts, and one food truck. “All the food is edible,” says a senior.
Campus safety measures include walking escorts for those who stay late at the library, and Lansing’s bus system offers discounted night-owl rates for those living farther away. Parking places on campus are in chronically short supply, and students complain about the tickets they receive as a result. Once they’ve earned 28 credits, students may move off campus. Many do so because the city of East Lansing, just outside Michigan’s capital, offers all the positive aspects of a large urban area (the population more than doubles when school is in session), along with the safety and community feel of a much smaller town. According to one student, “The social life at MSU is very lively on the weekends.” Eleven percent of the men and 12 percent of the women join MSU’s 60-plus Greek organizations. Other weekend alternatives include bands, dances, and comedians brought in by the Student Activities Board and events held by the more than 900 student organizations. Second-run movies are also shown in Wells Hall-free for campus dwellers, and a couple of bucks for those who live off campus.
Weekends are dominated by Big Ten athletic competitions, with the MSU–Michigan rivalry especially fierce. “Our large campus is filled from end to end with individuals sporting green and white; alcohol-free tailgating is also available,” says a junior. “Seeing 150,000 people in a space that usually has about 60,000 is quite an experience.” The men’s basketball and women’s cross-country teams are recent conference champions. After more than six decades of standing guard at Kalamazoo Street and Red Cedar Road, the school’s mascot, affectionately known as “Sparty,” was moved indoors to protect him from the elements. However, a replica stands outside and is guarded by students when Wolverines come to town. Students are still able to paint “the Rock,” a large boulder donated by the class of 1873, to advertise campus events, birthdays, anniversaries, and the like. Eighteen intramurals and 28 club sports, from “spartyball” (a variation of indoor soccer) to competitive cheer, also keep students busy.
MSU is struggling to deal with continuing fallout from a scandal involving a former physician to athletes who was convicted of sexually abusing girls and young women for decades. Administrators say they are working hard to strengthen policies, procedures, training, and community resources to ensure that MSU continues to be a safe, respectful campus where future leaders, physicians, and financiers happily coexist in what one student calls a “diverse, friendly, and expressive” bunch.
-Fiske Guide