Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pointed directly at Michigan State University's Board of Trustees for the departure of President Kevin Guskiewicz, calling the board's public feuding a catalyst for his decision to leave for Clemson University.

The governor's statement on Wednesday sharpened a growing political battle over how Michigan selects leaders at its three flagship universities. Lawmakers are now moving to put a constitutional amendment on the August primary ballot that would end elected university boards and shift appointments to the governor.

A president departs despite a pay raise

Guskiewicz announced Wednesday that he would become the 16th president of Clemson University in South Carolina. His exit came just days after the MSU Board of Trustees voted to nearly double his salary to approximately $2 million annually and extend his contract by two years.

In a letter to the university community, Guskiewicz cited internal board divisions as a central factor in his decision. He accused some trustees of abusing access to confidential information to "misrepresent facts, manipulate situations and selectively use and leak that information to promote personal agendas."

"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.

The constitutional amendment gains momentum

The proposal to overhaul university governance was introduced in the Michigan House and Senate on May 22 by State Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, along with Democratic co-sponsors including former House Speaker Joe Tate and Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock.

The amendment would:

  • Replace elected boards at Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University with governor-appointed boards
  • Add a ninth member to each university board, with a limit of five members from the same political party
  • Require Senate confirmation of all gubernatorial appointees
  • Move the nomination process for secretary of state and attorney general from party conventions to the August primary election

"We don't have to reinvent anything, we just need to do what we've been doing at the other universities," McBroom said. "They get selected at the party conventions based on who throws the best tailgate parties and who's got a big checkbook so they can self-fund their campaign."

Former governors John Engler and Jim Blanchard have both publicly endorsed the change.

What it means for Michigan voters

The constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of the legislature and voter approval on the ballot. Lawmakers are targeting a June 4 vote to get the measure on the August primary ballot.

For voters in Warren and across Oakland County, the proposal would eliminate the university board elections that currently appear on the November general election ballot. It would also change how secretary of state and attorney general candidates are selected, moving those nominations from closed-door party conventions to the primary election in August.

Board Trustee Sandy Pierce, a retired Huntington Bank executive appointed by Whitmer in 2022, voiced support for the shift at the Mackinac Policy Conference on Tuesday.

"I do support going from an elected board or regents to appointed. Here's why: You don't hear or see any drama at all of the other universities in this state that have appointed positions. You hear about all the drama and the frustrations and the turnover in those three schools," Pierce said.

Faculty and trustees react

The Union of Tenure System Faculty at MSU expressed dismay at Guskiewicz's departure. Faculty union president NiCole Buchanan said the community was "not truthfully informed" about the president's status during the May 17 special board meeting.

Board Trustee Mike Balow called the departure sudden and disappointing. Trustee Rema Vassar noted that Guskiewicz had told her personally about a week before his announcement that he wanted to stay at MSU.

Guskiewicz did not ask for the salary increase, he said in a press conference at Clemson. He said his decision came down to opportunity at another institution.

MSU spokesperson Amber McCann said the university would review the proposed legislation but offered no further comment. The University of Michigan and Wayne State did not respond to requests for comment.