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January 15, 2004
TO: Michigan State University Community
FROM: Lou Anna K. Simon
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
SUBJECT: Summary of Focus Conversations on the Future of the Liberal Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University
Professor Marcellette Williams has posted the summary of the conversations she facilitated on the “Vision and Framework for the Liberal Arts and Sciences at MSU.”
Dr. Williams summary may be found at www.msu.edu/unit/provost/summary.html. Additionally, Dr. Williams will supplement this posting with ideas and proposals that were submitted independently as part of this process.
I appreciate the participation of our faculty, staff, students and administrators in these focused conversations during mid-November and December. I sincerely thank those of you who participated and who sent Dr. Williams and me your thoughts and ideas.
Further commentary on Dr. Williams’ summary will be helpful as we utilize the next month to better formulate the general categories of actions andn the more particular changes that we will make to strengthen the intellectual vitality of MSU and deal responsibly and realistically with a very difficult economic context. I encourage you to explore a variety of links to other resources that reflect the national conversations that are also underway. MSU faculty and administrators have played, and continue to play, key roles in shaping these discussions and the documents you will find on the relevant web sites. Those links and resources include:
Please utilize newidea@msu.edu and the “Vision 2004” listserv to communicate, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, comments, ideas and proposals which you think would be helpful in the next phase of our work. I will continue to keep our university community informed through this Office of the Provost web site.
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