Executive summary: MSU Feb. 13 permanent memorial community input

July 2024

Background

In the wake of the violence of Feb. 13, 2023, Michigan State University established the Feb. 13 Memorial Planning Committee in October 2023. Made up of members from across the university, this subcommittee of the Public Art on Campus Committee engaged stakeholders to gather insights on creating a permanent memorial, with support from the National Charrette Institute and MSU’s Trauma Services and Training Network.

While MSU’s Office for Resource and Support Coordination has engaged regularly with the individuals directly impacted by the tragedy and provided outreach to seek their input into permanent memorial planning, the new committee’s work started in January 2024 by thoughtfully engaging with these groups. The insights garnered shaped a broader campus/community survey. The committee then organized multiple in-person and virtual engagement sessions in March and April 2024.

All opportunities focused on three topics/questions:

What do you want the memorial to do for us now and in the future? What do you want the memorial to communicate?
What will we do at or in the memorial?
Where should the memorial be, recognizing there are physical and environmental constraints on campus and that there will only be one memorial?

Ultimately, the data collected and summarized helped develop a request for proposal to design, build and install a permanent memorial.

What our community said

A total of 1,968 responses were received via the survey, representing students, faculty, staff members, alumni and community members. Overwhelmingly, more than 74% of respondents said “honoring and remembering” is the most important purpose for the memorial. Other answers included “providing space for reflection and contemplation” at 8.1% and “healing and processing grief” at 7.5%.

For what will we do at the memorial, three answers led the survey: “reflect” (33.7%), “experience individually” (24.8%) and “gather in community” (24%). As for a location, a “natural, serene setting that offers a contemplative environment” (52%) was the top choice.

Nearly 60 individuals took part during the virtual and in-person focus groups, and while discussing the purpose of the memorial, several themes were evident:

Participants spoke of a desire to honor and remember the lives lost, wounded and impacted, as well as those who provided support on the day and beyond.
They also described the devastation that occurred to MSU and the surrounding communities, as well as the unity and community that was built following it. Participants expressed a desire for the memorial to be a place to honor and build that sense of community.
Many participants also expressed a desire for the narratives of the day and beyond to be told. This included telling the stories of the lives of those lost and wounded on that day.

As for how to interact with the memorial, participants spoke of a place where individuals could both sit and reflect as well as gather as a community. Many also expressed an interest in something to represent or identify the three individuals lost — a favorite color, flower, hobby or passion — to remember and honor them. In almost all focus groups, participants discussed preferences for natural features such as gardens, water, trees and elevation, as well as the importance of making it accessible for all people to be able to experience it.

Finally, regarding location, focus group participants shared many of the same areas as survey respondents. Specific locations such as at The Spartan statue, near the Red Cedar River or north campus near Berkey and/or the MSU Union were suggested. Many discussed the balance of a desire for it to be in a prominent, visible location without activating people. Additionally, they wanted visitors to know they were in the memorial space, rather than a place they happened upon inadvertently.

A copy of the full report is available online.