In This Issue

• Important dates for Spring 2026 graduates

• Studying abroad in the summer or fall? Apply for JMC’s education abroad scholarships

• Apply to work with JMC’s recruitment team

• A new JMC short course will explore how cryptocurrency is affecting economic policy

• Connect with JMC’s February Alum in Residence: Spencer Good (PTCD, SRP 2024)

• Upcoming events

• Scholarships and awards

• Grad school resources

• Opportunities of interest to JMC students

• Student resources in Case Hall

• Madisonian Mention: Olivia Schaefer

Spring 2026 Graduation Info

Attention Spring 2026 graduates!

• James Madison College's Spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 2, at 12:30 p.m. in the Wharton Center. Register to participate via Eventbrite.

• Apply to graduate in SIS by Feb. 27 to ensure your name is included in the commencement program. (Note: If you have a FERPA restriction on your student account, your name will not appear in the commencement program.)

• Apply to be the JMC Student Commencement Speaker! This is a unique opportunity for a spring or summer 2026 graduating senior to represent the undergraduate class and share a meaningful message at commencement. Apply by Feb. 19.

• If you’re a Spring or Summer 2026 graduate interested in helping to select the Student Commencement Speaker, apply by Feb. 19.

Learn More About Graduation

Education Abroad

Deadline Extended: Global Development in South Asia
The deadline to apply for Global Development in South Asia study abroad program (which will travel to India and Sri Lanka this summer) has been extended to Feb. 6. Attend an information session on Feb. 3 at 4:30 p.m. via Zoom (passcode: Good2go). Contact Profs. Sejuti Das Gupta (dasgup16@msu.edu) and Linda Racioppi (racioppi@msu.edu) with questions.

JMC Education Abroad Scholarships
Applications for the JMC Education Abroad Scholarships are now open. Students who are participating in an education abroad program for Summer 2026 or Fall 2026 are eligible to apply. Learn more and apply via Qualtrics by Feb. 28.

Apply to Work with JMC’s Recruitment Team

JMC Student Assistant Recruitment Coordinator
JMC is seeking students to join as Student Assistant Recruitment Coordinators for the 2026-27 academic year. This paid role spans two semesters, with potential for further re-appointment dependent on availability and performance. Help enhance JMC's outreach and recruitment, liaising with prospective students, high schools and community organizations. Training provided. Apply via Handshake (#10691165 or search JMC) by Feb. 15.

JMC Short Course: Innovations in Finance

This semester, JMC will offer a unique one-week course (March 9-14) titled “Innovations in Finance: How Economic Policymakers are Coping with Emerging Technologies.” Learn how emerging technology is changing economic policymaking and identify some of the unique legal and regulatory issues posed by the development of cryptocurrencies, decentralized finance and other developments from a policy practitioner perspective. Apply by Feb. 9 via Google Forms. Contact Prof. Robert Brathwaite (brathwa1@msu.edu) with questions.

February Alum in Residence: Spencer Good

The JMC Alumni in Residence program offers Madison students the opportunity to connect one-on-one (via Zoom) with JMC alums for mentoring and networking. The January Alumnus is Spencer Good (PTCD, SRP 2024).

Career: Legislative Director for State Representative Joseph Fox within the Michigan House of Representatives

More About Spencer:

Favorite memory from your time at JMC? Cofounding the Spartan Food Security Council.

One skill from JMC that you still use? Writing is a cornerstone of my work in the legislature. I owe the clarity and succinctness of my writing to Prof. Ahlquist who taught me “The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing” in MC 111.

What are you most excited to share with JMC students? I hope to help students see their liberal arts education not merely as a series of course requirements, but as an opportunity to explore issues they care deeply about — food insecurity, in my case — through interdisciplinary learning. To put it in terms Madisonians will understand, all four years of their undergraduate education should be an exercise in gaining field experience that is directed and informed by the JMC curriculum and living-learning environment.

Meet with Spencer

Events

To Stand with Palestine 
Feb. 2, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. via Zoom. Book talk featuring Dr. Karam Dana, Professor of Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies at the University of Washington Bothell, discussing To Stand with Palestine: Transnational Resistance and Political Evolution in the United States. Register via Zoom.

As the Dust of the Earth with Harriet Murav 
Feb. 3, 5:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. in the JMC Library, Room 332 Case Hall. Attend a thought-provoking talk with Dr. Harriet Murav that explores how literature helps us understand moments of crisis and care in revolutionary Russia and Ukraine. Learn more via JMC Events.

JMC Research Showcase
JMC’s 2026 Research Showcase will be held on April 24 in Case Hall. Students are invited to present their scholarship with faculty, staff, peers and external audiences. Learn more about the event and submit your application by March 13.

Scholarships & Awards

Gordon and Norma Guyer Public Policy Internship Award
Applications are now open for MSU students of any major completing an internship in public policy this semester. Scholarships of at least $1,000 will be applicable towards a student’s tuition. View the scholarship announcement and submit your application by Feb. 6. Learn more on JMC’s website.

CLACS Undergraduate Scholarships
The Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies endowment funds support undergraduates pursuing research, internships or study abroad in Latin America and the Caribbean. Learn more and apply by Feb. 28.

Grad School Resources

LSAC Digital Law School Forum 
Feb. 10, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. held virtually. Experience an invaluable opportunity for aspiring law students to learn about law school and connect with law school representatives. By attending, you’ll be able to connect with law school representatives from across North America, learn about financial aid, and the law school admission process. Register to attend by Feb. 8. Register via LSAC.

Georgetown's Undergraduate Summer Law Institute
Capitol Law @ GU: Georgetown Undergraduate Summer Law Institute is a five-week, eight-credit program designed specifically for undergraduate students interested in law. Students gain first-hand exposure to legal education and the legal profession through immersive experiences in the heart of Washington, D.C. Attend information sessions on Feb. 5 or 10 and apply by March 6.

CLEO Inc. Pre-Law Summer Institute 
Prelaw Summer Institute (PLSI) is a rigorous, residential program designed to familiarize and better prepare students for success in law school. PLSI 2026 will begin with a two-week (May 23 – July 2) virtual introduction to law school, followed by immersive on-campus experience hosted by Penn State Dickenson Law in Pennsylvania. The PLSI 2026 program cost is $2,500 per person with a $200 deposit. Apply by April 1. Learn more and apply via CLEO Inc.

Opportunities

SPARC Spring Issue Submissions Are Now Open 
SPARC (Student Papers in Academic Research Collaborative), MSU’s undergraduate research journal, is now accepting submissions for its Spring 2026 issue. SPARC provides students with a platform to showcase their academic and creative work while gaining experience with the editorial and review process of academic publishing. Students from all disciplines and experience levels are encouraged to submit research papers, literature reviews, creative writing, artist statements, commentary pieces, and more. The deadline to submit to SPARC’s Spring Issue is Feb. 15. Learn more and share your submission via SPARC Google Form.

Undergraduate Research Workshops 

• Summer UR Opportunities, Feb. 5, 5 to 6 p.m., 2110 STEM Building. 

• Writing Abstracts, Feb. 6, 7 to 8 p.m., 2110 STEM Building. 

Academic Success Workshops 
View upcoming Academic Success Workshops hosted by the Office for Undergraduate Education. Upcoming opportunities include: 

• Speak with Purpose: Tips for Planning Presentations, Feb. 3, 6 p.m. Register Online 

• Let’s Talk: Navigating Important Conversations in College, Feb. 4, 6 p.m. Register Online 

• Taming Your Text, Feb. 5, 4 p.m. Register Online 

• High Impact Study Techniques I, Feb. 5, 5 p.m. Register Online 

• Mingling Towards Academic Success, Feb. 6, 12:30 p.m. Register Online 

• College Survival Skills that Might Actually Work for You, Feb. 6, 2:30 p.m. Register Online 

Student Resources

Academic Advising
Academic advisors are available for drop-in advising through the Express Advising Center in 328 S. Case Hall on weekdays. Visit JMC’s website for more info.

JMC Community Counselor: Drop-In Counseling
JMC has a new CAPS Connect counselor, Victor Léon. Victor will be available for free, confidential drop-in counseling on Monday afternoons from 3 to 5 p.m. in S363 Case Hall. Visit MSU CAPS Connect for more information.

Writing Center at JMC
Need help working through an assignment, essay or presentation? The Writing Center at JMC in 341 Case Hall will be open Monday-Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. Schedule an appointment or drop in.

Office Hours with Assoc. Dean Linda Racioppi
Associate Dean Linda Racioppi holds weekly office hours on Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. in S359 Case Hall. Stop in to discuss your academic journey with college leadership. These drop-in office hours are open to all Madison students.

Connect with JMC’s Career Peer  
Need help with resumes, cover letters, personal statements or interview prep? Connect with JMC’s Career Peer, Taylor Toth, during weekly office hours held Wednesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in S329 South Case or schedule on Handshake. Taylor can also review materials that are sent to jm.career@msu.edu.

Madisonian Mention: Olivia Schaefer

“Hi everyone! My name is Olivia Schaefer, and I am a senior majoring in Social Relations and Public Policy and minoring in German, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, and Science, Technology, Environment, and Public Policy (what a mouthful!). Here on campus, I serve as the Hub Coordinator for MSU’s branch of the Sunrise Movement. If you’re a student who is really passionate about the climate crisis (and all of the other crises we’ve got going on at the moment), come join us! All of our meeting info is on our Instagram @sunrisespartans.

“Last semester, I also had the privilege of being a TA for ISS310: People and the Environment with my very first professor I ever had in JMC, the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) Dr. Marley. You might see me studying fervently around Case Hall this semester; I’m finishing up my senior honors thesis on religion as social movements in Latin America with my other GOAT, Dr. Burns. JMC has given me the best friends and four years of my life, and I am deeply brokenhearted about leaving. If you ever see me in Case (or elsewhere), come and say hi!”

Favorite book: East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Favorite artists: Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Big Thief 

Best study spot: Library basement 

Favorite JMC classes: MC111, MC280, MC338

Have questions or submissions for this newsletter? Contact Jane Deacon (locket20@msu.edu).