BUZZ
Acrimony with board of trustees reportedly played a role in initial decision
The president of Michigan State University will no longer leave his job this summer and head to Clemson University. Instead, he will stay at his job and earn $500,000 more per year.
Kevin Guskiewicz announced on Monday he will stay at Michigan State. He reportedly planned to leave over acrimony on the board of trustees. Disputes among trustees about transparency and other issues led to a majority of the Democrat-led board imposing a “loyalty” pledge on all members, forbidding them from publicly criticizing decisions.
The board in a rare Sunday evening meeting in May also voted to double Guskiewicz’s salary from $1 million per year to $2 million.
President Guskiewicz will split the difference and begin earning $1.5 million per year beginning in October, the Lansing State Journal reported.
He decided to stay after a lobbying campaign that include head basketball coach Tom Izzo, Inside Higher Ed reported.
Guskiewicz appeared to say the loyalty pledge played a role in his decision to ultimately stay:
During the past several weeks, under the strong leadership of Board Chair Brianna Scott and Vice Chair Renee Knake Jefferson, we have had productive conversations about the governance challenges I previously shared. The board has demonstrated a commitment to implementing a more robust governance structure, including recent improvements to the Code of Ethics and Conduct.
I am also grateful to the many individuals and organizations who have expressed confidence in Michigan State’s future and the importance of strong, stable leadership. I appreciate the thoughtful conversations taking place across our state about governance and how we can best position Michigan State — and all of Michigan’s public universities — to thrive for generations to come. I remain committed to working alongside every trustee and every member of our community who is focused on moving Michigan State forward.
Two trustees, Democrat Rema Vassar and Republican Mike Balow, have refused to sign the oath.
Vassar is also preparing to file a lawsuit to stop the gag order.
Higher education groups have criticized the loyalty oath requirement.
“We don’t want to see these types of restrictions become the norm,” Aaron Terr told The Fix. His group, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, asked the trustees to drop the restrictions.
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni also criticized the policies.
“While the MSU policy does not create a legal precedent, it could create a governance precedent that other university boards may choose to mirror,” spokesman Nick Down told The Fix in an email.
Down said that Michigan State university “risks eroding public trust at a moment when support for higher education is already fragile,” with a “path that punishes dissent and concentrates decision-making behind closed doors.”
