MSU Consolidates Detroit And Grand Rapids Medical Schools

The MSU Board voted Friday to approve the College of Health Sciences consolidation.  Not without some controversy:

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2026/04/08/michigan-state-university-merger-medical-colleges-board-vote-faculty-concerns-guskiewicz/89407656007/

MSU merger of medical colleges set for vote despite faculty concerns
By Sarah Atwood April 9, 2026

The Michigan State University board is scheduled to vote Friday on uniting the university's two medical colleges into one "MSU Medicine" despite faculty concerns about a lack of information surrounding the plan and the feasibility of a successful integration.

The planned unification has been a central priority for MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz. In February 2025, he announced his intention to rework the university's two medical colleges, the College of Human Medicine and the College of Osteopathic Medicine, with the possibility of uniting them into one.

The president created the One Health Council that would explore this idea, along with creating a biomedical institute and a new "College of Health Professions."

But the faculty haven't yet gotten on board, according to a survey posted to the president's website and another obtained by The Detroit News. Most faculty members expressed concerns over why the merger needed to happen, how the costs will be fairly distributed between the two colleges and how both will retain their separate accreditations.

Neither Guskiewicz nor Provost Laura Lee McIntyre were immediately available for an interview. The provost, as head of the academic side of the university, is responsible for any changes to academic programs.

The board's agenda item said a "more unified and visible health presence" will strengthen MSU’s ability to "build strategic partnerships, create new interprofessional opportunities for students, expand existing programs, launch innovative initiatives, and more effectively meet the evolving health care needs of Michigan."

The proposal also has a multimillion-dollar financial impact, since the plan is expected to save the university a recurring $2.5 million to $4.5 million in efficiencies by its third year.

Faculty's merger worries focus on accreditation and stability

Potentially, the largest obstacle to Guskiewicz's plan is how the two medical colleges are accredited. Current accreditation standards for the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation require specific rules for school leadership, budgets and facility use, which would make combining the two impossible, according to a report on the president's website regarding accreditation.

Any major structural, governance, programmatic or location change must be formally approved by each accreditor before being carried out or advertised, the report said. If MSU doesn't get the accreditors' approval, it could receive citations, probation or lose accreditation entirely.

After the unification, the two colleges would share administrative functions, such as finance and human resources. The staff expressed concerns about job security amid the merger, the report said.

Multiple surveys were conducted of the faculty, students and staff. Nearly 6,000 employees and students responded to one led by the university's administration. Most said the survey was the first time they'd heard of the initiative.

A faculty survey conducted by MSU's Faculty Senate found that about half of the respondents either felt negatively or didn't know enough about the proposed unification of the two colleges. In written responses, the participants said the process had been rushed and there weren't enough opportunities for the affected faculty to express their concerns.

Participants also raised concerns about the cost of implementation amid 9% budget cuts at the university and potential job losses for administrative roles that overlap between the two colleges. The council's report said certain administrative functions would operate together for "maximum efficiency."

What is expected to happen if the merger is approved

If the board approves the unification of the two colleges, the board's resolution said a steering committee will be created to determine how operations and academics will work for MSU Medicine. The committee and other working group members will be confirmed by April 30, and work will begin in May, the agenda item said.

The steering committee will also finalize the position description for the executive dean of the unified medical college and create a search committee. The university expects to launch the national search in July, the agenda item said.

It's not clear what the salary of the new executive dean will be.

The board item said the executive dean's salary will be "primarily supported" through the reallocation of former Executive Vice President for Health Sciences Norm Beauchamp's salary. Additionally, the chief financial officer of health sciences is expected to retire this summer, which would create "further opportunity to realign existing salary resources in support of the new structure," the board item said.