September 2023 Newsletter

We had so much fun meeting so many of you during the fall move-in festivities! We estimate about 4,000 folks came to the STEM building, and scores more to 1855 Place, Kellogg Center, and across campus to connect, get stickers or just say hi. (There are still stickers at the 1855 Place Welcome Desk — send your student to pick one up for you!) The weather was hot, but you are all Spartans and made the best of it! Your students are Spartans, too, and came to Fall Welcome events in record numbers. While the weather Thursday night was scary, it made for a beautiful weekend of welcome events and a gorgeous first week of classes for your students! 

We have lots of tips, tricks and reminders in this edition of the newsletter, so read on for info about upcoming events, tips, family weekend info and more. 

Take care,
Laurin 

Homesickness

We are starting to see some signs of homesickness. This is normal! Almost all students experience some level of homesickness at some point in their journey, whether it’s the loss of a well-known routine, missing old friends and family, the longing for foods that taste like home, or even more frequently, missing pets! And this doesn’t just happen to first-year students. Homesickness can spring up each year of a student’s journey, and it can be hard to make friends as an adult.

How can you help? Check out this article from Grown & Flown for some supportive ideas that don’t include bringing your student home or you having to come to campus! We also have a previous webinar with tips on how students can get involved. Watch that recording here.   

Partying and Medical Amnesty

As football season kicks off, students might begin attending tailgates, parties and other celebratory events. Despite what the movies would have us believe, most students celebrate responsibly, with seven out of 10 MSU students consuming 0–4 drinks when they party. But if things get a little out of hand, MSU’s new medical amnesty policy encourages students to seek emergency medical care for themselves or others in case of intoxication or injury.  

Learn About Medical Amnesty and Know the Facts

Career Fairs and Events

Career Fair season is upon us! Encourage your student to participate, connect with possible employers and gain experience promoting themselves as professionals. Career Fair locations, times and program listings can be found here.

Career Services Network also has a new Career Closet, where students can borrow professional attire for upcoming fairs, interviews or other events. Click here to learn more.

Office of Community and Student Relations  

Now that your Spartan has moved in and is settling into life and a routine, we encourage them to look to the broader MSU community. Within the Office of Community and Student Relations, we work to support students in all needs related to off-campus life. As your Spartan explores new ventures, you might hear murmurs that it’s time to consider leases for off-campus housing for 2024-25. We are here to gently remind you to take a deep breath and know that, though the process will begin for some in October, most students do not sign leases until much later into the academic year.

If you enjoy planning and preparing for next adventures, we recommend beginning with our Spartan Guide to Off Campus Living. This guide offers a step-by-step process for your Spartan to begin the off-campus housing search. The Office of Student Development and Leadership will be hosting the annual Off-Campus Housing Fair Nov.1, at the MSU Union. This is a wonderful opportunity to speak with property managers, ask questions and collect tons of swag! Lastly, we like to remind parents and Spartans about our housing resources in partnership with Off Campus Partners. This website provides a platform to search for local housing options and connect with Spartans looking for roommates with the added security feature of requiring an MSU NetID. This ensures the person on the roommate finding feature is an MSU student. So, start making a list of questions and encourage your student to do the same!

Family Weekend 2023
We are excited to be planning the 2023 MSU Family Weekend Presented by MSUFCU! This year’s Nov. 3-5 event will include a large resource and information fair for families checking in for Family Weekend, WKAR Open House, Dairy Farm tours, the Friday night MSU Women’s Volleyball game, a tailgate prior to the Saturday football game, a UAB event featuring MSU student performances, and Sunday seminars from Career Services Network, Undergraduate Education, MSU DPPS, Spartan Experience Record, Office of Community and Student Relations, and others. And we’re excited to welcome Interim President Woodruff and Interim Provost Jeitschko to speak at Sunday’s add-on ticketed event, Breakfast with Administration. You can find the weekend’s schedule here. 

We’ve received questions about registration that we’d like to address here.

• The full schedule includes all of the activities happening during the weekend, and not all of those activities can be seen in the registration system. This is because only those events with an additional cost, limited capacity, or for activities that we need an estimated participation number for are in the registration system. If it’s not listed as a ticketed activity in the registration system, you are welcome to attend with just the credentials you will receive at check-in.
• Anyone wanting to participate in Family Weekend activities must have credentials. If your student would like to participate, please be sure they have a ticket in the registration system so they can get those credentials. Note that MSU students have free admission this year, but they still must be registered.
• The football game is not included in the registration. Tickets to the game in the Family Weekend block can be purchased here, with confirmation and e-tickets coming from FEVO.
• Parking is provided on Friday and Sunday only. Saturday parking will follow standard campus game-day procedures. 

Safety and Security Updates 
Vice President and Chief Safety Officer Marlon Lynch recently shared this update with the campus community. There are a few important pieces from VP Lynch to remind your students. First, please urge them to log on to alert.msu.edu to review and update their notification preferences to ensure they receive alerts in the manner they choose. Second, have them download the SafeMSU app and enable push notifications. Finally, per standard procedure, each semester a mass notification is sent that allows an opportunity for student to receive the test messaging to verify their alert choices.  

Remembering Feb. 13

Interim President Woodruff recently shared a Spartan Community Letter. We are appreciative of her care for the community as, in that letter, she says the following: 

"It has been six months now since the tragic events of Feb. 13 on our campus. In 2024, most classes will not meet on that date to afford us a period of remembrance. MSU Vice President and Chief Safety Officer Marlon Lynch sent a message last week updating the community on our safety efforts. 

We know students continue to process that experience at different rates and in different ways. There are many paths Spartans walk, but they converge here, where a caring community wraps students in understanding and support. Certainly, the violence on campuses and in communities across the United States just in the last week has been disheartening. I have offered our support to others and want to remind our community that support is available as you process these events. Students can access MSU Counseling and Psychiatric Services, and employees can contact our Employee Assistance Program. 

While our sorrow is deep, we recommit today, and every day, to the safety and success of our students, faculty and staff. We walk forward together as a family."

Undergraduate Action Items Email

On a monthly basis, Vice Provost & Dean of Undergraduate Education Dr. Mark Largent and Senior Vice President for Student Life & Engagement Vennie Gore send an Action Items email to all undergraduate students. You can find this messaging here.

Upcoming Events and Important Dates

September
Sept: Various Career Events 
Sept. 18-23: MSU Homecoming Week 
Sept. 21: Last day to drop a course with full refund 

October
Oct. 1: Second payment plan installment due 
Oct. 19: College Nights at Wharton Center: "Dixie’s Tupperware Party" 
Oct. 23-24: Fall Break (no classes, University open) 

November
Nov. 1: Third payment plan installment due 
Nov. 3-5: MSU Family Weekend Presented by MSUFCU 
Nov. 5: Daylight saving time (turn clocks back one hour) 
Nov. 23-24: Thanksgiving break (no classes, University closed, res halls open, dining closed) 
Nov. 30: College Nights at Wharton Center: "Hairspray"

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