Dear LSSU Alumni & Friends,
Welcome to Fall! I’ve always loved the rhythm of the change in seasons. The transition from summer to winter is my favorite time of year! The combination of the crisp air in the mornings after a long summer, the beginning of fall sports, and most importantly, the return to school for our students makes this time of year so special for me. This fall, we are welcoming nearly 350 new Lakers to campus, along with an additional 150 high school students who will be taking classes for college credit. We are proud to continue serving the State of Michigan and surrounding areas with a high quality, affordable college education.
This past summer was a busy one for myself and those on the President’s Cabinet. We spent extensive time identifying priorities for goals to pursue during the upcoming year and beyond. What stood out as the top priority was the need to (1) improve the university’s facilities and “curb appeal”, for both the inside and outside of buildings. Beyond the impact this has on the quality of experience for our students and employees, it directly impacts our recruitment effectiveness. We also have an obligation to take better care of this historical campus and the beautiful setting in which it is located. I’m hopeful that those of you who visit campus regularly will notice these changes beginning this fall.
Additional priorities that have been identified include (2) a focus on improved recruitment effectiveness and (3) an enhanced dedication to fundraising. Each of these will be supported by new plans that will be implemented during the upcoming year. Finally, it was recognized that we need to (4) continue to improve upon the culture at LSSU. Our students and employees need to feel heard, be more included in decision-making, and shown appreciation in more ways than they have been in the past. Although I believe we made strides in the right direction last year, there is definitely more work to be done.
If these priorities seem familiar, you’re right! Another task I have spent extensive time on during the past few months is going through old board meeting documents to find key details about policies, donor agreements, and endowments that were set up many decades ago to try and better understand decisions that were made back then that impact the university’s financial status today. Through this effort, I discovered that many of the same challenges and priorities we have identified today were the exact same throughout the past several decades. Even during the heyday of enrollment back in the early 1990s, when we had over 3000 students at LSSU, the board meetings were full of concerns about budget cuts, student and staff morale, and campus improvement challenges. It seems in higher education, we continue to repeat the same problems over and over!
For these reasons, one of my overriding goals as President of LSSU is to get us out of this cycle and into a more stable situation. This won’t be easy, but it is badly needed after many years of instability. This starts with developing a new Strategic Plan that will be created this year through extensive campus conversations, providing a committed path for us to follow. This plan will need to be regularly tracked for progress and supported financially in order for us to achieve our goals. The strategic planning process started recently with a gathering of about 50 faculty and staff in a session that I led, where we discussed our mission, core values, and aspirational goals for this university by 2030. We will continue these conversations throughout the year with plans to have a new Strategic Plan in place by spring 2026.
As I reviewed those board documents I came across many names that impacted the development of this great institution in so many ways. Numerous buildings are named after them today, such as Walker Cisler, Thayer Fletcher, and Kenneth Shouldice, among many others. These people provided the foundation upon which this university has been built over many decades and generously gave back during and following their time here. During this step back in time, I was able to meet one of them in person, former President, Dr. Bob Arbuckle, who happened to stop by my office in early August. He had great ideas to share with me about ways to continue moving this university forward, and I could tell that even though he had stepped down as president over 20 years ago, he still bleeds Laker blue!
Dr. Robert Arbuckle, LSSU’s 4th President (left) and Dr. David Travis, LSSU’s 11th President, August 2025
As I described to him the challenges and priorities that we are currently working on, he commented that these sounded “very familiar” from the time when he was here. Same challenges, same priorities! There is no doubt that leading an institution of higher education can be a daunting task, but there is some comfort knowing that our struggles are nothing new, and year after year we have persevered. Nevertheless, we will continue to seek out solutions as we take on both old and new challenges.
I appreciate that this campus and our supporters have been open to allowing me to try to do things differently. This year will be a big year for LSSU as we look at making significant changes in how we recruit students and staff, compensate our employees, proactively take care of our campus, and create an overall improved campus culture. With these changes, I’m optimistic that we will continue to move the needle at LSSU to make this a better place for our students and staff while continuing to serve the State of Michigan and surrounding regions.
Dr. David Travis
President
LSSU Alumni Insurance Program
Did you know that the LSSU Alumni Association sponsors an Alumni Insurance Program as a service to our graduates? The program offers a variety of attractively priced insurance products, most of which are available to alumni, students, faculty and staff, as well as their spouses, domestic partners, parents, children, and siblings.
Life Insurance
Long-term protection with great rates and fantastic features. Coverage is available from $10,000 to $50 million.
Travel Insurance
Travel Medical and Trip Protection coverage is available for individuals or groups, for personal or business travel.
Long Term Care Insurance
Protect your assets from serious erosion while allowing access to quality care in the most appropriate and desirable setting.
Pet Insurance
Simple, customizable dog and cat insurance plans are available.
Special Event Insurance
Liability coverage up to $2 million is available for events lasting from a few hours to as much as 10 days.
Dental Insurance
COMING SOON Family dental coverage that provides a national network of dentists, online enrollment, and travels with you to any employer
ID Theft Protection
NEW! Protect yourself and your family against identity theft with a comprehensive solution you can count on.
Small Business Insurance
NEW! We offer an all-in-one simple solution that includes a selection of plans, employee enrollment, and ongoing administration.
Advisory Services
A licensed insurance professional is available, at no charge, to answer questions and provide customized guidance.
For more information visit Meyer and Associates or contact our Meyer and Associates program administrator at 1(800) 635-7801.