EAST LANSING, MI — Leaders at Michigan State University might have an unsettled feeling this Thanksgiving. That’s because a faculty-led complaint is now landing Michigan State University under the microscope of the organization that accredits the institution, according to media partner WLNS 6 News in Lansing.
The new controversy began last month when the Faculty Senate authorized a resolution calling for elected MSU Board of Trustee member and Chair of the Board Rema Vassar to resign. The resolution came after another Trustee, Brianna Scott, issued a seven-page letter accusing Vassar of violating policies on ethics and prohibiting board members from interfering in the day-to-day operations of the university.
According to WLNS, out of the resolution, Faculty Senate officials sent a letter to the Higher Learning Commission. That’s an independent corporation that accredits public universities and colleges. Accreditation is a stamp of approval that the institution’s offerings will prepare a student for real-world application of their learning.
Faculty leadership worries Vassar’s alleged misconduct – including appearing in an advertisement for a business managed by a former Trustee and traveling on a donor’s private jet – is unethical. And if it is, accreditation may be stripped from the university.
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