Two Board of Trustees seats are up for election. Here’s a voter guide with everything you need to know to cast your vote.
Voters will be able to choose up to two candidates. Election Day is Nov. 8 and voters can cast their ballot at their local precinct. For more information on where to vote, visit the city clerk’s website or an on-campus satellite voting office.
What does the Board of Trustees do?
The Board of Trustees is an eight-person elected body with general supervision over MSU and its funds. According to its bylaws, the board exercises the final authority of the university.
The board’s mission includes being responsible for the offering of undergraduate and graduate education, encouraging meaningful research and experimentation, meeting the needs of a changing society, cherishing legacy, preserving heritage and diffusing information to improve well-being. The board also elects people to serve in certain roles of the MSU administration, including the university president and provost. It then delegates to the president, as well as the faculty president.
The board holds public meetings approximately eight times per year. Trustees also serve on board committees, which offer specific oversight and financial guidance to particular aspects of the institution. The board also elects its own chairperson and vice chairperson.
How and why are trustees elected or appointed?
Board members are elected in statewide elections. If a board seat is left vacant during a term, the governor appoints someone to fill the seat.
The reasoning behind the statewide and gubernatorial rights to determine who serves on the board is explained in the State Constitution and Board of Trustees bylaws. Since MSU is a public university that uses state funds, the board is responsible to the people of Michigan. Additionally, the State Constitution says that the people of Michigan established the MSU Board of Trustees to develop a free and distinguished university.
The State Constitution also says the encouragement of “forever schools” and the means of education is public policy, which is implemented by the legislature. Therefore, the constitution grants the board “freedom, power, and responsibility to develop a free and distinguished university and to promote the welfare of mankind through teaching, research, and public service.”
MSU is a land-grant university, as determined by the Morrill Act of 1863. This also plays a role in its statewide constituency. The bylaws state since MSU is a land grant university, it holds “the legal responsibility to provide a liberal and practical education for the agricultural and industrial classes and all others, to prepare them for the various pursuits and professions of life.”
What is the term length and transition process for the Board of Trustees?
Board members are elected for eight-year terms and have an unlimited number of terms. However, a board member appointed by the governor will not immediately begin a new eight-year term. Instead, this new trustee will follow the election cycle for the seat they fill. Each election cycle, there are two seats up for election.
If a non-returning trustee is elected, they will undergo orientations throughout December. During this time, they will learn more about MSU and its financial structure and hear from people from athletics, residence galls, facilities and more to get a general overview of the university.
The elected trustees' terms officially begin on Jan. 1. At the first meeting of the year in January, the board elects a chair and vice chair and determines committee assignments for each trustee. The chair and vice chair positions have two-year terms.
Who is running for the Board of Trustees?
There are seven candidates for the Board of Trustees on the ballot this election: Renee Knake Jefferson, Dennis Denno, Mike Balow, Travis Menge, Claranna Gelineau, Max Rieske and Robin Laurain.
Renee Knake Jefferson is the only incumbent running for re-election this year. She is running under the Democratic nomination, and she was initially appointed to the board by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2019.
Jefferson’s campaign is centered around creating transparency and accountability at MSU, especially as it pertains to sexual misconduct and campus safety.
During her time as a trustee, Jefferson has been the only trustee to read the entirety of the documents in the ex-MSU doctor Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal. Also, the board adopted a new policy to evaluate presidential performance and a code of ethics for board members. Jefferson said she advocates for inclusive, affordable and accessible education. In addition to being a trustee, Jefferson is a mother, ethics professor and attorney.
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Dennis Denno is running for the Board of Trustees under the Democratic nomination. His campaign issues include improving transparency, ensuring campus safety, giving MSU employees a $15 minimum wage and fighting for budget priorities.
Denno is an MSU graduate and the founder of Denno Research, a public opinion company. He was also a staffer in the Michigan legislature for 17 years.
Mike Balow is running for a Republican spot on the board. As the father of an MSU student who was on the swim team, he is an advocate for reinstatement of the swim and dive team. Balow has also attended board meetings, telling the current board he has taken issue with the “incredibly dysfunctional environment at the MSU leadership level.”
His campaign goals include honesty and openness from the board and president’s office, releasing the Nassar-era documents, prioritizing in-state students, supporting medical freedom of choice, financial oversight and holding leadership and faculty accountable.
Travis Menge is running for the Board of Trustees under the Republican nomination. If elected, Menge wants to protect free speech on campus, reduce and control tuition costs, improve educational value and accessibility, improve transparency and accountability and continue to grow MSU’s presence as a global leader in STEM and agriculture.
Menge is opposed to the university’s COVID-19 policies, specifically the vaccine mandate, and the use of critical race theory at MSU. He is an MSU alumnus who currently works as an orthopedic surgeon.
Claranna Gelineau is running for the Board of Trustees as a Libertarian. Gelineau is running on the issues of accountability and transparency, reducing costs and increasing the value of education, and programs for the 21st-century student and workforce. She believes in equal treatment and equal opportunities.
Gelineau attended MSU where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree and Secondary Education Teaching certificate.
Max Rieske is a member of the Libertarian Party. He supports free speech on campus and is against mask and vaccine mandates, and the organization of groups like Black Lives Matter on campus.
Robin Laurain is a member of the Green Party. Her values include social justice, immigration policies and the environment. She is a licensed practical nurse.
