EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University President Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz is leaving Michigan State University to become president of Clemson University.
The board of trustees at the South Carolina school voted to approve the hire during its meeting Wednesday morning. The vote passed unanimously.
Guskiewicz is scheduled to speak with the media via Zoom on Wednesday morning.
MSU Board Chair Brianna Scott issued the following statement regarding President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., moving on from Michigan State University:
“We greatly value these past two-plus years under President Guskiewicz. His leadership has set the university on a positive trajectory and one that we can continue during this transition. Michigan State University has demonstrated resilience throughout its history, and the institution’s strength has never depended on any one individual. The university’s mission, talent and momentum continue just as they have for nearly 175 years.
“The board will provide information regarding a transition plan soon; in the meantime, we wish Kevin and Amy well and look forward to aligning our shared visions over a productive summer in anticipation of a busy and prosperous academic year.”
In a statement, Guskiewicz cited “discouraging behavior” by members of the board as a reason for leaving the university, saying in part QUOTE: While I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished these past two-plus years, I have always said that your health, family and faith must come first above all else. The ongoing and continuous nature of the aforementioned actions has created an unsustainable situation. So after thoughtful reflection, I have made the difficult decision to leave Michigan State University and accept an opportunity to lead Clemson University as its next president.
To read the whole post, you can find it here.
His departure comes less than two weeks after the MSU Board of Trustees voted to recommend a new contract for Guskiewicz during a contentious special meeting.
The board voted to recommend awarding Guskiewicz with a new contract that would nearly double his annual salary to $2 million per year and extend his contract by two years until March 4, 2031.
Guskiewicz will earn a base salary of $1.21 million at Clemson, with additional incentives, trustees announced during Wednesday’s meeting.
MSU Trustee Sandy Pierce said during the May 17 meeting that the push for a new contract came as Guskiewicz was being “aggressively pursued” by other schools.
Guskiewicz will replace interim Clemson President Bob Jones, who has been filling the role since Jim Clements retired at the end of 2025, according to Fox Carolina.
We have reached out to MSU officials for further comment and is awaiting response.
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