By the time the tense period had finished, though, two board members had left the room, and rejoined the meeting via Zoom. Their cameras were switched off, so displayed on screens behind the in-person attendees were their names against a black backdrop: Sandy Pierce and Renee Knake Jefferson.

It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for MSU's governing body, which is made up of eight trustees who vie for partisan nominations and run in statewide races for eight-year terms on the board.

In eight of the board's 17 in-person meetings since their previous term started in January 2023, at least one board member has either left prematurely to join over Zoom, attended virtually from the meeting's outset, or been absent altogether, according to meeting minutes.

The specific reasons for some trustees' absences and virtual appearances are unclear (Knake Jefferson didn't respond to requests for comment), though board members and spokespeople broadly said that family matters and day job obligations can pose scheduling conflicts. Pierce wrote in an email to The State News that she left early to catch her flight to attend the wedding of a close friend's son.

While observers generally agree the occasional absence or Zoom attendance is understandable, they also suggested their prevalence on MSU's board is difficult to defend. The public board meetings — of which there are just five per year — are designated times for trustees to fulfill their chief responsibilities to the university: voting on policy and hearing face-to-face feedback from MSU's key stakeholders.

"It's hard because it's so case dependent," said Faculty Senator Jamie Alan, referring to absences and virtual attendance at board meetings. "But I would be very surprised if people didn't understand what the role was before they ran for the position."

Furthermore, the spotty attendance — which comes at a particularly fraught moment for campus politics — makes some question how effectively their concerns are being communicated to those with the power to act on them.

Board Chair Kelly Tebay, for her part, said in a statement to The State News that each trustee makes "every effort" to show up at the meetings physically. 

"While some meetings are scheduled well in advance, there are times when unavoidable scheduling conflicts arise," she continued. "Virtual participation ensures trustees can still contribute meaningfully to discussions."

A 'paramount' priority

Unpaid by MSU, trustees have day jobs, working in sectors like business, political fundraising and academia.

While there’s no exact number of board meetings they must be present for, they are expected to “regularly attend" and actively participate in them, per the board’s code of ethics and conduct. Broadly, the document confers on trustees a "fiduciary duty" — meaning they must act in the best interest of MSU, rather than their own.

In 2023, before President Kevin Guskiewicz took MSU's helm and in the midst of boardroom tumult, trustees committed further to that obligation. They signed pledges vowing not to interfere in Guskiewicz's administration, while also holding their duty to MSU "paramount to all other considerations, including our own interests and those of any other constituency."

Jim Finkelstein, a George Mason University professor who studies higher education, said it’s understandable that trustees might prioritize other obligations over physically attending board meetings. Still, he added, doing so can raise questions about the quality of their service to the institution.

"If they’re not willing to fulfill their responsibility as a fiduciary they shouldn’t accept a board seat just because they think that it gives them stature or status in the community," Finkelstein said.

Kathryn Harding is the president of the Associated Students of Michigan State University, and accordingly serves as a liaison between the undergraduate student body and trustees at board meetings. For one, Harding said she finds it easier to feel heard through a face-to-face conversation. And, "based on the sheer low amount of times" that trustees meet, she sees "a lot of value in being there in-person."

The number of public board meetings this year is lower compared with years past.

That's because trustees voted in December 2024 to replace their first public meeting of each academic year with a closed-door "stakeholder forum." The move, which took effect this academic year, brought the number of annual public meetings from six to five. While MSU's leaders contended the private gathering in early September was productive, details of the discussions therein were largely unclear. 

Joe Garza, president of MSU's Administrative Professional Supervisors Association, said he can understand why a board member might attend virtually in certain circumstances. Still, he'd prefer they attend in-person. As the public comment period of meetings drags on, it can be difficult to gauge whether virtually present trustees are truly engaged, he said.

"I sat through them all, and I listened to them, but, when some of them leave to go attend on Zoom, I question that," Garza said.

'Effective oversight'

Faculty Senate Chair Angela Wilson wrote in an email to The State News that she is "impressed and grateful for the time that (trustees) do put into MSU, while still maintaining the commitments to their professions." On top of their full-time jobs, Wilson said, unforeseen circumstances like family emergencies could impede their ability to attend meetings.

"...The fact is that they are volunteers, albeit elected ones," Wilson said.

For Trustee Mike Balow, meeting in-person is ideal, because the most productive communication happens when you can look "someone in the eye." At the same time, trustees’ work or family commitments, on top of last-minute emergencies, can get in the way of showing up in-person, he said.

"I would believe, and I hope, that all of us really, really value the Michigan State responsibility that we signed up for, so that we would only make (Zoom) a last resort if we couldn’t be there."

In any case, Balow said he's been "pretty pleased" with his colleagues' attendance.

MSU spokesperson Emily Guerrant said in a statement that trustees have multiple obligations to balance outside of their role as stewards of the university.

"Our collective priority is ensuring that members are informed, engaged and able to fulfill their governance responsibilities — regardless of whether participation is in person or virtual," she said. "Attendance and active engagement, not just physical presence, are what drive effective oversight."

'Show up for your job'

The patchy attendance comes amid heightened sensitivity on campus around university leaders' responsiveness to student and faculty concerns. At the most recent board meeting, there was a particular appetite for answers on MSU's response to Trump administration policies affecting higher education, as the university has opted for a carefully quiet strategy in pushing back on the federal government. 

Even those physically present at the board meeting late last month were chided by public commenters for a perceived disengagement from the proceedings.

One speaker said Guskiewicz seemed to think the "can of Coke" he was drinking was more important that listening to students, and rebuffed Trustee Dennis Denno for looking at his cell phone. Another public commenter broadly described the meeting as "incredibly unprofessional," and said, "So many trustees here refused to look us in the eyes and would rather scroll on their phones and play with their pens."

There are also concerns around trustees' care for constituents outside of the quality of their participation in board meetings.

Faculty senators protested Trustee Denno at an April board meeting over his absences at meetings between the university’s board and faculty representatives, which are held the Thursday before public board meetings.

They also sent a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, asking her to factor such absences into her decision on whether to remove Denno and Trustee Rema Vassar from office — which the board had asked her to do after an outside investigation revealed widespread misconduct by the board members. (Whitmer ultimately chose to not remove Denno and Vassar.)

Since their protest and letter, Denno has continued to skip the meetings, said Alan, the faculty senator. In fact, "he kind of doubled down" at that point, she added. 

"This is a problem, because if you're not engaging with faculty, you're not being true to your mission as a trustee," she said, adding that Denno's absences are particularly concerning now given the range of "very significant issues" facing MSU.

Denno didn't respond to multiple requests for comment.

Other trustees and administrators, including Guskiewicz, are present at these meetings and aware of Denno’s attendance record, Alan said. Still, she suggested they might be powerless to change it.

"To be fair, I don't know that there's anything they could do to get a grown adult to show up for their job," she said.