A focus on remembering, honoring, healing and processing grief were the top responses for the most important purpose of a Feb. 13 memorial, according to nearly 2,000 MSU community members who filled out a survey.

Information from that survey, as well as engagement sessions held in March on campus and in East Lansing, will help inform a call for proposals to invite designs for the permanent campus memorial.

The Feb. 13 Permanent Memorial Planning Committee was created in October 2023 to guide the process of establishing a memorial in honor and remembrance of those we lost and those affected by the Feb. 13, 2023, tragedy.

The committee, made up of students, faculty, staff and community liaisons, is actively meeting to work on the next steps in the community-engaged process that will result in the creation of a lasting memorial on campus. MSU’s National Charrette Institute is supporting and facilitating the community engagement process. Additionally, the Office for Resource and Support Coordination is having private conversations with those most directly impacted by the violence.

The permanent memorial will serve as a central location for families, loved ones, students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to gather or visit alone – in the way that makes the most sense for them – to reflect, grieve and honor those lost, injured, and all impacted Feb. 13.

The community engagement survey to help shape the campus memorial was active February to March. Respondents were asked to identify the most important purposes of the memorial, potential modes of interaction, and the kind of location that promote the purposes and interaction. More than half (52%) responded the memorial should be in a natural, serene setting that offers a contemplative environment.

After a call for proposal is finalized in May, the committee will present a final selection of proposals for community input in Fall 2024. After the public comment period, the memorial committee will summarize responses and, in coordination with the Public Art on Campus Committee, recommend a final design. Work to construct the permanent memorial is planned to start in Spring 2025.

For more information, visit the Spartans Together website.