Support Michigan House Bill 5000

HB 5000 proposes to establish a commission to study the governance structure of state universities in Michigan. The bill will not change any law or the constitution but will simply gather information on various governance models from other states and what problems the current governance system may be fostering.

Current governing boards for UM, MSU and WSU are elected but nominations occur at party conventions without primaries. Thus, boards are often filled by political favors and special interests. When combined with the autonomy granted by the State constitution this is a recipe for state universities to become unresponsive to the needs of the citizens of Michigan. A study of the problems and alternatives of the current governing model is called for.