As the MSU community marks the one-year anniversary of the February 13th shooting on Michigan State University’s campus, WKAR is bringing you the voices of those who were most impacted and those who found themselves on the frontlines responding to the tragedy.
MSU interim President Teresa Woodruff was one of those Spartans. During a conversation with WKAR's Sophia Saliby, Woodruff shared how she's processed what happened that night.
"For all of us, it has been to bring the voices of those most affected as well as folks from within campus, within the community, and in the larger Spartan alumni network, and those that care about Michigan State University," she said.
"Hearing those voices and helping to integrate those feelings into ways that we can be decisional about the best steps that enable movement forward has been part of what we've done to process."
Woodruff defended her decision to have classes restart the following week, saying that she consulted with experts to make the best choice for students.
"We also knew that structure matters to good outcomes and mental health and function. And so, we made sure that we had the counseling services available in a central way that helped with many folks to be able to face the circumstances of that moment."
She also explained the changes the university has made since to make the campus safer for students including installing door locks on a majority of a classroom entrances and changing building hours to only allow students, faculty and staff entrance at night using their key cards.
"This is an ongoing process to develop that hardscape that doesn't ever fully protect one but does enable the best environment we can have at this point," Woodruff said.
The university is also installing more cameras and hiring staff for a new central security operations center.
Woodruff said she has worked to lead with "grace, empathy and excellence with accommodation" during her time as president both before and after the shooting.
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: As we mark the one-year anniversary of the February 13th shooting on Michigan State University’s campus, we are bringing you the voices of those who were most impacted and those who found themselves on the frontlines responding to the tragedy.
MSU interim President Teresa Woodruff was one of those Spartans, and she joins me now to reflect. Thank you for being here.
Teresa Woodruff: Thank you, Sophia.
Saliby: Can you start by walking us through the emotions and feelings you went through that night? It's almost a year ago, but I'm sure those memories are very strong.
All of us, including myself, are on different paths, have various different emotions, and I think, for all of us, we're looking toward the future.
Woodruff: Not easily. No, and I think that's for many of your listening audience. We do gather to offer to everyone a way in which to commemorate and support in each person's own way how they have processed over this time.
All of us, including myself, are on different paths, have various different emotions, and I think, for all of us, we're looking toward the future. And certainly as Spartans come together to hold each other up, I think that is part of what Spartans do.
Saliby: There's no way when administration, a community or a university like MSU, could really prepare for something like this. But could you talk about the university's response in the immediate aftermath?
Maybe from your specific perspective, as the interim president, as an administrator, as a leader of the school?
Woodruff: I think what we've done over time is to develop additional planning in campus safety and many improvements, and the campus had been engaged in many of those developments that would advance our overall safety.
And I think I tend to be a big tent person, and so, I bring in the wisdom of as many as possible, and then use that to develop the decisional steps necessary in a timely manner that is enabling to the campus and then provide the accommodations and wraparound services for those within the middle concentric circle that need that additional help.
Saliby: Can you talk about plans for a permanent memorial on campus?
Woodruff: I brought together a committee to work through the memorial process. And again, on a campus of this size, there are many voices. And so, I've prioritized the involvement of as many as possible. That doesn't mean that every person is involved, and that's true in many of these decisions.
We've brought in students, faculty, staff, community members, affected families. There's been deep deliberation and thoughtful engagement about what it means to have an artistic representation of this moment in time for Michigan State University and its people.
So, we expect to have that committee, perhaps, wrap up their work this spring semester, begin to engage with an artist or artists depending on how they decide to move forward, then I believe that there will be a permanent memorial sometime next year that will help again with this ongoing way in which we're enabling forward progress for the Spartan community.
I am forever grateful to the generosity of so many folks who have come together to help with our community and pathway toward healing. That has been part of this moment, but also I think it just represents the character of Spartans everywhere.
Saliby: Is there anything else or any one message that you want to tell the campus community as it marks this one year anniversary?
Woodruff: You know, I am forever grateful to the generosity of so many folks who have come together to help with our community and pathway toward healing. That has been part of this moment, but also I think it just represents the character of Spartans everywhere.
And I'm just forever grateful to everyone who has put their hands next to each other, held tightly, lifted each other up and then still been able to lead across a time that has been extraordinary, but certainly, we continue to walk together.
Saliby: Teresa Woodruff is MSU’s Interim President. Thank you for joining me.
Woodruff: Thank you.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
