The presidential forums and their corresponding presidential candidates have come and gone, now it is up to the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees to interview and propose an offer to one of the four in the coming days. Those who were unable to attend the various forums for the presidential candidate quartet may be asking, “But who and what do the candidates offer?”

First to come to NMU was John C. Hayek Ph.D.

Hayek serves as Vice Chancellor for Academic and Health Affairs and Chief Academic Officer for the Texas State University System, where he provides academic leadership across four universities and three state colleges, advancing excellence in teaching, research, and service; according to his NMU provided bio. He spoke on issues of enrollment at NMU, a common issue brought up by all candidates, and how he his focus is student success.

“My background is student success,” said Hayek. “That is the lens that if I were president, would have everything filter through student success.”

Compared with Brock Tessman’s last payment records, Hayek may possibly receive a cut in pay should he be accepted as NMU’s next president. Which is not a dealbreaker for him.

“At this point in my career there are things more important,” said Hayek. “But we will negotiate at an important time with the Board (of Trustees.) But my career is about helping students.”

When asked: one of the greatest fears for students right now are the Federal DEI Cuts and Mandates, how would you address those should you become president of NMU? Hayek had this to say.

“That is a great question,” Hayek said. “With the federal or state mandates as an institution we have to follow the law, but that doesn’t change the important values to me at the institutional perspective. At Northern, it feels that inclusion is a value, belonging is a value, community is a value and those are things that are not going to go away. We are going to continue to support our students in every way possible.”

Overall, Hayek spoke a lot on student success but also helping the Marquette community.

“All of our decisions that we would make would help promote and increase student success,” Hayek said. “Part of that to me is leveraging the impact on the community, and on Marquette, on the city, but on the whole Upper Peninsula as well.”

The second candidate was Ronald Hendrick, Ph.D.

Ronald Hendrick serves as the Provost & Senior Vice President at Texas Tech University. Throughout his career, he has been fortunate to contribute to various aspects of higher education administration, advancing academic success and a diversity of scholarship. Hendrick carries a wide-ranging portfolio of responsibilities, overseeing Texas Tech’s 13 degree-granting colleges, regional campuses in Texas and a private-public partnership campus in Costa Rica. His leadership extends to critical components of the university, including University Libraries and public-facing outreach entities such as Texas Tech University Press, Texas Tech Museum and the National Ranching Heritage Center. In this capacity, he supervises a dedicated team of more than 1,000 full-time staff members and collaborates closely with nine vice provost offices to ensure the holistic support of faculty, students and staff; according to his NMU provided bio.

Hendrick believes that his experience at Michigan State University gives him the skills to help NMU expand and help the community.

“Its very much the case,” said Hendrick. “At Michigan State we had statewide presence.”

Hendrick believes that his administrative experience can help build relationships with the community and sets him apart from the other candidates. When asked why he sought NMU, Hendrick had three reasons

“You get a lot of opportunities in academic leadership,” said Hendrick. “For me, it boils down to a couple things: do we have shared value, the articulated values on people, place and community really resonate with me; it has to be a place where I think I can help, and contribute to those goals and my experience at to other institutions will allow me to reach those goals; and also you want to live in someplace nice.”

When asked: one of the greatest fears for students right now are the Federal DEI Cuts and Mandates, how would you address those should you become president of NMU? Hendrick had this to say.

“So we have done a lot of that with Texas as well as many other states,” said Hendrick. “My message has been really consistent. We have laws and other things and maybe no longer resources that are going to have to change the how, but what doesn’t change is the what and the what is to create communities that are welcoming to all. So that everyone can come and show up and be their best authentic self everyday, and feeling like they are getting the support that they need; so they are able to get the education, research, or activities that they need to make them feel like who they are.”

Third to visit was Chris Olsen, Ph.D.

Chris Olsen serves as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Indiana State University. Previous to his current position he was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for five years and Chairperson of the Department of History for fourteen. He earned his PhD at the University of Florida in 1996 in United States History, with minors in Colonial Latin America and Political Culture Theory. His previous degrees are from the University of Nebraska (MA, 1990) and North Dakota State University (BA, 1988). His academic work examines the history of the nineteenth- century United States, focusing on politics and political culture; according to his NMU provided bio.

“This place was very appealing to me,” said Olson. “Partly because I am a believer of the regional comprehensive public university mission. For the past two decades I have been at a very similar place, with a lot of different responsibilities in a lot of areas. The mission of access and opportunity, and the impact that universities like this have in the community in which they are situated and for the students and their families, is unmatched. Regional comprehensive public universities are very different, have different challenges and have a different impact. For me the appeal of a place like Northern Michigan University is that they have the greatest impact in their communities, with the work force and with the students. That is what attracts me to it.”

When asked: one of the greatest fears for students right now are the Federal DEI Cuts and Mandates, how would you address those should you become president of NMU? Olson had this to say.

“That is a good question,” Olson said. “I mean the thing about student affinity groups and what we offer for students is that it is primarily about student success and academic success. There is a lot that goes into student success. Having done this at a very similar place for a long time now, it is financial aid it is a lot of things like: feeling like you belong, feeling respected and feeling like part of the campus community is apart of academic success. In our world as the administration, is to set students up for academic success and provide the support they need for academic success. I certainly believe that is an all encompassing in lots of different ways, there are a lot of things that go into that.”

The final candidate was Scott Beaulier, Ph.D.

Beaulier currently serves as the H.A. (Dave) True Family Dean of Business at the University of Wyoming and previously led North Dakota State University’s College of Business, where he raised over $50 million in support of students and faculty—one of the largest philanthropic achievements in the university’s history. At both institutions, he is known for defying enrollment decline, fostering strong culture, and building partnerships with alumni, donors, and state leaders; according to his NMU provided bio.

“I am a business dean at the University of Wyoming currently,” said Beaulier. “I think a business dead is someone that is engaging constantly with external stakeholders, business professionals, community members around the state and that comfort with external engagement is really important. Someone needs to tell NMU’s story to stakeholders who don’t really understand higher ed.”

Beaulier has a deep connection with the Upper Peninsula, Marquette and NMU. Being from Kingsford and graduating from NMU in 2000. Beulier still has friendships with faculty currently at NMU, notably Chet Defonso.

“Chet was my professor back in the 1990s,” said Beaulier. “I took a couple history classes from him. I’ve stayed in touch with him throughout my entire career. I love the man. He has made it a point to stay in touch and visit, he is just a wonderful icon of NMU.”

When asked: one of the greatest fears for students right now are the Federal DEI Cuts and Mandates, how would you address those should you become president of NMU? Beaulier had this to say.

“Just really focus on one, complying with the law and making sure we are honoring the law, and two just advancing the story of access and opportunity that NMU is all about,” said Beaulier. “Making sure that we are walking the walk when it comes to giving every member of our community an opportunity to succeed. That is consistent with DEI and it is something that is true to NMU’s core going back to 1899.”