A group of state lawmakers is proposing to end public elections for university boards in Michigan and to give that power entirely to the governor.
The people who govern Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University are elected by the public. The state’s 12 other public universities have board members that are appointed by the governor.
Michigan is one of only four states that hold elections to fill university board positions, according to MSU Extension.
Last week, Michigan State University faculty called on the school’s entire Board of Trustees to resign in the wake of the school’s mishandling of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal.
The motion was a symbolic vote, but it has brought attention to the way members of the board are chosen at Michigan’s largest public universities.