Administrative leaders and governing officials at Michigan State University recently convened with a hand-picked cohort of campus community members for the institution’s second annual Stakeholder Engagement Forum. Held away from the public eye and closed to the press, the four-hour gathering prompted university leadership to publicly address and defend the decision to bar journalists and conduct the strategic discussions in private.
The invitation-only event occurred inside the multipurpose room of the Minskoff Pavilion, situated within the Broad College of Business on the East Lansing campus. Designed to bridge communication between leadership and university constituents, the session brought together roughly 50 selected participants, including members of the MSU Board of Trustees, high-ranking administrative personnel, instructional faculty, staff members, alumni, and undergraduate students.
Addressing the decision to exclude news media from the proceedings, MSU Board of Trustees Chair Brianna Scott emphasized that the private format was deliberately chosen to create a safe, uninhibited space for candid dialogue. Scott, a Democrat from Muskegon, asserted that restricting outside observers enabled participants to speak freely about their personal experiences without fear of public exposure or professional repercussions.
Scott firmly rejected suggestions that the administration sought to operate in secrecy, noting that the broader takeaways and institutional lessons generated throughout the morning would eventually be disseminated publicly. She noted that many individuals are naturally hesitant to recount deeply personal or sensitive campus encounters in an open setting, adding that several stories shared at her table likely would not have emerged had cameras or reporters been situated in the room.
Other trustees present echoed a nuanced view regarding the private setup. Trustee Dennis Denno, a Democrat representing East Lansing, acknowledged his personal preference for open governance and transparency while recognizing the administrative logic behind the closed environment. Denno remarked that the structure was intended to foster more genuine, unfiltered exchanges, adding that he was eager to assess the practical value and outcomes derived from the unique conversational format.
MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz explained following the conclusion of the event that the selection of attendees was carefully structured to ensure a diverse cross-section of the Spartan community was represented. The administration aimed to assemble a cohort representing various tiers of institutional life, drawing participants ranging from newly matriculated first-year undergraduates to seasoned senior administrators and operational staff.
According to university leadership, deliberate care was taken in the seating arrangements to avoid administrative insularity. Roughly two students were assigned to each round table, ensuring a mixture of academic classifications, fields of study, and residential demographics. This deliberate distribution allowed non-resident students and underclassmen to converse directly with campus decision-makers on equal footing throughout the day's exercises.
University spokesperson Amber McCann highlighted the extensive preparatory effort that preceded the forum. McCann revealed that the university solicited broad campus input prior to the gathering, receiving 444 thematic topic submissions alongside 117 unique nominations for prospective attendees. These nominations spanned faculty, staff, alumni, and students, providing the framework from which the administration curated the small-group dialogue.
The agenda for the four-hour conference was built around three primary institutional pillars, each introduced through general presentations before transitioning into localized table discussions. The central themes included the responsible utilization of artificial intelligence in campus innovation and learning, strategies surrounding institutional culture and organizational effectiveness, and initiatives aimed at cultivating a cohesive student experience from initial enrollment to degree completion.
Technological transformation served as a focal point during the event's prominent session on artificial intelligence, featuring formal presentations from Marcio Oliveira, the vice provost for academic innovation, and Richard Czarnecki, the university’s chief information officer. The administrative presentation laid the groundwork for evaluative discussions on how Michigan State can preserve its standing as an innovative research hub while simultaneously establishing rigorous ethical frameworks for technology deployment.
Discussions surrounding artificial intelligence also examined its impact on instructional pedagogy and workforce preparedness. McCann noted that participants were encouraged to assess how emerging digital tools are altering the foundational competencies students will require upon graduation, alongside deliberating practical mechanisms for the university to support faculty, researchers, and operational staff in effectively adopting new systems.
The dialogue on technology extended beyond classroom instruction to address the university's land-grant outreach mission across the state. Chair Scott highlighted that her table examined ways in which artificial intelligence could be leveraged by MSU Extension, an outreach network operating offices throughout all 83 Michigan counties, in partnership with AgBioResearch.
Scott noted that staffing levels vary significantly across the state's regional extension offices, creating operational challenges in serving local populations evenly. She emphasized that integrating artificial intelligence tools could allow MSU Extension to better connect with agricultural producers and rural communities, potentially positioning the university at the leading edge of modern agricultural support and technical dissemination.
Student participants also contributed directly to the programmatic discussions on technological adaptation. Isaac Thomas, a first-year mechanical engineering student who had engaged in artificial intelligence policy and education work during high school, shared during a brief recess that the collaborative dynamic at the tables provided a productive venue for diverse stakeholders to contribute distinct perspectives on complex institutional challenges.
As the university processes the notes and feedback generated from the gathering, administrators and board members maintain that the private forum serves as a vital tool for institutional self-assessment. University officials reaffirmed that the ultimate findings from the closed discussions will serve to inform broader policy initiatives, strategic planning, and campus-wide governance in the academic year ahead.
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