Lou Anna Simon
| Lou Anna Simon | |
|---|---|
| 20th President of Michigan State University | |
| In office 2005–2018 |
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| Preceded by | M. Peter McPherson |
| Succeeded by | Bill Beekman (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Alma mater | Indiana State University Michigan State University |
Lou Anna Kimsey Simon is an American university administrator. The 20th president of Michigan State University (MSU) and its John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor, Simon was appointed interim president of the university in 2003, then served as president from 2004 until her resignation in 2018, following widespread criticism of her handling of the sexual abuse case of MSU doctor Larry Nassar.
From 2012 to 2014, Simon served as chair of the executive committee of National Collegiate Athletic Association. She also served as chair of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Detroit Branch.[citation needed]
Education
Simon received her Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Indiana State University in Terre Haute in 1969.[citation needed] She earned a Master of Science in student personnel and counseling from Indiana State University in 1970.[citation needed] In 1974 Simon earned a Ph.D. in higher education from MSU.[1] She is married and lives in East Lansing.[citation needed]
Career
Michigan State University
Simon was hired by MSU to be a faculty member. Over the following years, she served in a sequence of increasingly-senior administrative positions: Assistant Director of the Office of Institutional Research, Assistant Provost for General Academic Administration, Associate Provost, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs from 1993-2004, interim president from May 2003 to May 2004,[2] and as President of MSU beginning in 2004 when the MSU Board of Trustees hired Simon as President with a three-year, US$340,000-a-year, contract to oversee the 44,800-student university and its US$715 million annual budget. In January 2006, the Board of Trustees increased Simon's salary to US$425,000 although President Simon and her husband Roy Simon donated that year's increase back to the university's capital campaign.[citation needed]
In 2006, Simon decided to add Michigan State University to the list of institutions opposing the passage of the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative.[citation needed]
In 2014, President Simon released a letter in defense of Michigan State University's decision to invite George Will to be the commencement speaker at its December 2014 graduation ceremony. [3] The invitation was opposed by numerous student groups. [4]
In 2017, a large outcry from students, alumni, legislators and others arose from Michigan State's role in the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case. Nassar, a sports physician at MSU from 1997 to 2016, pleaded guilty in a Michigan court to seven charges of sexual assault and faces accusations of sexual assault from more than 150 young girls and women.[5] MSU officials are accused of improperly handling or ignoring multiple reports of sexual abuse from student athletes who were abused by Nassar during treatments. The Detroit News reported that 14 MSU representatives, including Simon, had been told of sexual misconduct by Nassar across two decades.[6] While the MSU trustees initially voiced support for Simon, public pressure continued to grow until January 24, 2018, when the Michigan House of Representatives approved a resolution calling on the Michigan State University Board of Trustees to fire Simon.[7][8]
On January 24, 2018, Simon announced her resignation from the presidency.[9] Simon drew further criticism for her resignation letter, which critics felt did not take adequate responsibility for her role, instead characterizing the "blame" directed at her as a result of the case being "politicized".[10][11]
NCAA
In August 2012, while president of MSU, Simon began a two-year term as chair of the NCAA's executive committee. Elected to the position one week after the committee's sanctions of Penn State for the university's part in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case, Simon said her goal was to "build trust and confidence back in the system".[12]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ She served while then-President M. Peter McPherson served as a representative of President George W. Bush in the reconstruction of Iraq
- ↑ http://president.msu.edu/from-the-presidents-desk/2014/reaffirming-values-in-challenging-times.html
- ↑ http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/12/09/george-wills-michigan-state-university-commence/201808
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ {cite web | url = http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/01/26/following-nassar-scandal-michigan-state-president-leaves-with-lifetime-perks.html | title = Following Nassar scandal, Michigan State president leaves with lifetime of perks | author = Caleb Parke | publisher = Fox News | date = January 26, 2017 | accessdate = January 27, 2018}}
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
A listing of the President and top-paid MSU employees for 2005 and 2006, by Michigan publisher and political consultant Chetly Zarko.
| Academic offices | ||
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| Preceded by
David K. Scott
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Provost of Michigan State University 1993–2004 |
Succeeded by Kim Wilcox |
| Preceded by | Interim President of Michigan State University 2003 |
Succeeded by M. Peter McPherson |
| Preceded by | President of Michigan State University 2005–2018 |
Succeeded by Bill Beekman (acting) |
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Located in: East Lansing, Michigan
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