Today’s weather forecast is predicting areas of fog early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon with a high of 81 degrees and a low of 55 degrees.
MSU board continues to face heat over divestment, faculty unionization
The Michigan State University Board of Trustees spent its first meeting of the school year facing much of the same pressure as it did last year from divestment advocates and faculty pushing for unionization.
Last friday morning’s events demonstrated an allyship between the groups of campus activists, who rallied together outside before filing into the Kellogg Center boardroom en masse prior to the meeting’s block for public comments.
At the rally and during public comments, UTSF organizers insisted that a strong tenure-system faculty union would improve the university as a whole, and criticized the university for what they see as a stalling of the negotiation process.
MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz denied that administration and its legal representatives have been uncooperative.
The union first launched its campaign in November 2023, hoping to gain more power in administrative decision-making.
The union made swift progress initially, announcing just the next month that it had received the majority support among tenure-track faculty needed for MSU to proceed with voluntarily recognizing the union.
But progress slowed soon after, with union organizers first sounding the alarm in January that university administration was intentionally stalling the process by failing to provide a list of all employees MSU considered to be part of the bargaining unit.
Since then, the parties have been at a stalemate, unable to reach an agreement on who exactly counts as tenure-system faculty. In March, the parties agreed on a third-party arbitrator to mediate these negotiations — as stipulated by a provision in the board policy governing unionization — who is tasked with hearing arguments from both parties before ruling if the union’s proposed bargaining unit is reasonable.
Students and faculty continued their calls for divestment from Israel at Friday’s meeting, though their advocacy was more subdued than previous demonstrations, which have temporarily halted board meetings.
Demonstrators held up “DIVEST NOW” signs during the meeting and spoke during public comment.
Guskiewicz has taken a different public approach to demonstrators in recent weeks, emphasizing the university’s commitment to “civil discourse” and saying he wants to encourage free speech within a safe and inclusive environment.
Both the undergraduate and graduate student governments have passed resolutions calling for divestment in recent months. In April, 90 faculty members signed an open letter calling for divestment and criticizing an earlier Faculty Senate decision not to pass a divestment resolution.
MSU has insisted that Israel no longer receives money from MSU through the bond.
Breslin Center to host Pistons-Suns exhibition
A bustling agenda at the Breslin Center this fall will feature an NBA exhibition game for the third time since 2000.
The Detroit Pistons and Phoenix Suns will square off in the epicenter of Michigan State basketball in a preseason game Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m., the teams announced last Wednesday.
The preseason slate will be a homecoming of sorts for Mat Ishbia, former MSU basketball walk-on and owner of the Suns. Ishbia played at MSU under Tom Izzo from 1999-2002, a member of the 2000 team that won a national championship.
Ishbia isn’t the only member of the Suns coming home in early October, as all-star guard and Grand Rapids native Devin Booker will make the trip to East Lansing. Booker, who played at Grandville High School, has talked about idolizing Izzo and MSU basketball as a kid. In fact, he nearly committed to play for the Spartans before choosing Kentucky.
Basketball fans will have the opportunity to experience the sport at its highest level at a premier destination in college hoops.
MSU Madness time adjusted for Izzone campout, football game
One of the most anticipated sporting events at Michigan State University will have a few changes this year.
The school announced last Wednesday that Michigan State Madness, an annual event at the Breslin Center introducing the MSU men’s and women’s basketball teams, will be held Friday, Oct. 4. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with festivities starting at 7 p.m.
The start time is two and a half hours earlier than that of previous years.
The time change also allows for these individuals to be available to watch the MSU football game, which is scheduled for 9 p.m. in Eugene, Oregon.
Additionally, the annual Izzone Campout will take place at night on Oct. 4., as announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the official Izzone account.
“It’s a new format for our programs and I think the setup will get our students engaged, and by starting a bit earlier, it will be even more family friendly,” Head men’s basketball Coach Tom Izzo said in a press release Wednesday. “Once we’re done at the Breslin Center, every Spartan fan can get home in time for the football game.”
Based on original reporting by Owen McCarthy, Theo Scheer and Luke Joseph.
