CMU President Bob Davies resigns, effective Dec. 31, 2024
Central Michigan University President, Bob Davies, delivers the 2023 State of the University Address Thursday, Nov. 16 in Plachta Auditorium. Davies discusses the future of the university and his plans for it. (CM-Life | Jo Kenoshmeg)
Central Michigan University President Bob Davies released a statement this afternoon, Jan. 31, that he will be resigning.
In September 2024, he will have been president for six years.
“It is with mixed emotions that I write to share with you my plans to step down from the position of university president at the end of this year,” Davies wrote in an email. “For personal and professional reasons, I will resign my position effective Tuesday, December 31, 2024. I know that I am making this decision at the right time – for myself, my family and for CMU.”
Davies was appointed as the 15th president of CMU on the Sept. 1, 2018, by the CMU Board of Trustees.
He was the president throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During the global pandemic, we worked together to prioritize the safety of our students, faculty and staff while continuing to carry out our vital educational mission,” Davies wrote in the email. “We made difficult decisions in the best interest of our university community, always keeping our students’ needs at the forefront of our choices.”
Some achievements under his presidency, according to his biography:
- Reached a new milestone in grant funding in two consecutive years.
- Secured a $10 million charitable donation to support multiple student success initiatives, as well as fundraised the CMU’s Anniversary day-of-giving and #GivingTuesday campaigns.
- After more than a decade of declining enrollments, there was a turn around and an increase in new student enrollment. This meant increases in new first-year, transfer and international students, as well as a rise in CMU’s online programs.
- Expanded health professions programs, including a new four-year nursing program and a strengthened College of Medicine.
“The Board thanks Dr. Davies for nearly six years of service to CMU and for his willingness to continue leading this institution this year," CMU Board of Trustees Chair Todd Regis wrote in his statement. "He is committed to executing the new strategic plan approved by the Board of Trustees.”
The Board of Trustees will conduct a national search for his successor.
