MSU President says number of potential university staff layoffs still unclear

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - In a few short weeks, Michigan State University will welcome thousands of eager Spartans back to East Lansing, but the campus community might be missing a substantial number of employees.

“Most universities right now are in a position of trying to be sure they have a strong financial foundation and a healthy financial status,” said MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz.

Schools across the country are grappling with new budget constraints, driven by federal funding cuts. At MSU, a Trump Administration decision to wipe out funding for NPR and PBS pushed local radio affiliate WKAR to cut staff.

Now, the university’s agriculture information hub, MSU Extension, faces a funding loss of $10.5 million, likely leading to layoffs.

“It’s painful that there will be some positions eliminated as a result of this budget reduction process,” Guskiewicz.

The president said his office will have a better idea of just how many employees will be let go after departments present their budget reduction plans.

“We’re doing everything to try to protect our people. There is no more important asset that we have and resource. It’s our people that help this enterprise thrive,” he told News 10. “We’ll know a little bit more in the next four to five weeks about what layoffs will look like.”

In the meantime, Guskiewicz said he’s spending a lot of time on Capitol Hill, talking to federal lawmakers about the importance of funding higher education and keeping research moving.

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