Weekly Briefing: A Leadership Crisis at Michigan State, Again

This university is no stranger to changing administrations. ADVERTISEMENT [Weekly Briefing Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. A leadership crisis at Michigan State, again. There’s a new crisis of leadership at Michigan State University, the institution once bedeviled by the [Larry Nassar scandal](. The latest saga became public last weekend when the Detroit Free Press [reported]( that some members of the university’s Board of Trustees had given Samuel L. Stanley Jr. (above), the university’s president, until Tuesday to say he’d step down or potentially be fired. At the center of the conflict is [reportedly]( Stanley’s support of a decision by Michigan State’s provost to force Sanjay Gupta’s abrupt resignation, in August, from his position as dean of the university’s Eli Broad College of Business. The university said Gupta had stepped down as a “result of poor administrative oversight, including a failure to adhere to our mandatory reporting guidelines.” The exit of Gupta, a popular administrator, prompted debates among university board members, who are elected by a statewide vote. Dan Kelly, vice chair of the board, said [in a news release]( August 30 that the board had “retained outside counsel” to review the administration’s decision. In his statement, Kelly also said that the decision to remove Gupta was the provost’s responsibility, with the president’s support, and that the board was responsible for “oversight and governance.” Kelly did not respond to an email from The Chronicle. On Monday, Dianne Byrum, chair the board, said in a statement that [she opposed]( the effort to oust Stanley. Byrum wrote that she feared this conflict could undermine the university’s progress — like enrollment gains and improvements in academic rankings. In a [statement]( to The State News on Monday, Kelly disputed that board members had threatened to fire Stanley. “Contrary to recent media reports, at no time was the president threatened with termination or given an ultimatum regarding his employment,” Kelly wrote. “The Board has made no decision regarding any change in President Stanley’s employment status nor his employment contract.” The allegations of a leadership crisis raised a red flag for those with governance concerns. The president of the Association of American Universities released a statement on Monday about Michigan State — one of its member institutions. “I am appalled at reports of interference in MSU’s day-to-day operations by the university’s trustees, wrote Barbara R. Snyder, president of the association. “If the reports are accurate, then this is inappropriate meddling by a board charged with governance, not management.” Snyder noted that trustees are elected officials and that other public institutions have seen politically motivated interference. On Tuesday evening, Stanley made a [statement]( to the Lansing State Journal. He wrote, “I have faithfully complied with the state of Michigan certification process the last two years and reviewed all” mandatory reporting. He also spoke to the Faculty Senate on Tuesday evening, saying that he’d followed the law. The controversy resurfaced memories of the resignations of two earlier Michigan State presidents, Lou Anna K. Simon, in 2018, and John M. Engler, a year later, amid the turbulence of the Nassar sexual-abuse scandal. Nassar, a university sports doctor, was convicted in 2018 of abusing girls and women for years under the guise of medical treatment and is serving a life sentence in prison. For more about Michigan State’s latest leadership problems, [read our Jack Stripling’s story here.]( ADVERTISEMENT Lagniappe. - Learn. I keep a list of books I read and movies I watch. I wonder if making a playlist counts as documenting the music I listen to. In any case, [here’s why]( some people (myself included) need to document their cultural intake. (The Guardian) - Read. The baby-formula shortage was a nightmare for many parents. For some Silicon Valley parents, it [created a business opportunity](. (New York Magazine) - Watch. If you’ve ever wondered what your parents were like when they were young, [the movie]( Petite Maman is for you. On its surface it’s a sweet time-travel movie, but the film is also about this seemingly unanswerable question. (The New Yorker) — Fernanda SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. 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