After 28 years at the University, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz will leave his role at UNC.
According to reporting by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Guskiewicz will be announced as Michigan State University's president on Friday morning.
He began his tenure as interim chancellor in February 2019, before stepping into the role full time in December. Issues like the University handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the denial of professor Nikole Hannah-Jones' tenure and the Aug. 28 campus shooting have marked Guskiewicz's time at the helm of the University.
Guskiewicz announced he was "weighing" the decision in a statement on Nov. 16, after The State News reported he was the sole candidate for the presidency of MSU.
“I am focused on serving the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a special place I have lived, worked, and loved for 28 years. I am very proud of what our university accomplishes every day as one of the best public universities in the country," he said in a statement.
On Monday, Guskiewicz told The Daily Tar Heel that he had not made a decision regarding the MSU presidency.
In the time leading up to Guskiewicz's decision, faculty expressed concerns about destabilization and the political power behind Guskiewicz's decision. The State News reported that in a statement to MSU faculty, Guskiewicz said he would only accept the opportunity to lead MSU without "undue interference" and with a "trusted partnership" with faculty, staff and the university's trustees.
At this time, it is unclear who will take Guskiewicz's place as chancellor. The UNC System must collaborate with the University to create a search advisory committee to appoint an interim chancellor.
UNC Media Relations has not yet provided comment about Guskiewicz's departure.
