Clean sweep
MSU administrators try to change culture of university, transform student body with scheduling, reputation reformations
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Hannah Chase barely remembers her Welcome Week — not because she had too much fun, but because she didn’t have enough. Chase, an athletic training freshman, is one of the first to experience a shorter, three-day Welcome Week introduced this fall. She won’t look back on the beginning of her freshman year and remember a weeklong introduction to MSU, something she said is a disappointment.
“I can’t really remember it because it was really short. … My orientation was the day before we moved in,” she said. “I don’t have the best memories. It kind of sucks that I didn’t have that stronger orientation to the school.”
A shorter Welcome Week, implemented this year, and more Friday classes, are administrative changes that might mean the end of some long-standing MSU traditions.
University officials said some of the changes partly represent efforts to change the university’s image and turn student focus to academics, in addition to providing more flexibility for schedules.
For many students, having Fridays off and a full Welcome Week are a part of college social life and culture, which is something the administration is changing.
Video: Fleeting Fun
New image
MSU’s administration is trying to drift away from a party school atmosphere and reputation, Provost Kim Wilcox said.
“You don’t want a party school persona because every year for the rest of your life — once you graduate — you’re going to be a Michigan State grad,” he said. “The people who employ you are not particularly interested in hiring somebody from a party school. … They’re interested in employing somebody who went to a rigorous university.”
Spanish and global and area studies senior Eric Kova said he focuses on academics, but some of his most memorable experiences were during Welcome Week his freshman year, and this year’s class is missing out.
“It was a blur, but at the same time, it was so much fun,” he said. “That’s part of the college life. I met some of my best friends who are still my best friends to this day Welcome Week and I feel like (freshmen are) really missing out. … That’s how I met most of my friends.”
Senior Associate Provost June Youatt said focusing on these social changes in culture takes away from positive changes in the university.
“You could pick out the two things that on a Saturday night make people feel disgruntled, or you could pull back and say this is not the place I knew about when I was a junior in high school,” she said. “It’s so much more, and, with any luck, five years from now, it will be so much more than it is now.”
Rubén Martinez, director of the MSU Julian Samora Research Institute, said despite what might seem like an administrative curtail of fun, MSU will not be negatively changed.
“Large campuses usually have some component of partying and there are traditions and so forth and there are some slight modifications being made as a result,” he said. “I don’t think those are going to be radical changes that are going to transform the campus.”
The freshman image might be changing as well, said psychology and criminal justice senior Dominic Daquano.
“I remember freshman friends that I had when I was a freshman; you would be the outcast if you drank on a Thursday instead of studying,” he said. “Now it seems more like its just the norm.”
A change has come
Wilcox said discussions to move to the standard class schedule back at the university are meant to save students’ time and money.
“The more we minimize class conflicts the cheaper it’s going to be for students because they have an easier time getting in the classes that they want when they want them, they can move through the university more quickly, more efficiently,” Wilcox said.
The standard schedule does not include classes held Mondays and Wednesdays and will encourage scheduling classes Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, in addition to classes Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“Instead of spending Thursday night in the bar, some students will spend Thursday night studying for Friday classes,” said Richard Cole, professor and chairperson of the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Retailing.
For students who might be upset about taking more Friday classes, Wilcox said the priority should be education.
“I recognize the frustration on the part of many people,” he said. “I do believe that our students are here for an education. … We’re all looking for convenience, but that’s not the driver.”
Changes on campus can cause concern for students who might like to have a sense of familiarity, Martinez said.
“(MSU has) built up traditions over time. … It has its way of doing things and people are accustomed to them (and) when anyone tinkers with them there usually is some kind of concern,” he said.
Some aspects of the university will stay the same and continue to draw students, said Gary Hoppenstand, professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures.
“University culture, university environment … that still continues to be a strength and attraction for MSU students,” he said.
Wilcox said students can go to class on Friday and still enjoy the weekend.
“I don’t think (students are) interested in paying tuition for fun,” he said. “That’s not why we came to the university and that’s not why they’re paying their tuition.”
Finding a way
The state’s economic climate is compelling the university to make some changes, Hoppenstand said.
“Indeed things are changing, and they’re changing of course primarily because of financial reasons,” he said. “(MSU) may get bruised here and there but it remains the same.”
Students are confident they can keep having fun, despite any administrative changes.
“Students will always find a way to have fun,” Chase said. “I don’t think (the administration) can really stifle that.”
Kova said the social culture that once shaped his good memories is something all students should experience.
“I’m a good student … (but) I always made time to socialize with my friends because I feel like that’s a big part of college,” he said. “Those are the memories that are going to be most important to you when you’re done.”
Commentary
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J
(10/08/09 11:41pm)Report
The People of The State of Michigan are no longer appropriating $283 million per fiscal year for MSU students to have a week of sex and booze. Cry about it.
E
(10/08/09 11:56pm)Report
Is this really the front page of the newspaper? And are we really still discussing the welcome week topic? The decision has obviously been made, and it barely changed anything, so why bother moping about it?
State News must be desperate for information if this is the front cover…but why should they bother covering something internationally or nationally important? Until now I have been an avid supporter of State News. But lately it’s just a disappointment to read. The only good parts are the puzzles.
student
(10/09/09 1:20am)Report
I think some people lost their capacity to think.
No one is taking over your life. No one is putting a gun in your head and making you do something. You pay money to study and you’ll study. After all, a week is from Monday to Friday, not from Monday to Wednesday or any like that.
Still, no one is saying that you’re not allowed to have fun. The only issues Provost Wilcox has is that students don’t want to study on a Friday just to go out on a Thursday. Having class on Friday doesn’t eliminate your weekend.
The faster you study, the faster you graduate. If you take less credits to work, you will be paying more because you’re delaying graduation and when you add up all the costs you will end up paying much more.
Also, what’s up with Welcome Week? If you want to party before school, get here a week before. That’s it. Friends? Transition? That’s stupid. If you want more time to get to learn the campus, get here earlier. If you want to make friends, meet people in your residence hall, in your classes. You have 4 years to meet as many people as you want.
Then, there’s the changing perception argument. Even though someone in the article said that most things will not change and that they are due to financial circumstances, I do believe that in the long run they will work out for the better of the students and the University financially and in changes of perception. In the short run, no one really sees changes but as new classes and students enter the University things will change. It keeps students focused, it saves them money and it helps the University overall. Again, it may take but they change.
Every organization in the country has seen, with this recession, that there’s a necessity to be focused, organized and lean. Personally, I think that MSU is doing a great job of that and being open in the process.
After all, Pres. Simon and Provost Wilcox are MSU alumni and they’ve demonstrated that they care about the University and want the best for it. They’ve done so by being proactive with their ideas, by listening to students and by taking the steps to make MSU the best, not just better.
Finally, just think for a second and look at your week. Classes from Monday through Friday. Entire weekend left. Flexible schedule. There’s still time for a lot of fun and to enjoy college. Balance is everything. You can always have fun, be a great student and graduate in 4 years or early.
Support our University.
GO GREEN!!
student
(10/09/09 1:39am)Report
Wait!
I just noticed the worst image ever in this article. I still don’t understand if these “journalists” want to create controversy or they just want to deliver the reality.
As a fellow student, I feel disrespected by that terrible image that is, in no way or form, descriptive of MSU and the great things that take place at this great University.
Honestly, what makes me angry is the word “tradition” in there. Actions of a minority of the student body are not a reflection of the traditions of this University.
And just so you know, MSU is not considered a party school. It might be considered in your empty head, but the national perception is not the same. There are several frequent lists that rank those kind of schools and MSU is not part of that.
MSU is a great University and a great place to enjoy as a student, faculty or whatever you are. But to say that MSU is a party school is disrespectful. By doing that you’re comparing MSU’s atmosphere with that of UMiami, Thug U, and FSU, Free Shoes University, and others.
People have a bad perception and it might be part of lack of maturity and knowledge about what goes on at other places.
Sorry that I’m kind of arrogant but its my alma mater.
MUCK
(10/09/09 3:40am)Report
Im a conservative.
Keep things the way they are. Only change them if they are broken. I agree that welcome week became a time for NON-Students to come to MSU and Party. But that doesnt mean you should punish the students.
This administration keeps making poor decisions and eventually MSU will become an anti-social university.
If MSU becomes an anti-social university it will reflect poorly on all of us. I didn’t have people skills before I came to MSU. Guess what. Welcome week helped me meet people. WOW imagine that.
I only hope that one day MSU will return to the way it was before the anti-social administration, who only cares about the university image like a corporation and not the individual growth of students.
MSU appears more and more depressed every year I return to visit.
J?????
(10/09/09 4:05am)Report
J……. DO you honestly think that a welcome week event cost nearly 300 million dollars? Or can you simply not write clearly? PLEASE tell me you are not an MSU alumni or student. PLEASE tell me you are not! If you are we need to up our standards in admissions.
And yes students pay to come here for the “fun” or more specifically the culture of a huge state school (which includes a lot more then drinking). If not many would go to Western and save 4,000 and still have similar prospects after graduating.
Zeke
(10/09/09 7:44am)Report
“And yes students pay to come here for the “fun” or more specifically the culture of a huge state school.”
And OH NOES! The University dared take away the only 5 days you have all year to make friends, explore the campus, and drink your weight in beer! OH THE HUMANITY!
Let’s explore the fallacies perpetuated those who complain about Welcome Week being shortened:
1. “I won’t make friends.” Really? You can only get to know your floormates in the five days before classes start? You still have 32 weeks of evenings and weekends! I hope you make a lot of friends in college and keep them, because in the working world you have to make friends in off-work hours, and apparently a lot of people can’t develop friendships at this time.
2. “I won’t get to know my way around.” Seriously? Get on a bike or the ankle express and go to each of your classrooms. Explore the international center. Cruise down Grand River and make a note of where the shops are. get your books while you’re at it. I guarantee you this can be done in a single afternoon.
3. “I want to make lasting memories.” Again, you have the rest of the year for this. The people who talk about the lasting friendships they made during Welcome Week probably have more memories with their friends throughout the year than in Welcome Week. If not, that’s not much of a friendship.
4. “Partying is part of the college experience.” Naturally. At the same time, the infrastructure that supports your residence during Welcome Week is partuially funded with taxpayer dollars – which are becoming short in supply lately. You can party on the weekends like everyone else does.
Above all of this is the fact that if you truly feel slighted by the shortened week, you can still come up early. Get a hotel room and tour campus, get books, etc – and have your entire three days before classes to party it up and chillax with friends. I’m sure someone will whine that some students are too broke to do this, but that’s too bad. Choose your priorities – if you can’t afford to come up early on your own dime, you need to spend Welcome Week getting ready for your studies and not bolstering your social life.
sigh....
(10/09/09 9:05am)Report
The more and more “anti-student” the university becomes the harder it will be to support it or to tell people they should go here.
I will definitely not be donating money to support the campaign against the students to have fun.
Heres a hint, you can party and go to school, its pretty obvious that you can do both and be successful since we have many many successful MSU grads now.
2000 grad
(10/09/09 9:28am)Report
Same article, every year. The university is doing this to curb partying, the university is doing that to curb partying.
Why can’t people understand that it is possible, even pretty simple, to balance responsibilities with schoolwork AND a healthy party life. And yes, I did use the word HEALTHY. I think it is a good thing for college kids to be able to be able to get out from under their parents thumbs, and break free a little (within reason.) But the university and city of EL continue to make sure the strength of THEIR THUMBS continue to increase. (short welcome week, mandatory alcohol “counseling” for one MIP, etc.)
There is nothing inherently wrong little keg beer and a DJ. If you can’t let loose a little bit in college, then when? Ever? Never?
Also, as an MSU grad I never had trouble getting a job. All my friends from school have good jobs. This whole “no one wants to hire an MSU grad because it’s a “party school” excuse is pretty pathetic and is really lacking in merit.
Rufus
(10/09/09 12:13pm)Report
If there are applicants who decide not to come here because of the length of Welcome Week, those are the kind of students no college wants anyway, so it’s a good change.
But let’s not oversell how this will “transform” MSU’s reputation. MSU’s regional and national reputation is firmly established as a solid, non-elite public university, directly equivalent to other large second-tier public universities like Ohio State.
That’s what employers think of us. I doubt they know or care about the length of Welcome Week.
tedman
(10/09/09 12:16pm)Report
The shortened welcome week is a stupid idea. Let the kids settle in and put their ducks in order before classes start.
On the subject of Friday classes I completely agree with the university. 3 day weekends are not the norm in the real world.
Wilcox's Power Trip
(10/09/09 12:43pm)Report
Wilcox is on a power trip. Where is the system of checks and balances in our administration? Oh wait. There are none, because they all are power-hungry.
Erin
(10/09/09 12:47pm)Report
I liked having a some time before classes started to get used to the university. I did no drinking or partying during my welcome week. I used that time to check out the bookstores and buy books for my classes, I took that time to learn where my classes where and actually bike to them and back so I would know before I showed up late one day how long it would take me, and I took that time to interview for jobs and figure things out.
I also think it’s a bad idea to start the week on Wednesday, that’s really a Monday, and there is no Tuesday or Wednesday…
But all that said, I can’t seem to care that much for future students not having that when the argument is that a week of partying freshman year is tradition and part of our culture. If you spend that time partying, I guess most people don’t need that time to do the things I did?
Lena
(10/09/09 2:10pm)Report
While many MSU students are from in-state, I am an out-of-state student who lives 3000 miles away. As a freshman, I had only visited MSU once before deciding to come here for school. I did not drink during my welcome week – I explored around the huge campus, bought my books, went to Moonlight Madness, U-Fest, Sparticipation, did the James Madison student welcome activities and went to the university welcome activities. Most importantly, I made friends. Down-time without having classes was vital to me adjusting at MSU. The 2 days that freshman got for welcome this year is simply not enough, especially for international or out-of-state students. It has nothing to do with having no social skills and can’t make friends in our classes..it’s more the fact that it takes time to adjust in a completely different environment, living with your peers and being on your own.
That being said, the administration has already made up its mind about the shortened welcome week and there doesn’t seem to be anything that can convince them otherwise.
As far as classes go, I don’t really see the big deal about more Friday classes. I want as few classes as possible on Friday because I like to work during that time…but you can still adjust your schedule to suit your needs (ie having more classes on Tuesdays & Thursdays instead). And even with Friday classes you can still party/drink on Thursdays if you really wanted to…
dewey
(10/09/09 2:27pm)Report
Just awoke from a really hefty binge, is Welcome Week over already??
Evan
(10/09/09 5:25pm)Report
MSU is a life-changing experience because of the academics and lifestyle. As an alum, I would consider withdrawing contributions if the administration is transforming the culture of the school and environment I love.
Re: J???
(10/09/09 5:30pm)Report
You were the first to comment because you are functionally illiterate. The state legislature gave $283 million to MSU for fiscal year 2009-2010. I’m only saying, implicity which of course everyone else understood, that a portion of that money shall not be used to pay for housing and campus services for students staying on campus for an entire week so that they can go into the City of East Lansing to drink and have sex.
Brian
(10/09/09 8:14pm)Report
I just graduated in May of 2009. In my 4 years I was constantly drunk on welcome week, got drunk every weekend, and never had a Friday class after first semester freshmen year. I got a job with a major corporation and make $60,000 a year right out of college. I’m glad I graduated when I did, because the administration is trying to suck all the fun out of college life.
Turk
(10/09/09 9:40pm)Report
Well I’m glad your wasted education has been justified by your salary.
student
(10/10/09 11:44am)Report
As a current student, I fully support what Pres. Simon and Provost Wilcox are doing. I’ve been very proactive in keeping myself informed about administrative moves concerning academics and the general University and I have to say that they are really taking care of MSU. They are taking such care that, with a good economy or not, the quality of MSU will keep improving. And, let me say that they are taking huge steps in transforming MSU academics. This may not be evident right now, but every Spartan will see the results soon.
With that said, I disagree with the perception that the administration is taking the fun out of the college experience. They are just going to implement a schedule with more Friday classes which will save the University money due to less sections for classes. I mean, if that is such huge sacrifice for you then take classes online or go to another school.
Think about it, you have MSU alumni that are sacrificing themselves to go an extra mile in their job to improve their alma mater. Also, East Lansing is slowly transforming into a more modern collegiate city. This might be just a cultural shock for some current student but, as with every change, people eventually will accept it and habituate to that change. If you are against this for some reason other than work conflicts or some decent reason, honestly you should leave. Its not being elitist or arrogant, its about being responsible.
Paul Wall
(10/13/09 2:10pm)Report
Welcome week only changes for the people who live on campus. For everyone off campus it stays the same because we can still move in almost as early as we want. I don’t like how welcome week is shorter now because I want freshmen and everyone else who lives on campus to have the same experience I had when I lived on campus. Same thing with more Friday classes, WTF?! I never had 3 day weekends until I was atleast a junior or maybe even my first year as a senior. There is nothing wrong with the class schedule we have now. I am not saying I want MSU to be known as a party school, but I don’t want it to be known as a boring school. You people who think these changes are good are the ones who just study, study, study all week long and if choose to have fun on Friday or Saturday nights. Boring. Thursday nights are usually the best nights of the week. I know academics are important and I take my classes seriously but I also find time to have fun during the work week. As the saying goes “I work hard, I play hard.” Time management is the key.