“It honestly is going to force us to confront a really painful reality that we can no longer afford to sweep under the rug," Scott said. "The decision that he made is the direct result of an unsustainable environment created by the unfettered and disruptive behaviors of three of my colleagues on the board. These individuals routinely use their positions of public trust, not to govern, but as weapons against our administrators and our presidents.” 

“There's only so much we can do. We can't remove trustees, right? But what we can do, we were willing to do.”  

Scott said there were months of frustration leading up to Guskiewicz leaving, and they knew he was being pursued by other universities as early as when he started at MSU.  

In a virtual interview with The State News on Friday morning, Scott addressed an array of topics surrounding Guskiewicz’s leaving, next steps for the university and divisions with MSU’s Board of Trustees.  

Guskiewicz leaving 

Guskiewicz was appointed as Clemson University's next president during the university's Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday morning. Clemson began their presidential search in January. 

“The board did not know about Clemson until that morning," Scott said.

Guskiewicz's departure falls just over a week after MSU's board held a May 17 special meeting as part of a last-ditch attempt to retain the president amid concerns he was being "aggressively pursued" by other universities. 

Scott said that she knew of a competing offer about a week before the special meeting.  

“The resignation is devastating, really, and it was entirely preventable for Michigan State," Scott said. 

One of the resolutions introduced in the meeting was revisions to the board's code of ethics and conduct, an attempt to quell board dysfunction in the public eye. Guskiewicz referred to interference from the board as fueling his decision to leave MSU in a campus-wide email sent Wednesday. 

“No university leader can successfully guide an institution when they are subjected to constant bad-faith interference," Scott said. 

The board is committed to moving forward and "to create a culture of respect," Scott said.

“We have to address the systemic dysfunction within our board," she said. "We have to address the behaviors of the three trustees that have been disruptive.”

Scott echoed her previous statement on Guskiewicz's departure, thanking him for his time at MSU: “I want to thank Kevin and his wife, Amy, and family for giving MSU the opportunity for coming in and being a trailblazer that we asked him to be back at the time of the presidential search. And I want to wish them the best in his future endeavors. We are blessed to have had him, and it has been a good run for us.” 

Offering next president the $1 million raised offered to Guskiewicz

During the MSU board's May 17 special meeting, the board voted to offer Guskiewicz a $1 million raise, effectively doubling his salary, and to extend his contract through 2031.  

Asked if a potential president would be offered the extra $1 million Guskiewicz was to receive, Scott said it would be "improper to take that quantum leap." 

“I can't say that would definitely be what we would be offering someone, but I certainly can't say that it wouldn't be somewhere near that," she said. “I can't say that we're committed to that number no matter what.”

When proposing the additional raise and contract extension for the now-departing president, trustees assured that the money to supplement the raise would not be sourced from the university's general fund.

“The belief was that we were going to get donor commitments for that additional sum of money. That [the offer to Guskiewicz] would not have, in any way, negatively impacted anybody at MSU," Scott said.  

Board’s revised Code of Ethics and Conduct and free speech concerns 

Also during the May special meeting, the board voted to bar trustees from publicly dissenting from majority board decisions in their individual capacities, despite internal pushback. 

Some trustees, and experts, called the revisions to the board's code of ethics and conduct a violation of their First Amendment rights. 

“I am an attorney, so I do know that there needs to be some due diligence, right? But I'm also an elected official. And I'm not going to ever endorse a policy that conflicts with our right of free speech. That’s just not gonna happen under my watch," Scott said.

Of the revisions, Scott said they did not "impinge" on free speech and were within the board's authority to implement. The board chair pointed to Wayne State University's code of conduct, which "includes very similar standards," and the state of Michigan's ethics act.

“The code of conduct clarifies our expectations around conduct, confidentiality, and our fiduciary responsibility, and also what is respectful engagement," Scott said. "They in no way limit free speech or restrict trustees from raising concerns. When we are in a board meeting, if you vote on something and you want to, give your opinion and make sure that your constituents understand why it is that you voted no.” 

State legislation to appoint trustees rather than voting 

Lawmakers are considering taking up legislation that would amend the Michigan Constitution and give the governor the power to appoint trustees to the governing boards of universities. Michigan is one of four states where voters elect members to the governing boards of its higher education institutions. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer voiced support for the proposed legislation, saying it could improve accountability on university boards, particularly following years of turmoil at MSU. Whitmer did not previously remove Vassar nor Denno when trustees previously asked her to consider.

Scott, who is up for re-election in November, said that "the issue is not how you get on the board, but once you do.”

“If somebody comes in with an agenda, they’re still gonna be disruptive," Scott said.