Update to the Petition: Safeguarding CAPS and Transparent Leadership
***We did it!!! Keep the momentum going and save mental health at MSU for good!***
Thank you to the more than 1,450 students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members who signed this petition and bravely shared their stories in defense of accessible mental health care at MSU. On August 7, in an email titled "Pause on realignment of student psychiatric services," Assistant Provost Alexis Travis announced that the layoff notices for Dr. Swapna Hingwe and the four other CAPS psychiatrists have been rescinded, and that the transition of psychiatric services has been paused.
We applaud this outcome and recognize it as a direct result of your collective advocacy. Additionally, we commend President Guskiewicz's recommendation to allow the new Provost and VP of Student Affairs to be involved in shaping the future direction of these critical services. Thank you for your leadership.
Yet, there are still unanswered questions for many. We remain concerned about the harm already caused and the lack of transparency surrounding future leadership and direction for Mental Health and Trauma Support Services. The silence regarding the role of Interim Executive Director leaves critical questions unanswered. Moreover, many within the community continue to question UHW leadership's "unwavering commitment to student health and wellbeing," raising broader concerns about long-term psychiatric accessibility and inclusion in decision-making.
We welcome the restoration of CAPS psychiatry and the continued availability of three subsidized psychiatric visits for students, as well as the 24/7 crisis line. However, it is unacceptable that such a vital service was nearly dismantled without any meaningful input from the frontline providers or campus community. An institutional apology is warranted for the distress and uncertainty caused.
Moving forward, we call on MSU to:
- Fully pause the transition of psychiatric services
- Publicly commit to engaging frontline staff in all future planning
- Recognize Dr. Swapna Hingwe as a trusted and qualified leader for the role of Executive Director for Mental Health and Trauma Support Services at MSU. Our students deserve not just restored services, but vision, stability, and care rooted in trust
The petition is a powerful archive of over 700 heartfelt testimonies that illuminate the vital role of CAPS psychiatry in students' lives. One student wrote, “Without CAPS, I wouldn't have survived my first year at MSU. They helped me access care when I had nowhere else to go.” Another noted, “My psychiatrist at CAPS understood me in a way no one else had. This isn't just a service—it's a lifeline.” A graduate student shared, “Affordable psychiatric care allowed me to continue my studies. Losing CAPS would have meant dropping out.” These testimonials are urgent reminders that mental health care is not optional—it is foundational to academic success, safety, and human dignity. We urge MSU to not only listen but act on these stories with integrity, transparency, and community-centered leadership.
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To MSU Leadership (Alexis Travis, Norman Hubbard, Kristine Allen, Thomas Jeitschko, Kevin Guskiewicz, and Kelly Tebay):
We write to express deep concern and outrage at the abrupt termination and administrative leave of Dr. Swapna Hingwe, former Director of Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS), and the elimination of psychiatry services provided by CAPS as announced in a July 31 "Transition of Physical Therapy and Psychiatric Services to MSU" email. We call on Michigan State University leadership to immediately reinstate Dr. Hingwe and the four psychiatrists whose roles have been unfairly eliminated.
Dr. Hingwe has served the MSU community with distinction for 16 years. As the first woman of color to direct CAPS, she brought a vision of healing-centered, culturally responsive mental health care to the forefront of campus wellbeing. Under her leadership, CAPS became a national model for compassionate, community-rooted psychiatric support, prioritizing outreach to marginalized, international, and neurodiverse students. Dr. Hingwe built a career on inclusive care, working across campus to make mental health support a shared responsibility.
The decision to eliminate Dr. Hingwe’s role and dissolve CAPS psychiatry services stands in stark contradiction to the university’s public claim that “mental health is a priority.” It is deeply ironic — and profoundly disheartening — that even as administrators pledge to strengthen student wellbeing, they have removed one of the most trusted leaders in campus mental health care and dismantled a key component of the system that served students with dignity and depth.
Dr. Hingwe embodied what it means to center student mental health, not just in policy, but in practice — through presence, outreach, and culturally attuned care. Her leadership cannot be replaced with a corporate model or transitional structure that lacks community trust and continuity. If mental health is truly a priority, then it must be reflected in who is empowered to lead, the services that are preserved, and the values that guide decision-making. Otherwise, such commitments ring hollow.
These actions also stand in stark contrast to MSU’s recent adoption of the Okanagan Charter, which commits the university to a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. Dr. Hingwe was selected to serve on MSU’s Okanagan committee because of her demonstrated leadership in student mental health. Her abrupt termination — conducted without prior notice and in a private meeting where she was asked to return her keys — undermines the Charter’s stated principles and raises questions about the university’s commitment to a "culture of care."
This decision has had broader consequences beyond one individual. Dr. Hingwe’s supervisor, Leigh Norwood, was also laid off, and these staffing changes have sent waves of concern across the CAPS team and campus. What appears to be a consolidation of services under UHW has resulted in the elimination of long-standing roles and created an atmosphere of uncertainty.
While the president has emphasized the need to prioritize people during budget reductions, the approach taken by UHW appears misaligned with that directive. The removal of trusted mental health leaders without transparency or community input jeopardizes student trust and wellbeing. If MSU is to remain true to the spirit of the Okanagan Charter and its stated values, it must begin by demonstrating care and integrity toward those who have led our community through its most vulnerable times.
Dr. Hingwe and her team have been the quiet backbone of support in moments of crisis and transformation. These changes dismantle a legacy of culturally competent care built over more than a decade, without input from the very students and colleagues most affected.
We reject the devaluation of mental health leadership grounded in inclusion, community partnerships, and student-centered advocacy. We reject the replacement of hard-won women of color leaders under the banner of efficiency reforms and budget cuts. We demand better.
We respectfully call on MSU leadership to:
- Immediately reinstate Dr. Swapna Hingwe and the four psychiatrists recently laid off from CAPS.
- Restore CAPS psychiatry services under UHW and maintain its integrated care model.
- Implement a transparent, community-informed process for future leadership and service changes impacting student wellbeing.
- Publicly affirm MSU’s commitment to culturally competent, student-driven, and inclusive mental health care.
Let us not lose the people and programs that have stood by our students during their most difficult moments. The MSU community deserves mental health care that reflects its people, its values, and its humanity.
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