The start of a semester can be overwhelming for students navigating new classes, unfamiliar spaces and the challenge of finding their place on campus. For some students, finding a connection begins at a campus event. For others, it might come from meeting someone new, discovering a student organization or finding a resource that makes college feel a little less overwhelming. Through the revamped Welcome to State program, Michigan State University is working to make those moments easier to find, and to extend the feeling of being welcomed well beyond the first few days of the semester.
In the past, fall welcome activities were concentrated into one busy week. Running from Aug. 1 through Oct. 11, this year’s new Welcome to State program brought together nearly 100 events hosted by departments across the university, extending opportunities for students beyond move-in and the first few days of classes.
“The Welcome to State team was brought together to actualize a One Team approach to what was previously Fall Welcome planning, in the spirit of continuous improvement,” says Residence Education and Housing Services Associate Director for Business Operations Chris Stone-Sewalish. “For the staff, the purpose is to bring us together as One Team to welcome our Spartans. For students, the purpose is to facilitate a cohesive, safe and welcoming start to their Spartan career.”
Extending the Welcome
Welcome to State gives students more time to explore campus life. Events such as Gather on the Green, UFest and Tie Dye Under the Sky offered opportunities to meet other students, while Spartan Remix, coordinated by the Office of Multicultural Enrichment and Advocacy, and Sparty Gras Fall Fest, put on by New Student Orientation, provided additional ways to participate in the MSU community.
"What we learned over the years is that many units across campus were doing many wonderful things for students in August and September,” says Stone-Sewalish. “Each of those events, speakers, socials, resource fairs, etc., all play a part in becoming a part of this community that will carry them forward.”
By bringing those existing opportunities together, the program makes it easier for students to discover what is available without having to navigate separate event announcements from different departments.
Collaboration Behind the Scenes
Coordinating the program required contributions from departments across Residential and Hospitality Services (RHS), including Residence Education and Housing Services, Culinary Services, Recreational Sports and Fitness Services, and the Office of the Associate Vice President of RHS. Each department brought its own programs and resources to the initiative. Working together allowed departments to coordinate their efforts around a shared goal, creating a broader selection of experiences for students.
The RHS Strategic Communication team played an important role in bringing those efforts together. According to Stone-Sewalish, the team developed a comprehensive website featuring activities submitted by participating units.
“We really set out to help make sure everything was kind of in one place so you could find the information easily,” says Chief Communications Officer Kat Cooper, “so that when you saw an upcoming event on a digital sign, you also saw it on a table tent and social media, and you were like, 'Oh, this is that thing that I’ve been seeing around.'”
Cooper reflected that the first year of Welcome to State brought significant growth for the team, providing valuable lessons and opportunities to strengthen the program in the future.
“Collecting events also allowed us to better allocate resources and reduce duplication of effort,” says Stone-Sewalish. “Welcome to State brings that together, helps students and supporters to find it centrally and evaluates what is most effective so we can have an effective culture of continuous improvement.”
Building a Spartan Experience
The Welcome to State team’s planning, communication and coordination all work toward one shared goal: helping students find their place and discover what makes MSU a community.
“Connection and feeling like we belong to Spartan Nation, is what RHS fosters through an immersive community experience, nourishing students with award winning dining, and introducing them to facilities and events that create the opportunities to connect and engage,” says Stone-Sewalish. “We are essential to building communities that foster belonging and it happens everywhere in our facilities.”
Behind the expanded program was a collaborative effort that brought together the university departments. Cooper said that initiative grew from a shared understanding that working together would produce better results.
“By communicating together, we have better reach. It’s less confusing for students,” says Cooper. “We can make sure that there’s more consistency and that the important, vital messages are getting the kinds of attention they deserve.”
From a conversation with a new neighbor to discovering a favorite campus tradition, the experiences that make students feel at home at Michigan State don’t always happen at once. Welcome to State gives students a broader experience to begin finding them.
Author: Kendal Blanchard