Michigan State University has been recognized as one of Michigan’s Best and Brightest in Wellness, Elite Winner 2025, an honor presented by the National Association for Business Resources. Winning in the Best of the Best Large Business category, this award celebrates organizations that are leading the way in supporting the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health in the workplace.
This recognition is more than a title, it’s a powerful validation of MSU’s commitment to making wellbeing a defining part of campus life not only for students, but also for faculty and staff. MSU formally accepted the award at the Best and Brightest in Wellness conference on October 30 in Dearborn, MI.
Michigan State University has long been a national leader in campus health and wellbeing, with a legacy dating back to 1893 when it became one of the first universities in the nation to establish on-campus health services. Over the decades, MSU has continually expanded and evolved its offerings, from the opening of the 60-bed Olin Health Center in 1939 to the adoption of the Okanagan Charter in 2025, a global framework that calls on higher education institutions to embed health into all aspects of campus life.
Along the way, MSU has created first-of-its-kind programs like the 24/7 Sexual Assault Program in 1980 and the Student Food Bank in 1993. MSU has consistently set the standard for innovation in health support, through the establishment of the Employee Assistance Program and the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities in the 1970s.
In 2022, MSU unified 11 health-related units under the University Health and Wellbeing (UHW) division, creating a holistic structure to better serve the campus community. This reorganization laid the foundation for the development of the University Health and Wellbeing Plan, a five-year strategic roadmap informed by extensive campus engagement and guided by frameworks such as the Okanagan Charter.
Wellbeing has long been part of MSU’s history, but it’s now more intentionally integrated into the everyday experience of faculty and staff. This commitment comes to life through a wide range of initiatives, including:
- Mental Health Support: Free, confidential counseling through the Employee Assistance Program
- Resilience Skill Building: Spartan Resilience Program webinars and programs
- Health Promotion: WorkLife Wellbeing webinars that build healthy habits, professional skills, and more; Move More at Work programming that encourages physical activity; and programs that encourage recharging through relaxation, such as Relaxing Under the Stars
- Accessibility and Accommodations: Resources, community, and accommodations for faculty and staff living with physical, sensory, cognitive, or psychological disabilities through the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities
- Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence Support: Counseling, advocacy, shelter support through the Center for Survivors
- Occupational Health: Medical assessment, monitoring, intervention, and evaluation related to occupational risks
- Healthy Travel: Pre-travel counseling for business or personal travel through the Travel Clinic
- Nutrition Counseling: Free, confidential consultations with a non-diet and weight-neutral approach
This recognition is not just a milestone; it’s a momentum-builder. A thriving workforce is essential to a thriving campus!
