Michigan State University’s president says his goal is to be "strategic, bold and student focused" as the new academic year begins.
This is President Kevin Guskiewicz’s second full year on campus after being hired in late 2023.
He says there are plans in the works this year to create a physical space on campus for first-generation college students to support their education.
"About 21% of every incoming class are first-generation college students, and we want to be sure that they know what those resources are."
The announcement of the First-Gen Center first came in January of 2025, and a spokesperson for the university says that space is currently set to open sometime next year.
Guskiewicz adds this year’s enrollment will be slightly less than last year's which saw a record 52,089 students starting classes in the fall.
Meanwhile, MSU's new provost says it was the enthusiasm of the people on campus that led to her decision to come to the school.
Laura Lee McIntyre previously served as the dean of the University of Oregon’s College of Education. Guskiewicz announced her hiring in May.
She compares being provost to being an endurance athlete.
"There's a lot of newness here, and it's an opportunity for us to take stock in our strengths, build upon those strengths, and imagine what we can be now, but more importantly, 50 years from now," she said.
Some university decisions including a planned transfer of campus psychiatric services to MSU Health Care have been put on hold while McIntyre settles into the new position.
