Mission & Values

The primary purpose of MSU Safe Place is to ensure the personal safety, welfare, and dignity of those who experience relationship violence and stalking within the MSU and greater Lansing communities. Goals include:

1. Providing temporary and safe shelter, advocacy, support and referrals for MSU students, staff, faculty, or their partners, as well as greater Lansing community members, including the minor children of those who are victimized.
2. Increasing community awareness about relationship violence and stalking to improve prevention efforts and community responsiveness.
3. Offering a learning environment for members of the community through volunteer and internship opportunities.

At MSU Safe Place we strive to celebrate and support diversity in all of its forms. We recognize that intersections of race, ethnicity, disability status, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, country of origin, age, height, weight along with countless other identities and factors all affect the experience of those impacted by intimate partner violence, and stalking. We are dedicated to constantly examining our own power and privilege and how it influences the work we do. We are devoted to educating ourselves on issues that disproportionately impact systematically minoritized individuals and communities in order to encompass cultural humility in the work we are doing at MSU Safe Place. We are committed to utilizing anti-oppressive practices in our engagement with clients, and community members. Overall, we seek to provide a safe, welcoming and affirming environment for all persons that seek our services.

We acknowledge the deep intersectional connection between relationship violence, stalking and other forms of oppression. We accept our responsibility to continuously examine our privilege and positionality, practice cultural humility, seek opportunities to broaden our understanding, and hold ourselves accountable. We will work toward rights, justice, and liberation for all people, and we recognize that dismantling systems of oppression is a key part of the broad structural changes needed in this work (adapted from the anti-oppression statement on moash.org).

MSU Safe Place follows practices outlined by Michigan State University, which state we will not discriminate against anyone because of their age, color, gender, gender identity, disability status, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or weight. In addition, Safe Place does not discriminate based on ethnicity, immigration status and geographic isolation. This extends to staffing and all services, including shelter, counseling, advocacy, and community education.

MSU Safe Place recognizes that there may be times when conflicts arise due to differences in beliefs and backgrounds. Our policy is to anticipate problems and help staff and clients work proactively to resolve such conflicts.

MSU Safe Place has a policy of respect for all people, including populations that are often denied services or discriminated against, such as transgender, non-binary and intersex individuals. Our policy is to respect each person as they self-identify. A person’s gender does not depend on whether or not they have had surgery or other medical treatments. People are who they say they are.