While summer brings a decidedly slower pace to Case Hall, it remains a remarkably busy season for the James Madison College community. Our students have marked pathways around the globe since classes ended in April, participating in summer study abroad and internship programs across the U.S. and around the world. Madison faculty led programs in Italy, Brussels, Poland and closer to home in Yellowstone National Park, exemplifying how Madisonians carry the college’s mission far beyond East Lansing.
As we look ahead to a new academic year, however, faculty and staff are in the midst of preparing for the return of students to Case Hall in August. This year’s planning brings new challenges as the university enters a period of significant financial constraint. Earlier this summer, MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz asked all units to implement 9% cuts to operating budgets over the next two years (find more information on the Office of the President website).
A 9% reduction represents a significant challenge for a small college like James Madison, but I am pleased to share that we were able to avoid any personnel loss in our revised budget.
That said, we are still assessing the full impact of these cuts and working to minimize any potential effects on student experience. Our ongoing priority is to maintain essential student services, and faculty and staff are exploring how they can continue to offer programming with reduced budgets. They are also seeking partnerships that might allow for resource sharing across units and working to identify alternative funding sources. With our development team, we hope to restore and maintain any affected programs through donor support. I encourage anyone interested in making a gift to JMC to connect with Joseph Agosta (agostaj@msu.edu), our associate director of development.
We will continue to keep you informed as we navigate these changes and welcome your continued partnership in supporting our students and programs. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to JMC.
Cameron G. Thies
Dean and MSU Foundation Professor