Stars to Spartans: MSU, LCC recommit to support transfer student success

Michigan State University and Lansing Community College leaders signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, on Dec. 2, 2024, and committed to growing their partnership and evolving the program that makes it easier for LCC students to transfer to MSU to finish their degrees.

MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, LCC President Steve Robinson and other leaders from both institutions gathered at the LCC campus in downtown Lansing, reinforcing their partnership and transfer program, Envision Green. The program helps students navigate between the institutions, maximizing their opportunities and focusing on transfer student success. This includes developing a personalized plan that provides LCC students with admissions, academic, professional and social support at MSU. The program also provides support for MSU students who may need to continue their path to graduation at LCC.

Through the MOU signing, MSU recommitted to growing the relationship with LCC through efforts like strengthening and improving credit evaluation processes to reduce review times and minimize credit loss, increasing staff and program space to accommodate growing transfer programs and widening opportunities for integrating transfer students into MSU programs.

“We need to support every step of their transfer journey to minimize credit loss, education costs and time to degree,” Guskiewicz said. “Through such expansions of Envision Green and growing our community college relationships, Michigan State aims to reinforce its identity as Michigan’s state university.”

Laura Wise, Envision Green’s first program director, said the goal is to help LCC students feel a sense of belonging, have awareness of MSU’s resources available to them and increase their confidence in making the transition.

More than 5,500 LCC students have transferred to MSU over the last decade, and the number of transferring students working with Envision Green continues to grow. Wise noted a 72% increase in the use of Envision Green advisors during the fall 2024 semester.

Envision Green focuses on supporting transferring students and acts as a liaison between MSU and LCC. It offers engagement opportunities, on-site express advising and transfer success sessions in hopes of making the transition for students as smooth as possible. Envision Green is also developing advanced academic mapping and fostering faculty and staff connections between the two institutions.

“Envision Green is a powerful testament to the strength of partnership,” Robinson said. “Today, we are bringing together two incredible institutions that have shared history, Lansing Community College and Michigan State University, to continue creating pathways for student success. This event is about opening doors, removing barriers and ensuring that every student has the resources they need to thrive academically and beyond.”

In Michigan, Guskiewicz said only 18% of community college students go on to earn a four-year degree. MSU wants to change that and show high school students that community college is a viable and accessible path to earning a four-year degree.

“We need to ensure there are no barriers to transferring and that students are supported throughout that transfer process,” Guskiewicz said. “We need to help students with the appropriate pathway and provide the resources to make that pathway successful.”

Building that pathway from community college to MSU is one of the university’s 2030 strategic goals. By strengthening the partnership with LCC and other community colleges, MSU aims to become Michigan’s premier transfer-serving institution.

That work includes expanding Envision Green and establishing an on-campus transfer student success center with grant funding from the state’s 60 by 30 initiative, which supports the goal of getting 60% of adults in Michigan to a postsecondary credential by 2030.

Learn more about Envision Green.