Clemson Taps Michigan State President

Kevin Guskiewicz leaves Michigan State University less than two weeks after MSU trustees approved a $1 million raise, doubling his compensation to $2 million annually, to deter aggressive recruitment. He departs after about two years to take the top job at Clemson University. The move includes a reported pay cut, with a base salary of $1.2 million on a five-year deal, with additional incentives such as deferred compensation and bonuses expected to increase total earnings. Guskiewicz previously led major research institutions at Michigan State and as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In his remarks upon leaving, he pointed to serious governance concerns at Michigan State and emphasized the need for collaboration, trust, and a forward-looking vision.

"Less than two weeks after Michigan State University offered President Kevin Guskiewicz a $1 million raise, doubling his compensation to $2 million a year, to fend off headhunters, he is leaving to take the top job at Clemson University."

"When MSU trustees proposed the raise, they said that Guskiewicz was being aggressively recruited by other institutions and noted his frustrations with the board. While trustees did not specify the nature of those frustrations, Michigan State's board has been mired in drama in recent years, accused of retaliating against faculty members and micromanaging prior presidents."

"In making the jump he will take a pay cut, reportedly earning an annual base salary of $1.2 million on a five-year deal. (Additional incentives, such as deferred compensation and bonuses, will push that number higher.) Guskiewicz will take the helm of a major research university for the third time, following stops at MSU and four years as the chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill."

"On his way out, Guskiewicz also noted serious governance concerns at Michigan State, though he did not elaborate on specific incidents. In a statement to the MSU community, he wrote that "effective university leadership requires a shared commitment to collaboration, trust and a forward-looking vision," but that some board members spent too much energy "revisiting past conflicts and"

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