President Stanley Reflects on Two Years in Office and Looks Ahead to MSU’s Vibrant Future

<p>“It's been a remarkable two years, Russ, and I'm so glad that as we look towards the fall to be a part of MSU and the important work that's going on here,” he says. “I think what still stands out the most since I've come is the people - the students, faculty, and staff, and the alums. The commitment and love they show for Michigan State University has been impressive and it's really helped us pull through this past year and a half or so together in a very positive way.</p><p>“I've had a chance now recently that we're gathering again to talk to alumni and to talk to students. I'm impressed by the fact that, away from campus, they talk about how they have stuck with MSU. They're excited about MSU and they're excited about coming back. I think that's a testament, again, to the hard work of our faculty and staff and the resiliency of our students during what were really remarkably difficult times.”</p><p>Are there some things that have surprised you along the way or some lessons learned in your first couple of years? </p><p>“I am impressed by how much students care about the college experience and being in East Lansing. I think when we made that first decision to go remote, I expected more students would return home than did. That's a testament to how much they want to be with their fellow classmates and how much they want to stay in the college environment.”</p><p>As you look forward to the fall and the next couple of months, what are you thinking about?</p><p>“I'm really excited. We are paying close attention to what's happening with the Delta variant and what's happening in cases in around the United States, but particularly, in our region, because that dictates a lot of what we are able to do or not do. And I think one of the things I want to say just to reassure the campus is that we are still going to continue this policy of safety first. We are going to be monitoring what's happening in the community. We're not going to be doing things that run counter to what's coming down from the CDC, from DHHS,