The Michigan State University Board of Trustees
The MSU Board of Trustees is chosen via a statewide election. There are eight members of the Board of Trustees, all unpaid positions, with pairs of members elected for eight year terms every two years. The Board of Trustees can be contacted through their email. According to Article 1 of the bylaws, they also select the President of MSU, currently Kevin M. Guskiewicz. The president acts as the executive power for the Trustees, and together they form the decision-making body of MSU. Within the Board of Trustees there are four committees that focus on different parts of university administration.
Committees and Meetings
The Board of Trustees holds regular meetings throughout the year, all at 9:00 in room 401 of the Hannah Administration Building. The public can participate in board meetings by filling out a “request to address the board.” This form can be filled out up to 48 hours before the next meeting and allows someone to speak for three minutes on a topic, if approved. Completing this form is the best way to officially make a position known to the Board of Trustees.
This committee focuses on how MSU promotes its goals for education by designing and reviewing new and existing policies.
This committee oversees the university's financial compliance to the law and potential risks to or in the community
This committee reviews the budget and other matters related to money within the university, including the pay of the president and advising the president about the pay of some employees.
This committee focuses on the welfare of MSU students outside of the classroom, including physical and emotional health, student rights, and athletics.
Political Participation and the Board: April 10th Arrests
On April 10 at around 5:00 p.m. MSU students from the Hurriya Coalition and others in support met outside the Hannah Administration Building while 14 students participated in a meeting with the Board inside. The two primary issues the students raised are: restoring visas for international students who had them revoked and urging the university to divest from Israel. The whole group, composed of about 50 people, were gathered outside the Hannah Administration Building at 4:00 p.m. After multiple warnings by the police that they would have to leave the building that evening, 19 people remained. 17 students and 2 other citizens were arrested and charged with trespassing by 10 p.m. All 19 people were released not long after being charged with misdemeanor trespassing. The protest and meeting at the Board of Trustees meeting, alongside the arrests, demonstrates the willingness and capability of students to act in the realm of politics, and the significance of students interacting with their elected leaders is vital to getting their aims in politics across.
