MSU is creating an environment in which excellence and opportunity thrive. We will grow the number of highly prestigious awards received by faculty and academic staff, achieving a 15% increase by 2030.
Key Initiatives
Honorifics
The Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Development is partnering with college academic leaders, faculty and others to build a comprehensive strategy to increase recognition of the outstanding accomplishments, achievements and contributions of MSU’s exceptional researchers, educators and community members. Such recognition elevates the stature of the university’s intellectual work to national and global prominence and fosters a community of scholars with high standards and aspirations. A new honorifics coordinator, named in May 2022, will accelerate work to build internal and external engagement with award and recognition processes and improve coordination to assist academic leaders in intentionally nominating faculty and academic staff eligible for prestigious awards and recognitions. Our focus is on nurturing cross-functional collaborations and partnerships that will deliver avenues for growth and recognition of the outstanding accomplishments of members of the MSU community. We will regularly assess progress in our ability to collectively recognize the culture of excellence embedded in the university’s strategic plan and DEI Strategic Report and Plan, and will celebrate honorifics on a dedicated website.
Caregiver Support
While the university anticipates policy at the national level to address caregiver needs, under President Stanley’s leadership Michigan State has committed to creating a university-wide, nationally recognized caregiver program to address the diverse needs of faculty and staff to support their success and well- being. A committee convened by MSU Human Resources and the Office for Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs is exploring current caregiving services, practices, standards and campus community needs. The committee will make a recommendation to the president addressing areas of opportunity and potential solutions reflective of the range of needs identified. The committee will continue to develop additional long-term, sustainable goals and programs incorporating feedback gathered from a survey of the campus community.
A Workplace of Choice
Over the past two years, MSU, like most other institutions, has had to make significant changes to how employees work and stay connected. By establishing flexible and blended working options, such as remote work, the university has broadened access to diverse and exemplary talent, helping to establish MSU as a workplace of choice and a desirable place to stay. MSU’s new policies for remote work set expectations and provide clarity around the university’s remote work protocols. As the university adopts and adapts to the new policies, MSU HR is working with units to guide the implementation process, including training and adaptation to reflect each unit’s workforce. As we look forward, the flexibility afforded to units by these policies will position MSU to pursue its vision of excellence for impact by competing for the best and most diverse talent aligned with its mission.
Academic Strategic Planning Implementation
The Office of the Provost is committed to fostering a welcoming culture and climate as it conducts effective and transformational academic strategic planning implementation. Participation in the process will greatly shape and influence the work and learning outcomes of MSU faculty, staff and students. To that end, we are interested in the ideas of our broader community and have designed a process soliciting input and facilitating collaboration across the entirety of the provost’s office purview, including all colleges and reporting units and all faculty and staff within. People are invited to participate according to their time availability and interests. To date, multiple summits have yielded many strong ideas. The Academic Strategic Planning Implementation Team synthesized patterns into interest areas aligned with the six core themes of the university strategic plan. Formal proposals were developed and submitted within these areas. A proposal review committee is scoring and making recommendations for the provost, who will make final selections. Through this transparent and inclusive process, we hope to gain further momentum across the Office of the Provost in how we move MSU into the future.