MSU Board of Trustees voted-in an interim president Wednesday. Former Michigan Governor John Engler will lead the university starting on February 5th.
FOX 47 was at the board meeting and some students and faculty aren't happy with the decision.
Students disrupted the meeting so that they could share their thoughts with the new leader. One student jumped on the table and then sat down. At the same time, another student spoke and said the Board of Trustees was not speaking on behalf of the students and faculty when it put John Engler in charge. Students told FOX 47, this adds to the list of wrong-doings by the trustees.
Some of the students refused to leave the boardroom afterward and staged a sit-in. The students ended their sit-in at 5 P.M. One hour before police were going to force them to leave.
The nearly six-hour sit-in was an effort to protest the new interim president and the feeling that their voices aren't being heard by the board.
After Engler finished his statement and questions the students chanted shame as he walked out the boardroom.
Dan Martel, the student president of the College of Democrats said this after John Engler's statement:
"I looked that man in the eye and said 'can you commit to having a town hall with the trustees and the president at the town hall?', and I don't think that's unreasonable. And I got a no. I would love to say that I was surprised but that's just sort of how our board has been, it's easily the least transparent body on campus and clearly they have continued that trend with the appointment of Governor Engler's long-term interim."
Students, however, told us they are pleased that trustee Brian Mosallam is holding a town hall that students can attend. But they told FOX 47 they are looking for this sort of action for all the board members.
