Presidential Leadership Profile 2024
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On Thursday, September 26, 2024, the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Neil MacKinnon, Ph.D., to serve as the 16th university president. MacKinnon joins CMU from Augusta University, where he recently served as provost, overseeing units including academic planning, research, student success and belonging, enrollment, strategic planning and more.
Overview
CMU President Robert O. Davies announced his intention to step down December 31, 2024. The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees has announced the start of a national search for the university's 16th president.
Central Michigan University is a nationally ranked institution that fosters the transformative power of advanced learning while embracing a sense of community among our students, faculty, staff and more than 225,000 alumni around the world.
Developed with community input
Approximately 200 students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, community partners and supporters participated in the April listening sessions hosted by search firm WittKieffer. Additionally, 350 individuals submitted feedback using the online submission form.
Information collected from the forms and listening sessions was compiled and synthesized by the search consultant. This information was used to develop the presidential leadership profile, including the section outlining opportunities and expectations for leadership and the section on desired professional qualifications and personal characteristics.
Board of Trustees action on presidential search process
To make the presidential search process as inclusive as possible, the CMU Board of Trustees adopted the following practices to guide the search process:
Search process and timeline
Presidential Search Advisory Committee
The national search for CMU's 16th president will be led by a search advisory committee, which is tasked with recruiting, screening and engaging prospective candidates. At the February 6 meeting of the CMU Board of Trustees, Trustees approved procedures for the selection of a president, including an expansion of the search advisory committee to ensure representation from all key university stakeholder groups.
Denise Williams Mallett, vice chair of the CMU Board of Trustees, will lead the presidential search effort. Other members of the search advisory committee representing faculty, students, staff, alumni, donors and the community are:
- Trustee Todd Regis, Chair, CMU Board of Trustees
- Trustee Todd Anson, CMU Board of Trustees
- Trustee Sharon Heath, CMU Board of Trustees
- Tangela Cheatham, deputy athletic director, CMU Athletics
- Tracy Davis, Chair, Academic Senate; faculty member, Department of English Language and Literature
- Todd Fridline, representative, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
- Deb Gross, executive secretary, Registrar's office; President, CMU Office Professionals Local 6888 (UAW)
- Mary Moran Hill, vice president, Finance and Administrative Services
- Nick Hussein, faculty member, Department of Marketing, Hospitality and Logistics
- Stephen Juris, Chair-Elect, Academic Senate; faculty member, Department of Biology
- Shana Kingma, graduate student, CMU Innovation and Online
- John Kulhavi, CMU alumnus and Trustee Emeritus
- Paula Lancaster, Dean, College of Education and Human Services
- Stephanie Mathson, faculty member, education librarian and coordinator, Library Research & Instruction Services
- Scott Nadeau, President, CMU Alumni Association
- Amy Perschbacher, Mayor, Mount Pleasant, Michigan
- Penny Queller, CMU alumna and supporter
- Cedric Taylor, faculty member, School of Politics, Society, Justice and Public Service
- Tyler Zimmerman, President, CMU Student Government Association
The search advisory committee will participate in listening sessions with university stakeholder groups to gain insight and perspective into the needs of the university community and to understand the key characteristics, qualifications and experiences necessary for CMU's next president.
Presidential search news updates
After nearly six years of service and leadership, Central Michigan University President Robert O. Davies has announced his plans to step down on December 31, 2024. In his letter to the university community, Davies said he hoped to provide the CMU Board of Trustees time to search for CMU’s next president.
“The work we have done together fills me with pride, and we have a great deal of work remaining ahead of us,” Davies said. “I look forward to our continued partnership over the next 11 months. Please be assured that I will remain an active, engaged and enthusiastic proponent of this work in my final year as president.”
Davies said he is stepping down for personal and professional reasons. Todd Regis, Chair of the CMU Board of Trustees, said the Board had accepted Davies’ resignation.
“The Board thanks Dr. Davies for nearly six years of service to CMU and for his willingness to continue leading this institution this year. He is committed to executing the new strategic plan approved by the Board of Trustees,” Regis said.
During Davies’ tenure, CMU achieved numerous milestones.
“Since my arrival at CMU in the fall of 2018, I have often marveled at the magnitude of passion, encouragement and support that you have offered to our university community. With your support, our university has achieved remarkable things,” Davies wrote.
The university’s recent achievements include:
- A new milestone in grant funding - $26.3M for fiscal year 2021-22, and a second year of grantsmanship over $20M in 2022-23.
- Securing one of the largest philanthropic gifts in university history: $10M to support multiple student success initiatives, as well as record-breaking fundraising during CMU’s Anniversary day-of-giving and #GivingTuesday campaigns.
- After more than a decade of declining enrollments, the first year-over-year increases in new student enrollment. This includes increases in new first-year, transfer and international students, as well as growth in CMU’s online programs.
- Multiple CMU programs included in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings, including inclusion in Best Graduate Schools, Best Colleges and Best Online Programs.
- Expansion of in-demand health professions programs, including a new four-year nursing program and strengthening CMU’s College of Medicine.
Throughout his tenure, Davies has been recognized for his commitment to student success.
“I am so proud of the roles we each have played to ensure every Central Michigan University student had the opportunity to feel welcome, seen and supported, and successful within our community,” Davies wrote. “More than anything, I feel proud of their achievements, their successes, and the impact they continue to have wherever they go.”
Regis said the Board of Trustees would soon begin the process to search for CMU’s 16th president by forming a search advisory committee and hiring a recognized search firm to assist in a comprehensive national search.
“In the spirit of Shared Governance, the Board of Trustees will ensure that the search process includes opportunities for students, faculty, staff, alumni, supporters, community members and partners to participate,” Regis said.
Board Chair Regis will communicate plans for the search as they develop.