The Michigan State University Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Teresa Woodruff as interim president of the university on Monday afternoon.
Woodruff, who is the provost and executive VP for academic affairs, will take over for Dr. Samuel Stanley, who resigned.
Stanley announced his resignation on Oct. 13, saying he had lost confidence in the board.
“I know very well from the outpouring of support from students, staff, faculty, shared governance, alumni donors … that many of you will be profoundly disappointed with this decision,” Stanley in the video message. “But I, like the Michigan State University Senate and associated students of Michigan State University, have lost confidence in the actions of the current Board of Trustees and I cannot in good conscience continue to serve this board as constituted.”
During the board meeting on Monday, Woodruff said she was convinced the university would grow, and that she and the trustees were aligned on campus plans.
Sources have previously indicated to 7 Action News there has been friction between the board and Stanley dating back to COVID-19 precautions and his leadership style.
Stanley had recently been asked by the Board of Trustees to retire early. He was being pressured to retire following his execution of title nine investigations which deals with sexual assault and discrimination.
A recent decision by MSU’s provost to push out Sanjay Gupta, the dean of MSU’s Broad Business School, appears to have been the last straw for at least some board members.
Gupta, a longtime MSU business school professor, was found by MSU to have violated the school’s mandatory reporting policy which ensures that reports of sexual violence or harassment be reported up the chain of command.
MSU has been tight-lipped about the nature of the report, but has said that Gupta did not follow proper protocol.
Some on the board of trustees weren't convinced Gupta broke with policy at all, or at least did not deserve to be removed as dean, and have pushed back at the provost’s decision.
Gupta ultimately resigned, MSU says.
