August 2022 Action Items and Resources for Students

Dear Spartans,

This is one of the most exciting times of the year as we welcome both new and returning Spartans to campus for the start of the academic year.  The entire MSU community is committed to your success!

Each month, we send an email like this one to share events and resources.  These items are arranged into six categories to help you navigate MSU and ensure you have a safe, productive and enjoyable year.

1) Take care of yourself and others.

• Stay up to date on the latest COVID-19 mandates by visiting our Together We Will website.
• View helpful resources to support your physical and emotional transition to MSU from Student Health and Wellness.

2) Engage in your academic experience.

• Visit the university’s Academic Calendar as you make plans for the fall 2022 semester.
• View and make changes to your fall 2022 schedule by logging into the Student Information System.
• For incoming students, review your fall 2022 schedule by logging into the Student Information System and connect with your academic advisor if you need assistance.
• Check in with academic advisors often.  You can find your advising term on this list of academic advising resources by college and learn about your advising rights and responsibilities at MSU’s Academic Policies.
• Plan your degree with the Academic Requirements Report (Degree Audit).
• Check out the Neighborhood Student Success Collaborative resources available across the on-campus neighborhoods.

3) Find your way and make connections.

• Fall Welcome Presented by MSUFCU kicks off August 25, with Fall Convocation taking place August 29 and Spartan Spectacular August 30. Visit MSU’s Fall Welcome page to see the full schedule of events, FAQs, convocation details, information about getting around and more.
• Invite your biological and chosen family to join you for the inaugural Family Weekend Presented by MSUFCU, September 23-25. Information is available at family.msu.edu.
• We encourage you to visit Involve@State, MSU’s student engagement portal that connects you with student clubs and groups. You can search for Registered Student Organizations to join, events to go to, campus updates and more.

4) Get involved outside the classroom.

• There are many on-campus positions now taking applications for fall semester! View Student Life & Engagement job postings.
• Recreational Sports and Fitness Services (RSFS) offers three indoor intramural facilities on campus, a new turf field, IM sports and more! Learn more and activate your membership on the RSFS website.
• The Career Services Network hosts resume workshops throughout the school year. Schedule a meeting with a career advisor in preparation for fall career fairs.

5) Connect with important resources.

• Most students living on campus will arrive August 26-28 for fall move-in. Make sure to visit the website to view the latest move-in process instructions and the move-in guide!
• Student ID cards will be available for expedited pickup during move-in at the International Center if you submitted a photo online by August 15. If you did not meet this deadline, the ID Office will need to take your photo to print your card.
• Students living off campus should check out the College Life East Lansing guide for helpful resources on how to be a great community member.
• Learn more about on- and off-campus dining plans. On-campus students should make dining plan updates in their My Housing account by August 25. Off-campus students can purchase an off-campus dining plan any time.
• You can find all sorts of free training from MSU IT for technology like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, OneNote and more at spartanslearn.msu.edu.
• Have a tech problem? Need to reset a password? Problems with Wi-Fi? The MSU IT Service Desk is here to help.
• You can purchase tickets for the student section for football, men’s basketball and hockey (all other regular season sporting events on campus are free for MSU students).

6) Billing and financial aid.

• Need to make a payment? Learn more about fee schedules, and everything you need to know about paying your bill for the fall 2022 semester.
• Initial fall semester bills are due August 29. The next bill will be available September 13 and due October 1 for payment plan installments or other recently processed transactions.
• Questions about billing can be directed to the Student Accounts office at Student.Receivables@ctlr.msu.edu or 517-355-3343.
• If you would like a guest to be notified whenever a new bill has been produced, you may grant them access in the Student Information System at student.msu.edu. To make changes to guest access, click the “My Profile” tile, then “Share My Info Electronically” in the left navigation to update your options.
• Check the status of your financial aid via the MSU Financial Aid Portal in SIS to review your financial aid package and act on any loans if needed.
• Your financial aid package may not be complete until you finalize any outstanding items. It is important to make sure you’re looking at the August 2022-May 2023 tab to act for the upcoming aid year. You may have already completed these tasks. If actions on your financial aid portal homepage are listed as “Completed” or “Not Required,” no further action is needed.
• NEW PLUS LOAN PROCEDURE - When you are approved for a PLUS loan, you no longer need to accept the loan in your student portal. MSU’s financial aid software will automatically accept and process your loan. Everything else about the process remains unchanged. Continue to use your financial aid portal to accept Direct Loans, edit loan amounts and cancel loans.
• Questions about your financial aid can be directed to finaid.msu.edu, finaid@msu.edu or 517-353-5940.

If you have any questions about anything related to MSU, please email studentaffairs@msu.edu.

We are so excited to welcome our newest Spartans to MSU! We hope you find this list of resources helpful. For those of you returning, thank you for your help in keeping campus safe and making MSU a vibrant place to learn and live. Please let us know if you need help finding resources. Campus is filled with people ready to help you. We hope you have a wonderful fall semester!

Sincerely,

Vennie Gore
Senior Vice President for Student Life & Engagement

Mark Largent
Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Dean of Undergraduate Studies