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The purpose of a syllabus is NOT a contract, but instead:

A marketing document
An introduction to a course and its instructor
A ‘map’ to the course including:

expectations
requirements 
conditions of engagement
how to be successful


Key elements of a syllabus include:

Instructional objectives
Instructor contact information
Evaluation criteria
Expectations of students
Important due dates
Required and recommended materials
Required proctoring arrangements

Important syllabus statements and reminders:

Spartan Code of Honor
Academic integrity
OIE Information for Mandatory Reporters
Attendance policy
Model Statements for Disability Inclusion (from RCPD)
Emergency issues
Inclusion in the classroom
Religious Observance Policy
Mental Health Support (Developed by CAPS)
Participation guidelines

Include Course Objectives:

Must be consistent with University-approved course description found in MSU Descriptions of Courses catalog
Make them clear
Focus on a product/outcome, not a process
State each as single outcome
Personal learning goals

And of course, you need to cover how grading and evaluation will be approached:

Be explicit about how students will be evaluated
Share rubrics or grading criteria
Remind students of approaching deadlines frequently
Participation expectations
Include resources that may help
Primer on effective study skills
Reading critically/effectively
Writing tips

Remember, your syllabus is your opportunity to set the tone for your course. Make sure to include:

Office hours, offer other options to meet student needs
Set reasonable boundaries
Can be friendly/conversational and also set high expectations
Convey your passion about the subject


Accessible Document Templates
Templates for commonly used documents and content management systems.  Keep in mind that templates may only help in structuring your content, the main content still needs to be formatted with accessibility in mind.

Syllabus template
PowerPoint template

Photo by Arisa Chattasa on Unsplash

"Anniversary reactions may occur because of the way a traumatic experience is saved in memory. Memories of trauma contain information about the danger during the event."-National Center for PTSD
Office for Resource and Support Coordination (ORSC) Educator Guidance

Acknowledge February 13 and its significance via a one-time statement but avoid constant, regular, or frequent reminders.
Validate that everyone will have their own reactions to the anniversary.
Respect the wide range of reactions and emotions to the commemoration that will occur.
Remember not everyone in the class may have been part of the community last year.
Include those who were not present by acknowledging that not everyone will have the same reactions; this can tie them to the community now.
Trust and believe your students who express the need for additional time, space, and support during this period.

6-Word Framework for Resilience
Laughman, L. (2017) The 6-Word Framework for Resilience.  Michigan State University.University Health and Wellbeing, Spartan Resilience Education  spartanresilience@msu.edu
Sentence Starters to acknowledge the eventsGoals: Collective empathy, understanding, & care

Before Class:




“Next week marks one year since the tragic shooting on campus. Our class will {your approach} before carrying on…”
“I understand that our next class session may bring up strong emotions as we reflect on what has happened. Please know that your feelings are valid and respected here…”
“I want to acknowledge that our upcoming class might be difficult for many of us. Please know that it's completely okay …”




During Class (Feb. 12):




“Today, as we reflect on what happened a year ago, our classroom is a community where all feelings are valid and respected”
“I want to begin class acknowledging the solemnity of the remembrances this week, and honoring the unique ways in which we all process this…”
“ Our memories of Feb. 13 challenge many of us and leave us all processing in our own way…”



Practicing Care (for yourself):
To do this work, it is vital to have had the space and time to honor and attend to your own needs. Have you had the time to have your own voice heard?  Have you given yourself the rest, nourishment, and space for the internal reflection you need in order to be present for others? Consider author Eleanor Brownn's statement, "Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel." Here are recommendations from National Center on PTSD - “What can help” section of “Reactions to Chronic Stress”: 

Increase self-care and sleep hygiene. 
Practice relaxation exercises.
Make use of periods of reduced stress. 
Organize your thoughts and feelings. 
Gain a broad perspective.
Help others.

Check out the recording below for more details and examples!Resources for Continued Growth:
MSU Office for Resource and Support Coordination have compiled guidance and external resources

Feb 13, 2024 resources
Educator-facing guidance
Other MSU campus support resources (mental health, academic, financial) 
FAQ


Mindfulness for better living (MSU Extension)
University Health and Wellbeing (MSU)

Employee Assistance Program 
Health4U Wellness Programs 

Health and Wellness Resources (MSU Library)
Trauma Services & Training Network Resources (MSU)
Skills for Psychological Recovery: Field Operations Guide (National Center for PTSD)

Choosing Positive Activities 
Supporting Someone After a Disaster
Helpful Thinking Handout


From the workshop:
To support your ongoing professional development and encourage the application of these insights, I've compiled a list of resources:

Recording: In case you missed the session or would like to revisit it, you can view the full recording on MediaSpace (embedded below).

Slide Deck: You can access CTLI's Preparing to Teach on Solemn Anniversaries slide deck which has Feb. 13 & 14th policies, educator guidance, an overview of the Spartan Resilience Framework, example phrases to acknowledge the event, recommendations for self care, and additional resources - along with reflective questions based in the aforementioned framework.



 In order to access the slides, you'll need to log in to Google drive with your MSU credentials. If you haven't done this before, you just enter your MSU email (@msu.edu) included in the "email or phone" box and google will automatically open Okta/single sign on. You can either log out of your personal Gmail account OR if you use Chrome as your browser, you can create a new "profile".



Online Discussion: Based on the content of this session, you may be interested in exploring the Resources for Teaching After Crisis playlist (developed directly following 02/13/2023 violence) or sharing your own reflections for employing the Spartan Resilience Framework in the comments below. Login with your MSU netID to connect with fellow educators, exchange ideas, and seek further guidance.



Photo by Renáta-Adrienn on Unsplash

Neighborhood Engagement Centers Services: The Engagement Centers, located in each Neighborhood, are also home to the Math Learning Center, the Writing Center, the Social Science Help Room, and other academic support services to assist students with math coursework, writing papers, and other academic subjects. The NSSC provides academic and wellness support through midterm and finals preparation events. Peer Educators are another academic service that works with students on various academic skills like “learning how to learn,” time management skills, study skills, goal setting, test preparation, and provide tutoring in chemistry, physics, computer science, and more. In addition to academic support, the Neighborhoods offers Career and Major Exploration resources and various health and wellness resources through Recreation and Fitness Programs, the Health Clinic, and Counseling and Psychiatric services. Intercultural Dialogues and Identity Consciousness programs are resources to support the inclusion and equity of students.
Visit and Connect with an Engagement Center: For more information about NSSC programs or resources, visit https://nssc.msu.edu and follow the NSSC on Instagram at @nsscmsu. To schedule an appointment, email nssc@msu.edu.

This week, we are featuring Candace Robertson, Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) Assistant Director.  Candace was recognized via iteach.msu.edu's Thank and Educator Initiative! We encourage MSU community members to nominate high-impact Spartan educators (via our Thank an Educator form) regularly!
Read more about Candace’s perspectives below. #iteachmsu's questions are bolded below, followed by their responses!


You were recognized via the Thank an Educator Initiative. In one word, what does being an educator mean to you? 
Brainstorm. 
What does this word/quality look like in your practice? Have your ideas on this changed over time? If so, how?
In practice, this looks like listening to learners and brainstorming with them to maximize their learning experiences and future professional opportunities. This is done with empathy and creative thinking, as I act as a solution-oriented sounding board. It also looks like me brainstorming as a reflective practitioner to improve the content, experience, and my facilitation abilities.
Tell me more about your educational “setting.” This can include, but not limited to departmental affiliations, community connections, co-instructors, and students. (AKA, where do you work?)
 I work for the College of Education’s Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program, in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education (CEPSE). I advise our MAET students and teach courses for our program as well, among my other responsibilities. My interactions with learners and our instructors ranges from in-person, to hybrid, to fully online.
What is a challenge you experience in your educator role? Any particular “solutions” or “best practices” you’ve found that help you support student success at the university despite/in the face of this?
A current challenge I am facing in my advising and teaching role is the hardships that PK-12 educators (many of our students) are facing in their professional roles and how that is impacting their ability to make the time and cognitive space needed for their graduate coursework. To support this challenge, our program provided training in trauma-informed practice to our instructors. On the student side, we worked with MSU’s CAPS to offer group connection sessions to focus on mental health.
What are practices you utilize that help you feel successful as an educator?
 It helps me feel successful as an educator when a learner shares a positive or critical reflection of their experience with me. In working with educators as our learners, I want to be the best that I can be and when I’ve created the setting where the learner feels comfortable enough to reach out and share feedback at any point in the experience, I know that I’ve done well in building a trusting community focused on growth – my own included.
What topics or ideas about teaching and learning would you like to see discussed on the iteach.msu.edu platform? Why do you think this conversation is needed at MSU? 
 I would be very interested to learn more about what other educators on campus are doing to support students who are facing challenging work demands and how they are accounting for this in their teaching and learning spaces. This is especially needed at the master’s level, where the majority of students are working full-time and balancing those demands with their graduate experience.
What are you looking forward to (or excited to be a part of) next semester?
We are excited to be able to offer our hybrid and overseas (face-to-face) cohorts this summer, after postponing the last two summers due to COVID-19. I’m excited for the opportunity to bring our students together safely in the same physical space to watch them explore and create together!



Don't forget to celebrate individuals you see making a difference in teaching, learning, or student success at MSU with #iteachmsu's Thank an Educator initiative. You might just see them appear in the next feature!

This week, we are featuring Dr. Sandro Barros, an Assistant Professor of Multilingualism, Curriculum & Instruction in MSU’s Department of Teacher Education.  Dr. Barros was recognized via iteach.msu.edu's Thank and Educator Initiative! We encourage MSU community members to nominate high-impact Spartan educators (via our Thank an Educator form) regularly!
Read more about Dr. Barros’ perspectives below. #iteachmsu's questions are bolded below, followed by their responses!


You were recognized via the Thank an Educator Initiative. In one word, what does being an educator mean to you? Share with me what this word/quality looks like in your practice?
Whenever I think about what being an educator entails, I think about the Latin roots of the English word “education:” educare, which means 'to train or to mold' and educere, which means 'to draw out'. While the two meanings are quite different, they are both represented in the ethical activity of the educator. But to me, educere is more appealing because it suggests  a particular attention to intelligence as equal in human beings. We differ biologically and intellectually from one another. So, it is only natural to expect that our intelligence will manifest differently. 
Have your ideas on this changed over time? If so, how?
Thinking about the task of educators in connection with educere helps me deconstruct pernicious ideas around notions of intelligence as something that our system encourages as quantifiable. It also keeps me on my toes regarding how I must model to students the kind of deep listening society so sorely needs to heal itself as it deals with misinformation. 
Tell me more about your educational “setting.” This can include, but not limited to departmental affiliations, community connections, co-instructors, and students. (Aka, where do you work?)
I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education. I teach graduate and undergraduate courses in the Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education program and advise dissertations on subjects related to the Educational Humanities, Multilingualism, and Curriculum Theory. I am also affiliated with the Second Language Studies program and Latin American and Caribbean studies.  
What is a challenge you experience in your educator role?
Although I have been teaching for decades, listening deeply and mindfully to students is something I struggle with to this day. I am not sure if the level of listening I am describing here is what you would consider a “best practice.” Teaching is both artful and directive, so it responds to different criteria depending on whom you ask and where you find yourself. All I know is that teaching is a mysterious activity done in communion and through communicative means. Accordingly, it can introduce new possibilities to see, think, and feel the world in different ways. 
Throughout my life, I’ve had great teachers who performed the type of attentive listening to which I aspire. Their listening afforded me the necessary space to think for myself out loud and work out problems without interferences that felt oppressive or traumatizing. If there’s a generative practice associated with teaching, listening is it, mainly as we think about how our listening interventions can bring out greater intellectual clarity. Having experienced from my teachers the effect of the power of listening deeply and authentically, I know such a skill can be cultivated as a habit. 
What are practices you utilize that help you feel successful as an educator?
I feel most “successful” when the relationships I build with students allow for transparency of commitments and expectations that will enable them to develop their intellectual curiosity as well as my own. As I mentioned earlier, deep listening is crucial. 
What topics or ideas about teaching and learning would you like to see discussed on the iteach.msu.edu platform? Why do you think this conversation is needed at msu? 
I would like us to engage in a serious conversation about mental health. And I would like this conversation to take place away from the toxic positivity discourse that highlights meritocratic perseverance. We struggle a lot, and we fail a lot. The kind of “personal conquest narrative” we see in education today is imbued with banal sentimentality and hope.  would do well to bear in mind that hope, in particular, without criticism, detracts us from epistemic and structural injustices. Being more open about our struggles and failures and being honest with ourselves and each other requires difficult conversations, and compassion is an essential practice to achieve that goal. But for that to occur, we need to develop a culture that activates our dispositions to cooperate instead of competing for limited resources. The toll that social inequalities spilling over higher education takes in our psyches is grave. To heal forward, we need to tend to our wounds collectively so that we may have the kinds of difficult conversations we need to; not despite our incommensurable differences but precisely because of them.
What are you looking forward to (or excited to be a part of) this semester?
I am teaching TE908 Sociocultural Foundations of English Learning. I am also involved in a project on transnational heritage language activism inside and outside school settings. I am interested in the mundane strategies people employ to demonstrate new models of linguistic citizenship within diasporic cultures, thereby challenging nationalist and essentialist views of language and culture. I am primarily concerned with the activism of teachers, artists, and public intellectuals around language and citizenship issues as forms of public pedagogy. I hope this work can give us some clues as to how to imagine more desirable solutions to problems caused by nationalism’s enduring presence in education—namely, how we approach minoritized students’ education vis-a-vis identity politics and strategic essentialism. My scholarly work has taught me that these options have not served marginalized students very well. In addition to a core course I teach at the undergraduate level, these activities keep me pretty busy, but I very much enjoy them.



Don't forget to celebrate individuals you see making a difference in teaching, learning, or student success at MSU with #iteachmsu's Thank an Educator initiative. You might just see them appear in the next feature!

This resource is meant to put information about trauma informed practices into the hands of faculty and instructors. Please see the digital flyer for more information. The references below were used in the creation of the flyer. Special thank you to Cheryl Williamns-Hecksel, Apryl Pooley and the Mental Health Committee (JED) for support in creating this resource.
References for Trauma Informed Practice Digital Flyer 

Cusack SE, et al. (2019). Prevalence and predictors of PTSD among a college sample. J Am Coll Health. Feb-Mar;67(2):123-131. https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/29652647/
Read, J. P., Ouimette, P., White, J., Colder, C., & Farrow, S. (2011). Rates of DSM–IV–TR trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder among newly matriculated college students. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 3(2), 148–156. https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/25621098/ 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4884. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014. https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma14-4884.pdf 
https://istss.org/public-resources/trauma-basics/trauma-during-adulthood 
Morissette SB, et al. (2021). The effects of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms on educational functioning in student veterans. Psychol Serv. Feb;18(1):124-133. https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/31192672/ 
Boyraz G et al. (2016). Posttraumatic stress, effort regulation, and academic outcomes among college students: A longitudinal study. J Couns Psychol. Jul;63(4):475-86. https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/26214096/ 
https://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/resources/trauma-informed-practices-postsecondary-508.pdf 
Racine N, Killam T, Madigan S. (2020). Trauma-Informed Care as a Universal Precaution: Beyond the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire. JAMA Pediatr. 174(1):5–6. https://jamanetwork-com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2754104

MSU does not currently have a university-wide policy on cameras/videos (e.g. web cameras) for online learning. Much like attendance/participation policies, camera/video policy statements will be determined by individual instructors, departments, and programs. Instructors are responsible for communicating the individual course policy to students.
The following resource is provided to assist you in developing coherent policies on camera use in your course. Please adjust the guidance to fit your particular course context, but remember you must make allowances for certain circumstances that might be tied to connectivity issues or environmental circumstances. It is key that your desire for video-on participation be built on a foundation of inclusion and accessibility, pedagogy and design.   The information below is shared as key considerations for developing your course policy.  If you have specific questions about writing your course policy, please reach out to the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI).  
Benefits and Challenges of Webcams 
The use of webcams in live online meetings can add to the educational experience in many ways. Some of these include: 

Students working in groups 
Showing physical evidence or materials 
Proof of attendance 
Classes that focus on communication skills, performance, or physical movement 

Students may wish to keep their webcams off because: 

Their internet speed cannot support the use of streaming video. Bandwidth problems are real for many students regardless of their location 
They may have privacy concerns (e.g. roommates, children, or other family members in the background) 
Students may wish to keep their webcams off because leaving them on may reveal their exact geographical location or other unique identifying information to the rest of the class 
They may have a visually busy environment or otherwise distracting background that could detract from others’ ability to attend to class content 
They may have personal or environmental concerns that make sharing their likeness or their personal spaces problematic. Not all computers can replace backgrounds with virtual backdrops that would alleviate these concerns 
They may have a disability where the video feed will decrease their success in the course 
Students may not have a webcam on their computer. This item has not been a component of the university required laptop/desktop description. 

Educators should be aware of the privacy, hardware, software, disability, and equity concerns and only require the use of webcams or video feeds when the educational value of requiring video supersedes those concerns. In such instances, there may still be students whose specific disabilities preclude the use of webcams. The Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities will work to assist students who have gone through the proper accommodation request process and for whom the use of webcams is not possible. Instructors should also keep in mind that the accommodations process can be a time consuming and expensive one; and not all students may be able to engage in it. In addition, disabilities, temporary or otherwise, can manifest at any time. These factors should be considered when you determining the policy for your course.
Best Practices for Developing Video Conference Policies 
In general, online learners experience “Zoom fatigue” and extra cognitive loads when it comes to learning (McCabe, et al., 2023 & Fauville, et al, 2021) For reasons of equity and respect for privacy, students generally should not be required to turn on their webcams for the full duration of all online class sessions. The literature around camera-on requirements promoting learning is scarce. Waluyo and Wangdi (2023) found that classroom dynamics, classroom exhaustion and participation, physical appearance and background, unrelated physical activity, distracting behaviors, and technical issues all played a role in student-camera behavior. It is also important to note that there are many ways to - through pedagogical design - effectively build a sense of belonging and classroom engagement. If you’re interested in more on classroom engagement strategies, you can schedule a consultation with a member of the CTLI team or check out CTLI’s upcoming events! 
Faculty might have pedagogical reasons to ask students to turn on cameras when teaching online, but educators should consider whether asking students to turn on their webcam is necessary to accomplish a learning objective and should explain to students the educational reason for their request, allowing the student to make their own, informed decision to do so based on their circumstances and without incurring penalties of any kind. 
In short, the default recommended practice would be to allow students to keep their webcams off, with certain learning goals and instructional practices making it justifiable for the educator to ask students to turn on their webcams if they are willing and able, after receiving an explanation for the request. The only exception to this choice would be during assessment activities that require* the use of a webcam.  
*Any webcam mandates need to be clearly communicated in advance of the first-expected use to allow students adequate time to plan and prepare their environment. 
Relevant MSU Documents and Policies 
Restrictions on instructors requiring students to turn on their webcams is supported by MSU’s Student Rights and Responsibilities, Article 2.II.B 8 (The student has a right to protection against improper disclosure of his/her education records and personal information such as values, beliefs, organizational affiliations, and health) and Article 2.III.B 10 (The student and the faculty share the responsibility for maintaining professional relationships based on mutual trust and civility). 
In light of the Family Educational Records Protections Act (FERPA), MSU’s Office of General Council recently put together this guide addressing how to properly deal with files of recorded synchronous sessions containing video feed.  References & Further Readings 
McCabe, J. A., Banasik, C. S., Jackson, M. G., Postlethwait, E. M., Steitz, A., & Wenzel, A. R. (2023). Exploring perceptions of cognitive load and mental fatigue in pandemic-era zoom classes. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000347  
Fauville, Geraldine and Luo, Mufan and Queiroz, Anna C. M. and Bailenson, Jeremy N. and Hancock, Jeff, Nonverbal Mechanisms Predict Zoom Fatigue and Explain Why Women Experience Higher Levels than Men (April 5, 2021). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3820035  or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3820035   
Waluyo, Budi & Wangdi, Thinley. (2023). Reasons and Impacts of Camera On and Off during Synchronous Online English Teaching and Learning: Insights from Thai EFL Context. CALL-EJ. 24. 179-198.  Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367384842_Reasons_and_Impacts_of_Camera_On_and_Off_during_Synchronous_Online_English_Teaching_and_Learning_Insights_from_Thai_EFL_Context  
https://courses.cs.washington.edu/courses/cse481p/23sp/readings/W6S2/four-causes-zoom-fatigue-solutions-VigneshRamachandran.pdf   
Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash 
 

Leadership Fellows

2015-2016: Zach Frenzel
2016-2017: Kyle McCarthy
2017-2020: Tracy Melvin
2019-2021: Clara Graucob
2020-2021: Alex White
2021-2022: Liz Stebbins

Zach Frenzel (2015-2016)Zach Frenzel not only served as the first Agriculture & Natural Resources Leadership Fellow, he was selected to be the first ever Fellow after participating in the 2014 Leadership Academy. Zach conducted several needs assessment in the College, finding that graduate students in several departments did not feel their home departments were a cohesive as it related to research, scholarship, and sense of community.  He used the results of those assessments to inform his work strengthening the community of graduate students in CANR by hosting department-specific events to facilitate inter-departmental connections. Zach also worked closely with Graduate Student Organizations (GSOs) and departments on leadership frameworks, enabling both groups to state that they felt Zach helped them make significant progress towards becoming a more unified team.
Kyle McCarthy (2016-2017)Zach’s work to facilitate communication and collaboration among the GSOs, departments, and stakeholders that shape graduate students’ lives within the college served as an inspiration for Zach’s successor, Kyle McCarthy, the 2016-2017 CANR Leadership Fellow. Kyle leveraged results from the survey that Zach distributed to GSO leadership as well as his connections with leaders from nine of CANRs GSOs to identify the need for a CANR-specific GSO handbook to facilitate greater collaboration & engagement among the groups. Kyle ended his Fellowship by giving a presentation about his findings and the handbook draft he and other CANR leaders developed to the graduate program directors.
Tracy Melvin (2016-2020) | Coordinator (2020-2021)Zach and Kyle’s diligent work building relationships within the college and with the Institute laid the foundation for Tracy Melvin to organize CANR Rising in 2018, an event where Tracy brought in a panel of respected CANR faculty and administrators to vulnerably share their lived experiences with overcoming failure. Her event had a significant impact on both the graduate students involved, who commonly suffer from Imposter Syndrome and feel that failure is not an option, as well as on the presenting faculty members, who reported that the process of sharing helped them better understand their past experiences and shifted their ways of thinking about failure. Though Tracy’s second CANR Rising was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19, she was determined to not let her work with the Institute come to an end. She was brought on as a Co-Coordinator of the Leadership Institute from 2020-2021 and was instrumental in reshaping the Fellowship’s curriculum and structure.
Clara Graucob (2019-2021)Tracy’s success with the CANR Rising event during the 2017-2018 helped secure funding for an additional Agriculture and Natural Resources Leadership Fellow, Clara Graucob. As an international student from Germany, Clara recognized the lack of congruence between the resources provided to international grad students by the Graduate School and the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS). After distributing a survey to international graduate students in 2019 regarding the accessibility and publicity of resources intended to ease their transition into the American education system, Clara leveraged iteach.msu, a collaborative educational resource-sharing platform developed by Institute Co-Coordinator Makena Neal. Clara’s playlist, “Resources for new Spartans,” serves as a one-stop-shop for resources to help new Spartans transition into life at MSU, addressing topics such as housing, grocery shopping, social activities, nature/outdoor activities, postal services, health care, insurance, mental health, IM sports teams, navigating campus, and many others. The dedication, thoughtfulness, and drive evident in Clara’s work and her approach to leadership enabled her to develop connections with Office of International Students and Scholars and secure an assistantship, through which she will continue supporting international grad students at MSU.
Alex White (2020-2021)Alex White conducted a Field Safety Week for graduate students who enter the program with different levels of comfort in forested environments. Alex designed the training to serve as a risk mitigation intervention that would prepare students with the basic skills needed to conduct field work safely. The trainings included hitching and backing a trailer, safety concerns for field researchers from underrepresented backgrounds, overview of safety equipment, snakes of Michigan, land navigation, and self-defense. The field safety week also included the opportunity to get a Wilderness First Aid Certification with the Great Lakes EMS Academy. Alex worked with Lauren Noel, Kelly Millenbaugh, Laura Bix, and CANR Diversity Office to organize logistics, secure funding, and recruit speakers. In a post-event survey, participating grad students said the training made them feel safer in the field and expressed an interest in participating in the training again. Alex continues to promote a culture of field safety in the department as she completes her program.
Liz Stebbins (2021-2022)Liz was interested in finding ways to connect graduate students, old and new, to community resources within and external to MSU. She worked with College of Education Fellow, Sarah Galvin, to create plans for a “Community Orientation” to help get new graduate students engaged in their local community. They connected with the Center for Community Engaged Learning and the Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship, as well as several Lansing and East Lansing-area organizations. They made plans for an involvement fair that they hoped to launch in the Fall of 2022 where they would invite members of the community to come meet interested graduate students.