John Engler’s letter of resignation confirmed what most had already concluded: Michigan State University deserves someone better at the helm. In case there was anyone who still thought Engler was fit to serve, his eleven-page diatribe showed otherwise. I’ve defended Engler’s tenure more than most, but his departing letter can only be described as disgraceful.

The very first words set the tone: “[Trustee Dianne Byrum has] advised me that five Democratic members of the MSU Board, including [Byrum], have requested my resignation as MSU President. The election of two new Democratic members and the appointment of a Democrat to replace Trustee George Perles has created a new majority on the Board.”

Here, Engler tries to attribute his demise to politics. Of course, the next morning’s vote to remove Engler immediately (rather than on January 23 as he had planned1) transcended party lines, with all seven present Trustees voting for the ouster.

But the issue was beyond politics even when the letter was written. Republican legislators have been calling for Engler’s removal since June. Two of the most vocal Nassar survivors—Rachael Denhollander and Kaylee Lorincz, both of whom Engler maligned while in office—were featured in an advertisement for then-Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley, who was running for Governor as a Republican. And at the June Board of Trustees meeting, Republican Trustee Mitch Lyons warned Engler that his penchant for off-color comments could not continue. “John said some really stupid things. . . . This cannot happen again. I mean, these comments cannot, and I will not, allow it to happen again,” chastised Lyons; while Lyons is no longer on the Board, it’s hard to imagine that he would have voted to keep Engler. In short, condemning Engler is not inherently political.

Engler then proceeds to outline a laundry list of what he considers his accomplishments at MSU. On the list is the controversial consolidation of the compliance and internal audit offices, a policy library announced in June that still doesn’t exist (excluding a table of contents posted in August), and the creation of the RVSM Expert Advisory Workgroup, whose advice Engler ignored in deciding to close the Healing Assistance Fund.

Board of Trustees Chairperson Dianne Byrum announces Engler will resign immediately.

Engler also takes credit for projects that began before he arrived. For example, “MSU complet[ing] installation of wireless internet service in all student rooms” is less impressive when one considers that the undertaking has been in the works since 2013. Likewise, many of Engler’s purported accolades seem to simply be the conclusions of projects that have long been underway.

I have to admit that many of the efforts Engler cites in his letter were genuine improvements to the University. But it’s not remotely clear that Engler himself was behind any of them. Indeed, Engler’s personal contributions to the University appear to be limited to impropriety, poor judgment, and combativeness toward survivors of sexual abuse.

Even if I were to credit Engler with personally accomplishing everything he lists, it doesn’t outweigh the damage he’s done. What Engler fundamentally misunderstood is that whether or not “MSU is a dramatically better, stronger institution than it was one year ago,” the tone at the top indelibly colors the perception of the institution. And when there’s a bully behind the President’s desk, it’s no wonder that the University continues to be inundated with criticism.

As he notes in his letter, Engler was asked to take on a position he didn’t apply for. He agreed out of a sense of duty toward his alma mater. And he forewent his $510,399 salary, donating it back to the University. All of these are worth something. But the key takeaway from Engler’s term in office is that words often matter as much as actions. Engler’s words left the University wanting.

John Engler’s complete inability to learn his lesson was his fatal flaw. A person can be forgiven for a frustrated fumble at a meeting or a crude characterization in an e-mail. But no matter how many warnings Engler was given, his next gaffe was always just around the corner. For as callous and aloof as ex-President Lou Anna Simon often came off, Engler’s abject hostility was a new low for MSU’s leadership. And keeping in character, Engler completely failed to apologize for anything in the meandering pat-on-his-own-back portending to be a resignation letter.

Acting President Satish Upda is surrounded by media following his appointment.

Fortunately, the tide seems to be turning. Acting President2 Satish Udpa is by all accounts a measured man who would rather listen to survivors than pick fights with them. During a conversation at the January 22 Academic Governance reception, Udpa struck me as fundamentally (and refreshingly) decent, noting that he did not intend to fire Engler appointees on the basis of the person who hired them.

In a July interview with On the Banks, Engler said that he’d never considered resigning, but acknowledged that he could be removed. “The Board can always fire me . . . if they have five votes. If they say ‘leave,’ I’ll leave. But otherwise I’m just gonna finish the job.”

Six months later, the Board had five votes. They said “leave.” And Engler left.

Good riddance.



1 It’s worth noting that per Engler’s contract, he had to give ninety days’ notice before resigning, though the Board could accelerate that. While his January 23 departure date would technically have violated his contract barring Board intervention, I think it’s safe to assume that the Board wouldn’t have minded given the circumstances.

2A note on terminology: The Bylaws of the Board of Trustees exclusively use the term “Acting President” rather than “Interim President,” as Engler had been called. The Bylaws also require the Board to name an Acting President “immediately” upon the previous President’s resignation. As such, one could argue that the January transition from Acting President Bill Beekman to Interim President Engler violated the Bylaws; in any case, the point is a moot one now. I’m happy to see the Board/University now calling the role by the name in the Bylaws, and I will refer to Mr. Udpa as “Acting President” in future articles.

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Tyler Silvestri Tyler Silvestri is a third-year law student at MSU who received his bachelor’s degree in Political Theory & Constitutional Democracy from MSU’s James Madison College in 2017. He spent one year as the Assistant Director of ASMSU’s Student Rights Advocates and two years as a Resident Assistant. He is the Chairperson of the University Committee on Academic Governance. He can be reached at Tyler@onthebanksmsu.com. See author's posts