UNC chancellor on short list for MSU president

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- UNC Chapel Hill's chancellor is on the short list for another job out of state.

The university may soon be needing new leadership on campus as Kevin Guskiewicz is reportedly a top contender for the presidency spot at Michigan State University.

The student newspaper in East Lansing first reported the news that he is a finalist for the position.

Guskiewicz has been chancellor at UNC since 2019, filling the role on an interim basis from February 2019 until he was selected permanently as the university's 12th chancellor in December that year.

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According to our partners at the News and Observer, two years ago concerns rose among some faculty that Guskiewicz might be removed from the chancellorship, in part because he supported the hiring of journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones as a faculty member and expressed disappointment when she wasn't initially offered tenure by the university's Board of Trustees.

Guskiewicz responded Thursday morning to the reports linking him to the job.

"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. Through the years, a variety of professional opportunities have been presented to me. My family and I must weigh each one, and we are weighing this one."

UNC Board of Trustees Chair John P. Preyer released the following statement:

"We wish Kevin and his family well as they consider this important decision. In the meantime, our focus as a Board remains on the excellence and continued progress of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The success of our university and the promise of its future is bigger than any one person. The momentum and leadership of our state's world-class university will continue."

According to the MSU student paper, University of Texas-San Antonio President Taylor Amy was also a finalist before he took himself out of consideration.

It's not known when a final decision will be made on the position.