December 12, 2003

Update from Provost Lou Anna K. Simon
“Vision for the Liberal Arts and Sciences”

I am gratified by the robust response to the focus group discussions conducted by Dr. Marcellette Williams. The high level of interest and the wide variety of ideas and perspectives that are emerging from these discussions will be extraordinarily valuable as we shape our vision for the liberal arts and sciences at Michigan State and continue to build the land-grant university for the 21st century.

I deeply appreciate the broad engagement across our university community, and the innovative thinking and ideas you have shared via the focus groups, e-mail and in other communications, public and private. I particularly value your participation at this busy time of year—we realize we must act now to address the most imminent of the challenges, but with an eye on our future, or risk being overtaken by events beyond our control.

MSU has a unique advantage in how we balance our approaches to both the budget and intellectual challenges that continue to give impetus to this process. Our heritage of practical problem-solving and the culture of collaboration, pragmatism and scholarship central to our land-grant tradition set us apart from many of our peers. What we do in the coming weeks will shape the core of our university for years to come. Thank you all for your efforts.

As noted in the “Interim Report from Dr. Williams,” we expect to post a summary of the focus group discussions on the Office of the Provost web site in January. It will encompass the views and ideas offered by faculty, staff, students, and administrators, and will play a vital role in the process of shaping our framework and vision for the liberal arts and sciences at MSU.

I will continue to work closely with the deans as further ideas, views, and options emerge. I am committed to a thoughtful and thorough exploration of the themes and ideas that emanate from these discussions. It is my goal to have my thoughts outlined and posted to the web site approximately one month after receiving Dr. Williams’ summaries.