MSU trustees approve tuition hike, merger and new leadership at June 13 meeting

At its June 13 meeting held in Traverse City, the Michigan State University Board of Trustees approved a number of major leadership appointments and voted to raise tuition for the 2025-26 academic year. The trustees also backed a study that will assess the future of the aging IM West building, and heard heated public comment surrounding a controversial academic merger.

Tuition increase could shift depending on state budget

MSU students will pay more in tuition this fall, but how much more still remains unclear. Trustees voted to raise tuition by 4.5% across the board, though university officials emphasized that the figure could decrease depending on what the state of Michigan sets as its tuition cap for public universities.

If the legislature imposes a lower cap to maintain eligibility for state funding, MSU says the university will adjust accordingly.

Sandy Pierce, chair of the Board of Trustees’ Committee on Budget and Finance, clarified during the meeting that “if this 4.5% increase goes through, it’s about $10 to $12 million and a third of that will be allocated to financial aid.”

Some trustees also emphasized their focus on affordability for students. Trustee Mike Balow noted, “There’s other metrics that could be looked at to figure out what the real burden is on our families,” referencing that the average loan debt for in-state undergraduates who borrow is around $26,000.

Laura Lee McIntyre confirmed as new Provost

The board officially confirmed Laura Lee McIntyre as MSU’s next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. McIntyre, the current dean of the College of Education at the University of Oregon, will begin her new role on August 4.

President Kevin Guskiewicz said McIntyre brings “palpable energy” and highlighted her experience in “early childhood autism, family-centered interventions and family-school partnerships for children with disabilities.”

Guskiewicz also thanked Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko for his leadership and announced that he will receive the title of Provost Emeritus.

New deans named for two MSU colleges

Trustees also approved two new dean appointments. Thomas Stubblefield was confirmed as the new dean of the College of Arts and Letters. Matthew Daum, who had served as interim dean, will now officially lead the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Guskiewicz praised both incoming deans, calling Daum’s leadership of MSU’s packaging program “nationally acclaimed” and noting Stubblefield’s prior work as associate dean at the University of Rhode Island.

IM West study receives green light

The board unanimously approved a planning study to determine the future of IM West, a longstanding recreation facility on campus. The study will explore whether the building can be renovated or whether it should be demolished.

IM West is currently the largest recreational sports facility on campus containing 7,000 square feet dedicated to free weights as well as an indoor pool and a multipurpose gym that seats 650. The building also houses a variety of kinesiology and group fitness classes. 

The study comes after months of deliberations over the future of IM West. If demolished, the space is set to become additional parking and green space on campus.

The topic is expected to return in future meetings once the study is complete.

Board approves merger despite student opposition

The board also approved a motion to merge the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) with the College of Arts and Letters (CAL), a decision that drew strong criticism from student leaders and alumni.

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Kathryn Harding, the incoming ASMSU president, voiced strong opposition to the merger, telling trustees that undergraduate students had been repeatedly excluded from the decision-making process. 

“ASMSU has expressed time and time again the lack of student voices in the process,” she said, referencing three bills and two public statements released in opposition. “Let me be clear, this is not something that the undergraduate students wanted.”

Harding said the effects of the merger would likely be gradual, but warned that one of the most immediate impacts would be reduced representation of the Arts and Humanities in shared governance spaces across campus. 

Going forward, she said, the integration of RCAH into CAL must be “done by genuinely listening to student and faculty feedback… rather than rushing and asking the wrong questions.”

Abigail Rodriguez, an alumna speaker joining via Zoom, delivered an emotional statement opposing the merger.

“I’m honestly done being polite, I’m furious, I’m heartbroken,” she said.

Tabor Vits, an alumnus of both RCAH and the College of Arts and Letters, echoed Rodriguez’s sentiments and said the process lacked transparency from the start.

“The merger has felt like a foregone conclusion since the very beginning,” he said. “The committee work felt like checking a box before moving forward, which unfortunately sours my perception of my alma mater.”

Balow acknowledged the concerns raised during the meeting.

“The commitments that were made to the board were that the experience will remain the same for students who were in that college,” he said. “Now the proof will be in the execution of that.”

Balow said he supported the merger due in part to budgetary pressures, but added that “our committee on academic affairs (should) keep this on their radar screen … to ensure that the concerns of the students are understood and can be dealt with, and that they’re visible and that things are explained.”

Possible future agendas

Although not formally added to future agendas — more topics mentioned in the meeting could resurface in the coming months. Trustee Dennis Denno briefly discussed potential follow-up on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and ASMSU representatives raised concerns about unionization efforts and the university’s approach to artificial intelligence policies. While no formal motions were made, these issues may prompt further conversation at later meetings.

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