Michigan State University Holds First Private Stakeholder Forum

Michigan State University's Board of Trustees held its first-ever closed-door stakeholder engagement forum in early September 2025, bringing together about 50 to 60 invited participants from the student body, faculty, staff, alumni, and community leaders. The forum was designed to foster deeper, more candid discussions on topics such as student health, community outreach, research, infrastructure, and the undergraduate student experience, following a bylaw revision passed in December 2024 to reduce public meetings and introduce alternative engagement methods. While university leadership, including President Kevin Guskiewicz and Board Chair Kelly Tebay, emphasized that the closed setting encouraged open dialogue and was not intended to exclude voices, some students expressed concerns about transparency and the lack of public access. The event was invitation-only, and unlike regular Board of Trustees meetings, it was not live-streamed or open to media or public observers, though university officials remained available for feedback and post-forum questions. The Board plans only two more public meetings in 2025, scheduled for late October and mid-December. This forum represents a shift towards new formats for stakeholder input amidst ongoing debates about openness and community involvement at MSU.