From Our Vice President - Summer 2018
Michigan State University reached a $500 million settlement with survivors of the Nassar abuse case in May. This was an important step as it cleared the way for the university to issue bonds to pay the mediated settlement straight away.
While this does not eliminate the hurt felt by survivors, we hope that it—along with our work over the last seven months—will show an earnest effort to improve policies, procedures, programs, and operations.
A compilation of this ongoing work, Taking Action to Foster a Safer Campus, is updated periodically and can be accessed from MSU’s “Our Commitment” website. The changes taking place at MSU are focused on three main areas:
- Protecting patients and improving patient care
- Preventing sexual misconduct and sexual assault
- Responding to sexual misconduct and sexual assault
While the university is moving forward, I want you to know that we aren’t simply moving on—there is still important work ahead for all of us at MSU.
On June 26, MSU Interim President John Engler established a new Office of Enterprise Risk Management, Ethics and Compliance, to be headed by a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO).
The CCO will oversee adherence to and effectiveness of codes of conduct and ethics. The CCO will have independent access and report on a regular basis directly to the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee.
Additionally, new resources have been dedicated to support student mental health services and in September we will open a second Counseling and Psychiatric Services location in the MSU Union. In total, 10 new positions have been added to our Counseling and Psychiatric Services.
We have also funded 13 new Title IX and related positions for prevention services or investigative work.
Sexual assault awareness and prevention will be important topics this summer at orientation programs for our new students and their families, along with a sharpened focus on respect as a core value of MSU.
In fact, Michigan State’s incoming freshman class will be one of the largest and most diverse in the school’s history, with more than 8,400 new students expected to join us this fall. We want to ensure that their expectations for college are met on this campus, both in and out of the classroom.
As Spartans, we take pride in our daily work, achievements, and sense of purpose to make the world a better place for all. We hold ourselves accountable when we don’t live up to our expectations. We are committed to making sure the internal reforms we need are made.
Thank you for your partnership as we move forward. If you have suggestions for our community, I encourage you to share your comments at the website listed below.
Respectfully,
