The Board of Trustees today announced that Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., will stay in his position as president of Michigan State University.
“President Guskiewicz has been transformational for Michigan State University over the past two years, and we are pleased to confirm that he has decided to stay and continue to chart a course forward for our institution,” said Chair Brianna Scott. “When he initially told me he was leaving, I asked him to consider rethinking his decision. I am so happy that he did! I always knew that his heart was with MSU.”
At the end of May, Guskiewicz announced his plan to move on from Michigan State University for a leadership position at Clemson University in South Carolina. While the board acknowledged Guskiewicz’s intention to leave MSU, trustees had not yet outlined a transition plan or appointed an interim president. At an informal meeting today, the chair informed the board that Guskiewicz will remain as president and that he has formally withdrawn his letter of resignation.
Guskiewicz communicated his decision to stay at Michigan State University to students, faculty, staff and alumni through a community letter sent earlier today.
“After much thought, countless conversations and careful consideration, I have decided to remain at Michigan State University and continue serving as your president,” Guskiewicz wrote. “When I came to Michigan State, I did so because I believed deeply in the promise of this university and in the people who make it exceptional. Over the past two years, that belief has only grown stronger. Every day, I have the privilege of witnessing the remarkable work of our faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters. I have seen lives transformed through education, discoveries that improve our world and a community that continually rises to meet challenges with resilience, compassion and purpose.”
The Board of Trustees is supportive of Guskiewicz’s decision to stay, and no additional formal action is required by the body for him to continue as president of Michigan State University. By a resolution passed at the special board meeting in May, the board previously approved the negotiation of an amendment to the president’s current contract. President Guskiewicz will remain in his position with a salary of $1.5 million.
Budget and Finance Committee Chair Sandy Pierce reiterated that the increase in the president's salary would not come from the university’s general fund but is being pursued through non-university resources.
Since becoming president in 2024, Guskiewicz has initiated several impactful programs and ideas that modernized MSU to better prepare the institution for the challenges ahead, including a thoughtful update of the university’s strategic plan, MSU 2030: Excellence for Global Impact.
Guskiewicz pursued meaningful partnerships with leaders of industry and innovation through the launch of MSU’s Green and White Council, brought MSU to the places its alumni and students call home through the Spartan Bus Tour series, highlighted institutions as forums for civil discourse with his Presidential Speakers Series and set about modernizing the university’s general education curriculum. Under his leadership, MSU launched the “Uncommon Will, Far Better World” comprehensive campaign, outperforming expectations and raising nearly half its $4 billion goal to date.
Guskiewicz expanded MSU’s 1855 Professorships, introduced the Native American Tuition Advantage Program, expanded the university’s commitment to student success through the Williams Scholarship and the Spartan Student Success Center, and continued MSU’s commitment to a safe campus with the Institutional Assessment and Responsive Action initiative.
Under his leadership, Spartan Ventures launched to keep MSU Athletics competitive in the evolving landscape of college sports, and the Jenison Fund was created to help support faculty impacted by significant changes in federal grant policy. Guskiewicz also recruited several leaders to MSU to fill key positions.
By far, Guskiewicz’s most marked leadership characteristic is his “One Team” philosophy and its impact on MSU’s culture, people and presence.