LBC Dean's statement on Roe vs. Wade

June 24, 2022

Dear Lyman Briggs College students,

Today the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in the case of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This opinion overturns Roe vs. Wade, the legal precedent set in 1973 affirming the American constitutional right to abortion. The situation is evolving and is quite complex, as state-by-state implications vary, and many laws or bans will not go into effect immediately.
 

We write you to echo the words of President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, EVP Norm Beauchamp and EVP Melissa Woo and reaffirm our commitment to your education and emphatically state that reproductive health care is a basic human right. 

 

LBC’s mission is to engage students with all disciplines of science within their many contexts, including historical, societal, and global contexts. Briggs is also a launching point for many students pursuing careers in medicine, health care, and public health. LBC’s approach to studying the sciences in their contexts is essential for understanding and removing the many medical and health injustices based on gender identity, race, ethnicity, and class that our nation perpetuates. This U.S. Supreme Court opinion will not limit our academic mission; we will continue to fully educate the next generation of leaders, scientists, and health-care professionals. 

If you have health and wellness-related questions, Student Health Services provides care for all students year-round. In addition, MSU’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) is available to support the mental health needs of students, even during the summer. Access counseling and consultation via the “Get Started” link on the CAPS website: https://caps.msu.edu/. Crisis support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling (517) 355-8270, option 1. 

 

Please reach out if we can support you. We care about each and every Briggsie. 


Kendra Spence Cheruvelil
Dean, Lyman Briggs College
Professor, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife & Lyman Briggs College
Michigan State University