News From the Associate Provost
Feedback and suggestions, especially from the MSU community, welcome: email largent@msu.edu
Retention and Persistence
From the Associate Provost
Two complementary notions reside in the heart of our educational mission, and we must embrace them both.
APUE Colleagues Libarkin, Thomas, and Sweeder are Advancing STEM Education at MSU
From the Associate Provost
These three new colleagues’ great work has delivered some quick wins for MSU and its students.
Getting (Back) Our Rhythm
From the Associate Provost
In July, I focused on clearing the decks. You might find some of the things I've tried helpful as well.
The Next Generation of Student Success Support at MSU is Arriving
From the Associate Provost
Time-tested student support programs will work hand-in-hand with new ones to drive retention and meet our goals.
“My Door is Always Open” Isn’t Enough
From the Associate Provost
If Student Success is predicated on an institution’s capacity to serve the needs of the students it matriculates, then changes in students’ expectations and needs must be met with corresponding changes to the structure and functions of the university.
Telling Normal Stories
From the Associate Provost
There is a difference between prestigious accomplishments and admirable ones. We can talk about both.
It's Not Them, It's Us
From the Associate Provost
Eschewing the old notion of student success and adopting a twenty-first century vision for Student Success shifts the focus from the student to the institution.
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Zoomer
From the Associate Provost
In place of unbridled optimism about the future, I have adopted a tendency to see the incredible gains we have made.
What’s Old is (Finally!) New Again
From the Associate Provost
The new repeat policy incentivizes students to “run through the finish line" while contributing to more equitable outcomes.
Even Talking About Burnout Has Become Exhausting — But Hope and Solutions Exist
From the Associate Provost
I find most discussions about our collective exhaustion to be themselves terribly exhausting. But "The Burnout Epidemic" surprised me.
In Praise of ASMSU
From the Associate Provost
ASMSU has proven a passionate and wise partner in helping improve our university.
The Clarity of Collective Purpose
From the Associate Provost
The Student Success Launch coincided with the official release of MSU’s Strategic Plan, and Student Success has emerged as central to that plan.
Access and Equity at MSU
From the Associate Provost
The entrances into higher education must become more inclusive of prospective students whose backgrounds and experiences are not aligned with traditional pathways into college.
Planning a Successful Return to Campus for Students, Faculty and Staff
From the Associate Provost
A new communications process to better serve students yields actionable advice for faculty and staff, as well.
A Safe and Restful Summer
From the Associate Provost
The last 15 months have stretched and strained us all in ways that we never could have imagined.
(Re)Orientation
From the Associate Provost
We need to imagine ourselves working, living, and learning together again on campus.
The Post-Pandemic MSU
From the Associate Provost
Perhaps more than anything else, the pandemic has made clear to us that Student Success requires much more than just good grades.
From students’ success to Student Success
From the Associate Provost
There are several problems with thinking about student success as merely a measure of individual students’ academic outcomes.
The Students We Have
From the Associate Provost
A strengths-based, student-centric approach to emerging from the pandemic allows us to see our students’ incredible fortitude.
An Invincible Summer
From the Associate Provost
I think that each month of 2021 will be better than the last because of the incredible resiliency and cooperation that I have seen among my colleagues and our students.
Thankful for Things to Come
From the Associate Provost
Given how difficult the last nine months have been for all of us, I intend to look forward this year and be thankful for what I see on the horizon.
Expectations and Progress
From the Associate Provost
Much of our sadness and frustration emerges from unmet expectations, and I have found that naming expectations and talking about them has provided me some relief.
Beyond "Doom Scrolling": In Search of New Perspectives
From the Associate Provost
I've been making a concerted effort lately to replace “doom scrolling” with some more productive reading.
Moving Forward with Patience and Kindness
From the Associate Provost
Our task for the next four months is to remember that we are a community and we all depend on one another.
The Opportunity to Stitch a New Garment
From the Associate Provost
The pandemic gives us an unprecedented opportunity to “stitch a new garment” for the university, and I have seen an impressive number of tailors at work among my colleagues.
As Everything Changes, We Must Look Out for Each Other
From the Associate Provost
We are all depending on one another, not just to wear masks and wash our hands, but learn and live together in fair and just ways.
Don’t Waste a Crisis
From the Associate Provost
I have asserted for the last several years that – tradition and habit aside – we ought to be scrutinizing every aspect of MSU to ensure that we are meeting our Land Grant ideals of access, equity, and opportunity.
The Pandemic Has Not Changed Our Commitments—It Has Strengthened Them
From the Associate Provost
We have provided high-quality, life-changing educational experiences through world wars and a civil war, through epidemics and pandemics, and through recessions and depressions. And we will continue to do it.
Working Together Like Never Before
From the Associate Provost
Our colleagues' response to the coronavirus pandemic is an inspiring example of professionalism and collaboration during an unprecedented crisis.
Student success is not just academic
From the Associate Provost
We know from both informal conversations with students and from educational research that students come to MSU and stay here when they feel a sense of belonging at MSU.
Additional Resources
In every arena—academically, socially, interpersonally—Spartans act with integrity. Spartans recognize the value of intellectual work, represent themselves honestly, and prove their trustworthiness in their interactions.
The Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education (APUE) oversees university-level undergraduate initiatives that support and enhance the undergraduate experience.
