The Spartan Bus Tour program takes two trips each year, the Regional Route and the Local Loop. The trips are differentiated by their duration, time of year and geographic range. Both trips offer roughly the same number of stops, the same duration of time at each stop and the same expectations for engagement, participation and collaborative outcomes.
The goals for both tour formats are the same: understand how MSU impacts and is impacted by Michigan and its people, build meaningful relationships with communities and colleagues, and identify opportunities for new partnerships in support of the state. Our hope is that interested participants will seek out the trip format that feels most accessible and appealing to them.
Regional Route
The Spartan Bus Tour Regional Route takes place each year during fall break. It is a three-day, two-night long-distance trip across a broad geographical region of the state.
Regional Route trips visit many different communities, large and small. Bus rides are generally longer during this trip, as the total distance covered can exceed more than 1,000 miles and distance from home is further. Regional Route trips provide exposure to the breadth of MSU’s impact across the state, while visiting many diverse landscapes and cultures.
Local Loop
The Spartan Bus Tour Local Loop takes place between spring commencement and the start of summer classes. It is a two-day, one-night trip to a single place or cluster of nearby places, such as a metro area or a handful of neighboring towns.
Local Loop trips focus on MSU’s impact and partnership possibilities via a deep dive into a localized community, exploring what makes that place special and how MSU can collaborate with the people there to support them. This version of the Spartan Bus Tour is much more rapidly paced, with shorter bus trips and much less total distance.