During his introduction to the Michigan State University community on Friday, outgoing UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz shared several approaches he hopes to bring to East Lansing that reflected his efforts in Chapel Hill.
Guskiewicz addressed the Michigan State Board of Trustees after their formal approval of his hiring as university president on Friday, and released a video to MSU students, faculty, and staff as well.
“I pursued this opportunity because I believe that my values and vision align so well with those of Michigan State,” he said in his initial video with the university, “and I share and admire your deep commitment to transforming lives through the power of teaching, research and outreach.”
Guskiewicz — who has served as UNC’s chancellor since 2019 and previously as the dean of UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences — said he hopes to help the university work together to identify a “true north” to help drive its mission for students and work place culture for faculty and staff. He pointed to preparing students to take on pressing challenges of modern society and contribute to democracy as one of those keys, something that Guskiewicz also said at UNC he strived for. Guskiewicz also identified implementing Michigan State’s strategic plan and upholding diversity and equity as critical to fostering a culture where the arts and humanities help advance the school’s research efforts while valuing “the voices of every member of our community.”
When first hired as interim and again as permanent chancellor in 2019, Guskiewicz hosted listening session and feedback opportunities for the campus community in the wake of Silent Sam’s removal. He pledged to do something similar at Michigan State once he begins the position, holding a “listening and learning tour” with students, faculty and staff to better get to know their perspectives on university issues.
“I have been part of building a culture of collaboration that I believe is unique and prepared me to work across disciplines and departments, and that I will make certain will happen at Michigan State University,” Guskiewicz told its trustees on Friday.
Guskiewicz sent a message to the UNC community confirming his upcoming departure on Friday, which included a list of some initiatives he helped lead that serve as examples to those commitments. He highlighted the College of Arts and Sciences’ new IDEAs in Action Curriculum, the university’s Carolina Next strategic plan, and efforts to reflect diversity and BIPOC history on campus — like creating a permanent memorial for James Cates Jr. in The Pit and removing building names of figures with ties to white supremacy. Among Guskiewicz’s other accomplishments, he helped oversee the execution of a $5 billion capital campaign and launched the Carolina Across 100 initiative to address major issues impacting all North Carolina residents.
In the 78 years of UNC having a chancellor, Guskiewicz’s hiring away from the position is rare. His two predecessors — Carol Folt and Holden Thorp — resigned from the role following disputes with the UNC System and an academic scandal, respectively. Prior to that, nearly every chancellor ended their tenures by either retiring, returning to teaching at UNC, or — in the case of Michael Hooker in 1999 — dying.
The lone exception was UNC’s shortest-tenured permanent chancellor, Paul Sharp, who was hired away by Drake University after 17 months on the job. While in the role, Sharp pushed back against the Speaker Ban Law passed by North Carolina to prevent certain speakers on the university campus — which is believed to have contributed to Sharp’s departure.
UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz speaks at the James Lewis Cates, Jr. Memorial Dedication held at the Pit on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. November 21, 2022. (Photo via Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill.)
Guskiewicz will assume leadership of a university that seeks to recover from a series of high-profile scandals and missteps. The latest president, Samuel Stanley Jr., resigned in October 2022 and cited having “lost confidence in the action of the current Board of Trustees” after serving in the role for three years. Stanley became its third president in five years as Michigan State continued its reckoning with the Larry Nassar abuse scandal, where the university sports doctor was accused of and pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting women and girls. More recently, Michigan State fired its football head coach Mel Tucker over sexual harassment allegations made by an activist and the board of trustees fell under scrutiny of how long it had known details of the case.
The outgoing UNC chancellor did not address those scandals directly in his opening remarks on Friday, but alluded to the tumultuous few years of Michigan State’s leadership.
“I know the past few years have challenged Michigan State,” Guskiewicz said, “yet I see a great university with a strong, historical foundation that can reach new levels of excellence through its powerful commitment to student success, knowledge, discovery, and land-grant service. I’m excited about the opportunity to work alongside all Spartans, with MSU students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and with its community partners and stakeholders to propel its community to even greater heights.”
What comes next for UNC? Guskiewicz’s final day as the Chapel Hill campus’ chancellor will be on January 12, two days after classes begin for the spring 2024 semester. He will begin at Michigan State on March 4. UNC System President Peter Hans will be tasked with presenting interim options to the UNC System Board of Governors, and will also be responsible for choosing a search committee for permanent chancellor candidates. More on the UNC System’s policy for chancellor selection can be found here.
To the UNC community, Guskiewicz closed his letter on Friday by sharing part of what his time in Chapel Hill has meant to him.
“Carolina has been my home for 28 years,” he wrote, “and my family and I will always be a part of this community. From runs with my dog Charlie through campus to Sunset Serenade on the quad, from nail-biters in the Dean Dome to moving performances at PlayMakers and Memorial Hall, I have been inspired and challenged by you, our students, faculty and staff. This community has made me the person I am today, and words cannot express the gratitude I feel. I will never forget the outpouring of love and support you have shown to me, from when I first started as an assistant professor in exercise and sport science until now.”
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