Michigan Senate blocks two Gov. Whitmer’s university board of trustee appointments

The Michigan Senate blocked two of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s appointments to public university board of trustee members this week.

The appointments of former professor Michael Ryan to the Ferris State board and former state Rep. Jon Hoadley to the Western Michigan University board were both rejected in a tumultuous floor session on Thursday.

Hoadley’s appointment was blocked on the basis of his being a graduate student at the university.

“The operations of the university in terms of the multi-million dollars that they operate, in terms of the education of students and the goals of that, that I just don’t think grad students should be on the board as they’re making these decisions of hiring, firing, student acceptance et cetera,” Senator Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) told reporters after the session.

The reason for Ryan’s rejection is somewhat unclear, but Nesbitt did say of his own vote against Ryan, “I think he’s toxic on the board.” 

“It is unconscionable that Senate Republicans would reject Gov. Whitmer’s appointment of Dr. Michael Ryan to the Ferris State Board of Trustees, especially given Dr. Ryan’s unmatched qualifications and his exemplary record of service to the university, students, families and the Big Rapids community,” said FSU Faculty Association President Charles Bacon in a press release.