Michigan State University to pause classes, exams on 1-year anniversary of mass shooting

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State University will pause classes and exams and will hold a remembrance event on Feb. 13, 2024, the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting that killed three students, officials announced Tuesday.

Students and staff will be given a break from normal classroom duties on Feb. 13, 2024, in recognition of this year’s on-campus mass shooting that killed three students, injured five others, and terrorized the community. Officials said the university will still remain open on that day to “support students and our community” — which includes dining halls, mental health support services, recreational facilities, and the bus system.

Classes will not be held on Feb. 13, 2024, and instructors may not hold exams or require any assignments be due that day. Classes can resume on Feb. 14, 2024, but exams still cannot take place, and assignments can’t be due then.

Instead of classes, the university is planning to hold a remembrance event on the anniversary of the tragic shootings. The exact details of the event are currently being worked out. Officials say they are working with the Spartan community, especially those “most directly impacted” by the shooting, to get feedback on what the event should look like.

“Whether you have remained on campus this summer, are returning to MSU after a few weeks or months away, or are new to our Spartan family, we recognize that many continue to process the events of last February in unique ways,” interim MSU President Teresa Woodruff said Tuesday in a letter to the community.

Classes, exams and assignments will resume their normal schedule on Feb. 15, 2024, and beyond.

Many returning and new students are observing summer break, and will return to campus for the start of the fall semester at the end of August. This fall, both of the buildings involved in the Feb. 13 shootings will be open in some capacity.

The MSU Union, where one student was shot and killed that night, has already reopened to the community. Berkey Hall, an academic building where seven other students were shot, two of them fatally, has been closed since that night.

Officials said Tuesday that Berkey Hall will be made available in the fall for faculty, academic staff, graduate students, and support staff with existing offices. Students and staff who don’t want to enter the building “are not required to do so and may seek out alternative options for the fall through their academic college or unit,” the letter reads.

The hall is expected to undergo renovations and reopen classrooms for students and faculty for the spring semester.

In the meantime, the university is still working to create a memorial on campus for victims Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser, and Alexandria Verner, in addition to those hurt and affected by the mass shooting. Students will be able to provide feedback on memorial plans in the fall.

Related reading: The life of a Spartan: Navigating disaster, tragedy amid a pandemic, mass shooting at Michigan State University