MSU president Kevin Guskiewicz leaving to take leadership role at Clemson University
Michigan State University's president is leaving his role in East Lansing to become the president of Clemson University in South Carolina.
Kevin Guskiewicz was named to that role on Wednesday, after the Clemson Board of Trustees met Wednesday morning to select the school's next president. Clemson officials cited his career as an internationally recognized researcher in sports medicine and leadership roles in higher education.
Clemson will host a reception in June to formally welcome him to the campus.
His departure from MSU was a scenario that East Lansing officials had hoped to prevent. The MSU Board of Trustees voted during a special meeting on May 17 to negotiate a new contract with Guskiewicz, with the starting point a $2 million base salary along with an unvested employer award of $250,000 and a term extension to 2031, according to the agenda packet. The vote was six in favor, one vote no and one abstention.
His existing contract called for a base pay of $1,029,210 along with an unvested employer award of $200,000 per year and expires in 2029.
"We greatly value these past two-plus years under President Guskiewicz," wrote MSU Board Chair Brianna Scott in a statement. "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."
Guskiewicz was named MSU's 22nd president in December 2023 and arrived in East Lansing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a chancellor. Guskiewicz was MSU's fifth president since former president Lou Anna K. Simon resigned in 2018 in the wake of the Larry Nassar sexual assault scandal.
MSU's Board of Trustees says it will provide an update on the presidential transition at a later date.
