At this time of year, I traditionally provide our campus community and our stakeholders with commentary on the State of the University. While we have experimented with different formats, the intent has remained constant: to provide a look at where we are and to rally us around the things we must do to be exceptional.

Michigan State University has always paid close attention to financial, educational, operational, and other metrics, judging its own performance against that of its own expectations and the performance of its peer institutions. We track some 1,800 metrics through our Office of Planning and Budgets for our own planning purposes as well as for a wide variety of external reporting purposes.

But in recent years, state universities, perhaps more than any other social institution, are increasingly being held to standards of transparency both in inputs and outcomes, the better to assess their effectiveness. Below, we present a selection of indicators placing MSU’s performance either as a snapshot in time or in a more contextual setting, together with descriptions of ways in which we are driving toward being truly exceptional in the areas of stewardship and operations, research and scholarship, and instruction and student success.

From its creation, Michigan State was a pioneering blend of the traditional classical education with practical, cutting-edge knowledge discovery; of high standards with broad access; of campus scholarship and statewide community service. In that spirit, this 2012 State of the University report blends the popular “dashboard” format with that of the contemporary corporate and institutional annual report. I hope you find it of interest and importance.

Lou Anna K. Simon, PhD

President, Michigan State University