Dr. Susan Martin is the first-ever female President at Eastern Michigan University. On July 7th, the seventh anniversary of assuming the Presidency, Martin will step away from the job.
Listen to President Martin's full statement to those gathered at Tuesday's University Strategic Plan and Financial Update session at the Student Center.
Dr. Susan Martin today announced that she will be moving on to the next chapter of her life, effective on her seven-year anniversary as President of Eastern Michigan University, on July 7, 2015.
"In December, I started to think about what I wanted to accomplish in my career," Martin announced to EMU staff and faculty gathered for a budget update Tuesday morning. "I will be moving on."
Martin adds, “I have enjoyed serving this great historic University since I started at Eastern in 2008. That was a troubled time and together, we have accomplished many great things. The University is poised for future success with a great leadership team that is quite seasoned and capable. I have enjoyed working with so many talented and passionate people who, together, have worked to achieve our goals. It has been a very intense, but meaningful and rewarding seven years for me.”
As 22nd President of EMU and its first female President, Dr. Susan Martin took office in July of 2008. Her higher education career began at Grand Valley State University in faculty and leadership positions and also includes time as Provost and Vice Chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She has also served as the State of Michigan’s Deputy Treasurer and Commissioner of Revenue. Dr. Martin is a native of Croswell, Mich.
Dr. Martin will take a one-year sabbatical, per terms of her contract before assuming a tenured position of Full Professor in the EMU Department of Accounting and Finance in the College of Business in fall 2016.
The University’s Board of Regents plans to form a Search Committee to hire a new President and assure a successful transition.
See the full release from Eastern Michigan University here:
After seven years as President, Eastern Michigan University’s Dr. Susan Martin announces it is time to “move on to the next chapter”
Eastern noted a few of her accomplishments:
- Strong enrollment growth for four consecutive years, including the Honors College, which has nearly doubled in enrollment since 2011, and which enrolled its largest freshman class ever in the fall of 2014.
- Raised the academic profile of Eastern's student body, with the average high school GPA of entering freshman rising from 3.05 in the fall of 2010 to 3.27 for the fall 2014 class. The average ACT score has also risen, from 21.1 in 2011 to 22.25 for the entering fall 2014 freshman class.
- Increased economic support of students, with financial aid growth of 100 percent over last seven years, to a total of $43.8 million for FY15.
- Launch of new academic programs in high-demand areas, such as the Physician Assistant Program, which began in spring 2014.
- Tuition restraint: Eastern has the lowest dollar tuition increase in the state of Michigan over the last six years. This effort included the 0-0-0 initiative of holding tuition and fees, room and board to a 0% increase for academic year 2010-2011.
- Improvements in student academic support services, such as an increase in advising staff, and opening of the Francine Parker Advising Center, a special drop-in facility in the EMU Student Center to complement the main advising office in McKenny Hall.
- Enhanced safety and security, including construction and opening of new headquarters for the EMU Department of Public Safety; addition of new police officers; installation of more than 500 surveillance cameras and increased campus lighting; expanded police patrols in areas surrounding campus; and increased collaboration with Ypsilanti Police and the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department.
- Successful completion of the $50 million "Invest. Inspire." comprehensive fundraising campaign.
- Leadership in EMU's strategic planning process.
- Groundbreaking, construction and opening of the $90 million Science Complex, the largest capital project in EMU's history
- The $42 million renovation of Pray-Harrold, the University's largest classroom building.
