In a community letter with the subject line “the work continues” sent Monday afternoon, Guskiewicz said that “this period has created uncertainty and raised important questions across our community” and “a period of deep personal reflection about my own commitment to MSU and the future we are building together.” 

“I recognize that some members of our community may have questions about my commitment,” Guskiewicz wrote. “That is understandable. Our university has experienced more than its share of change in recent years, and I regret that my decision-making over the past several weeks added to that uncertainty. For that, I am sincerely sorry.”

President Guskiewicz will remain in his position with a salary of $1.5 million, according to a press release sent by the Board of Trustees. This raise will be funded by “non-university resources.”

Vice President of Communications Emily Guerrant told The State News that this salary raise would not go into effect until October, along with the rest of the MSU faculty’s annual raises. 

His current salary is $1,029,210. 

The Board of Trustees held a special meeting on May 17 in an attempt to retain the president amid concerns Guskiewicz was being courted with offers by other universities. As part of its retention efforts, the board voted to double Guskiewicz’s base salary, raising it to $2 million. The board also offered Guskiewicz a contract extension through 2031. 

At the same meeting, the board voted to implement revisions to the board’s Code of Ethics and Conduct — which have since been criticized for restricting the free speech of certain board members. 

The efforts to retain Guskiewicz initially failed and he announced his departure for Clemson University on May 27. 

In his departure letter sent the same day, Guskiewicz pointed to trustees on the board for creating an “unsustainable situation” at MSU. 

Following the announcement, signs covered East Lansing following his resignation reading “We (heart) KG,” signaling community support for the then-departing president as others mobilized against the Board of Trustees. 

In his letter Monday, Guskiewicz said he was “grateful for the patience the board extended” to him. Board Chair Brianna Scott and Vice Chair Renee Knake Jefferson were both thanked in the letter. 

“The board has demonstrated a commitment to implementing a more robust governance structure, including recent improvements to the Code of Ethics and Conduct.”

Guskiewicz mentioned his family multiple times throughout the letter.

“As Amy and I reflected on the possibility of leaving, we kept returning to one simple truth: we love this university.” 

It is unclear what Athletic Director J Batt’s future is at MSU. Weeks after Guskiewicz’s departure announcement, Batt was hired for the same position at the University of Kentucky on June 15. It is currently unclear when his last day at MSU will be. 

A source close to MSU told The State News Monday that the university is not looking to retain Batt after his departure announcement for Kentucky. 

At the time of publication, Batt is listed on the staff directories of both MSU and Kentucky. 

If Guskiewicz were to have left MSU, Batt’s buyout would have been reduced from $5 million to $2.5 million.