President Mary Sue Coleman was praised for leading the university in economic development efforts, global outreach and academic excellence during her annual review at the Sept. 15 Board of Regents meeting.
Regent S. Martin Taylor lauded Coleman’s leadership in the Michigan Venture Accelerator, which provides assistance for emerging U-M startup companies, and noted the university’s new master’s degree program in entrepreneurship. He also said she forged important new international partnerships, such as the one between U-M and Shanghai Jiao Tong University to develop new energy and biomedical systems.
“She is expanding the university’s reach across the state, the nation and around the globe,” Taylor said, citing her leadership in university attracting 40,000 applicants for admission this fall, including students from all 83 Michigan counties, all 50 states and 118 foreign countries.
Taylor called Coleman “a model of responsibility,” as she led the university through the state’s biggest capital building project. He also mentioned her sustainability efforts that are “saving thousands of gallons of water daily and aggressively conserving energy all across the campus.”
Coleman was lauded for “pushing the envelope of academic excellence,” through the creation of new interdisciplinary clusters of faculty members and hiring new faculty members.
Taylor concluded his remarks by recommending a 2.75 percent pay increase for Coleman, adding that he wished he could do more.
Coleman thanked the regents, and said she planned to donate the $15,678 to the Mary Sue and Kenneth Coleman Student Global Experience Fund, which is awarded to students to help fund their global experiences.
“I’m thrilled that students will have the resources to go abroad,” Coleman said.
