As MSU president exits, what the heck is going on? We have (some) answers

Another president to become part of MSU’s history
Guskiewicz leaving a lot of $$$ behind for new gig at Clemson University, despite $1 million carrot to stay
Opinions differ on challenges to find next president, including whether MSU will have to offer the next leader a $2 million paycheck

It’s happening again: Michigan State University is losing another leader.

President Kevin Guskiewicz announced Wednesday that he will be departing soon to serve as president of Clemson University in South Carolina. He’s leaving a lot of money behind to serve a school with 20,000 fewer students.

Here’s what we know.

What the heck is going on now at MSU?

Where do we even start?

Guskiewicz is leaving MSU, Michigan’s second-largest university with 52,000 students, after less than 2½ years to earn a $1.2 million salary and lead the 30,000-student Clemson University in South Carolina.

Ten days ago, the MSU Board of Trustees agreed to double Guskiewicz’s annual salary from $1 million to $2 million after they heard he was being wooed by other schools. Trustees gathered at a special Sunday night meeting (when the Detroit Pistons were playing in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals) and said they would try and raise the additional money from donors.

portrait of man wearing MSU tie — Kevin Guskiewicz is leaving Michigan State University to become president of Clemson (Courtesy of MSU)

Guskiewicz is leaving behind the extra $1 million in annual salary, along with $950,000 in deferred compensation that he would have received had he fulfilled his original 5-year contract, according to Jim Finkelstein, George Mason University professor emeritus. If Guskiewicz had decided to serve on the MSU faculty after serving as president, his contract would have granted him the opportunity to serve at 50% of his presidential salary, which would have been $1 million annually for as long as he wanted to be part of the faculty. He just turned 60.

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That’s a lot of perks he’s walking away from, Finkelstein and others say. “This wasn’t about the money,” Finkelstein told Bridge. “It’s clear he was frustrated by the dysfunctional board. This was really about the governing of the university.”

What’s the link to this ‘loyalty‘ policy the board instituted?

Also 10 days ago, MSU trustees passed a board ethics policy portrayed by some as good governance but that others viewed as a stifling of free speech. The board said that was necessary to keep Guskiewicz, who was frustrated by some board members publishing op-eds, speaking on podcasts and making other public comments critical of university decisions — including its diversity, equity and inclusion policy — and Spartan Ventures, MSU’s nonprofit venture created to generate more funding for the athletic department. Guskiewicz was at his wits end, one trustee said, and was even suffering physically.

Trustees Mike Balow, a Republican, and Rema Vassar, a Democrat, opposed the policy and didn’t sign it by Sunday’s deadline. As a result, Balow said MSU revoked his credential to the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island, and canceled his Grand Hotel room. Balow planned to go on his own dime and attend evening events to talk with policy makers about MSU.

While traveling to the conference, Balow said he learned from a reporter that Guskiewicz was leaving even though he’d spoken to the president by phone the day before the special meeting and thought Guskiewicz wanted to stay.

How did Guskiewicz explain his early departure?

In a letter to the MSU campus community and alumni, Guskiewicz expressed his gratitude for serving and outlined his accomplishments.

He said that he believed “progress is strongest when we row together toward common goals” but “there are differing perspectives within the Board of Trustees regarding how best to move MSU forward.” Guskiewicz didn’t name individuals, only saying that “too much energy has been spent revisiting past conflicts and internal disagreements rather than focusing collectively on the opportunities and aspirations ahead of us.”

“Most troubling,” Guskiewicz wrote, “is the actions of some to abuse their access to privileged and confidential information to misrepresent facts, manipulate situations and selectively use and leak that information to promote personal agendas.”

What did board members say about Guskiewicz’s departure and critique of some of them?

Board chair Brianna Scott issued a statement, hailing Guskiewicz for setting the university on a positive trajectory. “Michigan State University has demonstrated resilience throughout its history, and the institution’s strength has never depended on any one individual.”

Balow said he felt “blindsighted” by the news and is “really disappointed.” Guskiewicz was a good fit for MSU, he said, and the board was “completely supportive” of all of his initiatives. When he last spoke with him, Guskiewicz said he had an offer he was considering, Balow told him that he would like him to stay and he said he wanted to stay at MSU. “It’s a hard day.”

The rest of the eight-member MSU board did not respond to calls and texts from Bridge.

Did any others weigh in?

Among the most high-profile was Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, who chastised the board while at the Mackinac Policy Conference.

“This is disappointing, but also nobody should be surprised by this outcome given some of the antics we’ve seen from a handful of board members,” Whitmer said in a Detroit News report.

Wait, doesn’t the University of Michigan also need a new president?

Yes. U-M hired Kent Syverud earlier this year as its new president but before taking office he had to step aside to get treatment for cancer. U-M has named Domenico Grasso its 16th president while it conducts another search. He had been serving as interim chief after the departure of Santa Ono last year.

When former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan pulled out as an independent candidate for Michigan governor last week, rumors swirled that he might become U-M’s president. But Regent Paul Brown said the regents had “zero discussions” about Duggan leading U-M.

Would appointing trustees/regents lead to more stability at the helms of public universities?

Depends on who’s asked.

Another push is underway to change how the governing board members of MSU, U-M and Wayne State University are selected. They are currently elected statewide while the governor appoints members to the 12 other public universities’ governing boards. A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced resolutions in the House and Senate last week to allow for the governor to appoint governing board members, along with changes to the nomination process for the state attorney general and secretary of state. Proponents suggest it might calm the controversies among board members.

According to the Detroit News, Whitmer said Michigan’s election of the Big Three university board members needs to change and nodded to the current proposal in the State Legislature to appoint trustees, which “would help ensure institutions have the leadership and expertise to get things back on track.”

Finkelstein said governor-appointed board members can also struggle with being at odds with the president and faculty. “Politicization is the problem.”

What’s next for MSU?

Details about a search for a new president will come soon, Scott said.

It’s not going to be easy to find a new president, Finkelstein said, which was a theme that MSU faced when it hired Guskiewicz in 2024.

Guskiewicz is the the third permanent president to depart MSU — the sixth, if you count interim presidents — in the eight years since former President Lou Anna Simon resigned in 2018 amid the sexual abuse scandal involving Larry Nassar, the former doctor who is now incarcerated. Many have pointed to struggles with the board as one reason for MSU’s presidential departures.

“Whoever takes the MSU presidency next can expect a $2M salary,” said Judith Wilder, a George Mason University professor. “It will be hard to offer anything less since that’s what Guskiewicz was offered.”

Balow said he’s not so sure that the next president will have to be paid $2 million.

“The right person is out there,” Balow said, “despite MSU’s recent history.”

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