Breslin
—At Friday afternoon’s Board of Trustees meeting, members of the board addressed organizational matters. They held elections to determine chair positions, approved an administrative position and welcomed its newest member, Trustee Brian Mosallam.
The board voted unanimously on two leadership positions— Trustee Joel Ferguson was elected chairperson of the board and Trustee Brian Breslin was elected vice chair. They will hold the positions for the next two years.
2013 will be Ferguson’s ninth year leading the board, he said.
“We’ve got a lot of momentum at the university,” Ferguson said. “I was happy that the board members feel that we’re making and going the right direction and there is no reason to change.”
Ferguson also said it is important to note with the state of Michigan’s “contentious” legislation, Ferguson, a Democrat, and Breslin, a Republican, will collaborate on leading the board, putting partisan labels aside.
The board also officially approved Senior Associate Provost June Youatt as acting provost.
MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said Youatt is fit for the position because of her willingness to cater to the needs of MSU students.
Emily Bank, ASMSU’s vice president for academic affairs, agreed with Simon and congratulated Youatt during the meeting.
“Dr. Youatt has been so receptive to undergraduate … ideas, and we are very excited to work with her,” Bank said at the meeting.
During the meeting, trustees congratulated the chair and vice chair and welcomed newly-elected Mosallam to the board.
“Right now, I’m drinking through a fire hose,” Mosallam said. “I’ve been going to meetings and orientations, being oriented, and to sit though my first meeting was definitely exciting.”
Simon said she is happy the election process of the new positions went smoothly and is looking forward to working with the trustees this year.
The next Board of Trustees meeting will be on Friday, Jan. 25.
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