They’re the ones you call when you don’t know who to call. ContactMSU is MSU’s search engine, taking queries, finding answers, and providing solutions to problems.
One year ago, questions came from all corners of campus following President Stanley’s announcement last March that classes were going fully online and university operations remote. Calls to ContactMSU increased by nearly 50%.
For the first several months of the pandemic, ContactMSU handled close to 700 calls a day with questions ranging from graduation and housing to connecting to COVID-19 resources.
“Parents and students were concerned and had a lot of questions,” said ContactMSU Supervisor Terrance Singleton.
COVID-19 has challenged the 13 ContactMSU staff members to keep-up-to-date on an ever-changing situation and provide answers that weren’t always available.
“They have handled it very well,” Singleton said of his team. “We make sure we share the most updated talking points with the team from University Communications. We talk with each other through our Teams channel to make sure we are giving out the correct information when those questions arise.”
Highlighting ContactMSU’s dedication to delivering positive Spartan experiences, team member Sue Clark handled a call this fall from a student who was in tears and had concerns about what to do with her positive COVID test results. Calls to different University departments yielded no answers. The student’s mother suggested reaching out to ContactMSU.
“After listening to the student, Sue reached out to the emergency nurse over at Olin Health Center to make sure she could assist the student,” Singleton said. “After verifying with the nurse that she was able to help the student, she transferred her over. The student was grateful for the help she received.”
Because of ContactMSU’s constant presence on campus throughout the pandemic, the Team stepped forward to serve as a point of contact for IT’s contactless face covering and PPE distribution for staff working on campus.
Though COVID-19 initially created an increase in call volume, it represents just a small portion of what ContactMSU does.
The ContactMSU team serves as ambassadors for Michigan State University, providing a helpful and friendly answer to 300-to-500 calls each day. Calls from students, faculty, staff, and the greater community can be wide-ranging, meaning the team has to be well-versed on all things MSU and up-to-date on what’s happening within the University.
The team also facilitates the response to campus and ground emergencies such as fire, flood, electrical outages, water main and gas breaks. Providing the proper response involves coordinating with multiple internal departments, such as IPF, police, Environmental Health and Safety, and outside agencies, such as Consumers Power, Lansing Board of Water and Light, and emergency responders.
“The team keeps the University informed, safe, and running smoothly by delivering an outstanding Spartan experience on every call,” Singleton said.
In addition to helping ensure campus health and safety by working closely with IPF, ContactMSU provides information regarding academic, athletic and cultural events, admissions, student information, and financial aid, among many others.
ContactMSU is available by calling (517) 355-1855, emailing ContactMSU@msu.edu, or on the MSU app under the “more” tab.
