Michigan State University
EN-13: Community Service

MSU has encouraged and supported employee volunteering in a variety of ways, including Spartan Serve, sustainable tailgating outreach, and river cleanups. In addition, employee volunteering was a key part of the university's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. See below for more information about these activities.

Spartans Serve is a year-round effort designed to show the world the impact Spartans make through community service. The program promotes volunteer opportunities for students, employees, and alumni to participate in throughout the year, culminating in the annual Global Day of Service in April. Since 2013, over 14,176 people have volunteered nearly 62,000 hours for thousands of projects through Spartans Serve.

The university also supported multiple volunteer efforts of employees during the pandemic. MSU partnered with the Ingham County Health Department to establish a vaccine clinic at the MSU's Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock, and employees were supported in volunteering at the clinic. On a daily basis, volunteer shifts were available from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and noon-4:30 p.m while the vaccination clinic was operational. Shifts for the vaccination clinic were included as part of an employee's regular work assignment for the day. Employees arranged with their supervisor to have approved time away to volunteer at the clinic. MSU employee volunteers assisted with check-ins, registration/verification assistance, patient observation or traffic control.

Staff and faculty from multiple colleges and MSU Libraries collaborated to make 3D-printed personal protective equipment, including face shields. Over 10,000 face shields and over 4,000 face mask straps were distributed to Lansing and Flint hospitals, as well as local food packaging facilities, dental offices and research labs. In addition, Culinary Services led an employee volunteer effort to donate food to the MSU Student Food Bank and other charitable organizations in the early stages of the pandemic. Work-release was authorized for employees to volunteer for these efforts.
https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2020/msu-colleges-collaborate-to-create-3d-printed-medical-face-shields-in-response-to-covid-19-crisis/%20
https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2020/social-science-leadr-supports-creation-of-10000-face-shields.
https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2020/culinary-services-and-food-bank-support-students-lansing-community/%20

At home football games, employees volunteer to encourage sustainable waste practices during tailgates. Starting at 7 am, volunteers meet with tailgaters to distribute bags to collect recycling and trash, and help reposition receptacles around hotspots to help keep campus clean. The volunteers usually work about 4-5 hours per game.

IPF Landscape Services partners with student groups and community organizations to host river clean-ups for the Red Cedar. Roughly 30-50 volunteers come out for clean up days to remove trash and debris from the river and riverbanks. https://ipf.msu.edu/about/news/red-cedar-river-clean-july-13. In addition, IPF Landscape Services helps coordinate volunteer days for students and employees to assist landscape crews with specific projects. For example, in 2019, MSU installed Bioengineered Lifts along ~275’ of the riverbank as part of a riverbank restoration project funded by the Great Lakes Commission. Employee volunteers assisted with installation during regular work hours. https://ipf.msu.edu/about/news/riverbank-restoration-2019