President Mark Schlissel received his first-year grades during Thursday’s Board of Regents meeting coupled with a 3 percent pay raise.
Regents said the president made excellent hiring decisions, initiated important programs that leverage the university’s academic strengths, and traveled throughout the state and around to globe to meet alumni and build important relationships.
Reporting on behalf of the entire board, Regent Andrew Richner called the president a “respected academician of the highest order.”
He said Schlissel has “developed a long-term strategy to drive academic excellence, promote diversity, enhance campus climate and safety, increase access and affordability and operate the business of the university with ‘best in class’ efficiency.
“He is focused on elevating the university’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading research universities, public or private, and bringing significant benefits to the economy and citizens of Michigan,” Richner said on behalf of the board.
Richner said that over the course of his first year at U-M, Schlissel had:
• Initiated programs to leverage strengths in life sciences and promote synergies in the social sciences.
• Improved undergraduate admission selectivity and yield.
• Increased the budget for financial aid while increasing the endowment.
• Restrained staff growth while increasing faculty hiring and reducing class sizes.
• Demanded further efficiencies to produce significant future costs savings.
• Launched a process to develop the first-ever campuswide strategic plan for enhancing diversity and inclusiveness.
• Asked for proposals to address alcohol and illegal drug use and sexual assault with a high-level sense of urgency and importance.
• Launched the university’s first detailed survey of campus climate surrounding student sexual misconduct.
• Carefully reviewed the university’s health care system, including health-care quality and delivery and financial efficiency.
Richner also acknowledged Schlissel had to address high-profile athletic issues “and has been widely recognized for the manner in which these issues have been handled and the positive path he has created for the university.”
The board unanimously approved a 3 percent raise of $22,500 for the president, bringing his annual salary to $772,500.
