Presidential search update

April 6, 2023

Dear Spartan community,

The search is underway for Michigan State University’s 22nd president, and we are excited to share some important updates.

First, we — Dennis Denno and Brianna Scott — will serve as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the presidential search committee. We are proud to lead the committee on behalf of the MSU Board of Trustees and will be joined by Trustees Dan Kelly and Renee Knake Jefferson. The rest of the committee will be named soon, and we look forward to sharing that information with our community.

We pledge that the search will be a thorough and inclusive process, including a broad-based search committee of university stakeholders. The committee will include community members representing faculty, staff, students, leaders and alums. They will help determine the attributes desired for the next MSU president, collect community input, screen and interview top applicants and work with the board so that it can fulfill its constitutional responsibility of selecting the president.

Second, we are pleased to announce the selection of executive search firm Isaacson, Miller to assist in the process. This leading firm is currently engaged to help select the MSU vice president for civil rights and Title IX education and compliance as well as other executive positions in MSU colleges. In the last 40 years, Isaacson, Miller has conducted more than 3,700 higher education searches with an overall record of strong placements for women and people of color.

Finally, we will begin community listening sessions in April and are pleased to share the dates and times of the following virtual open forums:

• Friday, April 14, 10-11 a.m.
• Wednesday, April 19, 12-1 p.m.
• Monday, April 24, 6-7 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 25, 7-8 p.m.
• Thursday, April 27, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
• Friday, April 28, 9-10 a.m.

We will follow up soon with additional details, including how to register for these events. Next week, we will also share the dates and times of an additional open forum, listening sessions with various campus stakeholders and other ways in which the community can provide feedback about the presidential search. We pledge to listen carefully to community input, and it will play an important role in shaping the presidential prospectus, which will introduce potential candidates to the history, progress, values and aspirations of our university.

We look forward to working with the Spartan community in finding the right person to lead the university toward new horizons and accomplishments in the years ahead. We invite you to follow the process and find opportunities to contribute to the search and to contact us at presidentialsearch@msu.edu.

Sincerely,

Dennis Denno, Trustee 
Presidential search committee chair 

Brianna Scott, Trustee 
Presidential search committee vice chair