Shirley A. Weis

Aquinas College is a private educational institution rooted in the Catholic Dominican tradition. The College’s mission is to provide a liberal arts education with a global perspective, emphasize career preparation focused on leadership and service to others, and foster a commitment to lifelong learning dedicated to the pursuit of truth and the common good.

Michigan State University (MSU) is a public research university located in East Lansing, Michigan, United States and is the first land-grant institution that was created to serve as a model for future land-grant colleges in the country under the 1862 Morrill Act. Michigan State has been labeled one of the "Public Ivies," a publicly funded university considered as providing a quality of education comparable to those of the Ivy League. Following the introduction of the Morrill Act, the college became coeducational and expanded its curriculum beyond agriculture. Today, MSU is the ninth-largest university in the United States, with 47,800 students and 2,954 faculty members.