EAST LANSING — More than 15,000 people have signed an online petition calling for three Michigan State Board of Trustees members to resign from their positions after both MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz and Athletic Director J Batt planned their exits from the university.
The petition was first made after Guskiewicz announced his departure with plans to head to Clemson University, but it only started gaining traction after Batt agreed to become the University of Kentucky’s next athletic director on June 15.
“As Spartans, we expect our university’s leaders to put Michigan State first. We expect them to act with professionalism, integrity, and a commitment to the long-term success of our institution. Instead, we have watched repeated turmoil, public infighting, and instability damage the reputation of one of America’s great universities,” petition organizer Victoria Bell wrote. “… President Guskiewicz was widely viewed as a respected leader who brought credibility, stability, and a vision for Michigan State’s future. His departure should alarm every student, alumnus, faculty member, staff member, donor, and supporter of this university.”
When Guskiewicz was named Clemson’s 16th president on May 27, he sent a letter to the MSU community thanking five trustees who voted to strengthen a code of ethics and conduct, which maps out consequences for failing to comply with the policy. The three who voted against the policy were Mike Balow, R-Plymouth, Rema Vassar, D-Detroit, and Dennis Denno, D-East Lansing.
Without signing the policy, trustees would be considered to be out of compliance. Balow and Vassar did not sign and were censured during the June 12 Board of Trustees meeting.
Just a few weeks after Guskiewicz announced his departure — though there’s no set timeline for his leaving — Batt was named the next UK athletic director.
“The Board of Trustees is focused on working together to finalize a leadership plan that supports a stable and smooth transition at MSU,” the MSU Board wrote in a joint statement. “MSU Athletics is a thriving, winning program worthy of the very best leadership and the achievements of our Spartan athletes speak for themselves. We look forward to seeing the culture of innovation established under J Batt continue under the leadership of MSU’s next athletic director. We wish J, his wife Leah and their family well as they embark on their new journey at Kentucky.”
In an update posted June 17, Bell wrote that the petition “has become a movement.”
“The message could not be clearer: the status quo is unacceptable,” Bell wrote. “The failed leadership that has led to yet another university president’s resignation, the loss of key leaders, and continued instability at one of the nation’s great public universities cannot continue without consequences.”
Balow declined to comment on the petition to the State Journal. Vassar and Denno did not immediately respond to message from the State Journal.
Contact Karly Graham at kgraham@lsj.com. Follow her on X at @KarlyGrahamJrn.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Petition calling for MSU Board resignations hits 15,000 signatures
Reporting by Karly Graham, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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By Karly Graham, Lansing State Journal | USA TODAY Network
