Michigan State University’s Faculty Senate is asking the Board of Trustees to rein in its external investigation into the dismissal of former Broad College of Business Dean Sanjay Gupta.
Provost Teresa Woodruff said Gupta submitted his resignation to her in August following a failure to report misconduct by a member of his leadership team. The MSU Board of Trustees retained the law firm Quinn Emanuel to investigate the administration’s decision to remove him.
Emails from the outside counsel show the firm is requesting to directly interview other university employees as part of its investigation.
In a letter sent to the board, Faculty Senate Chairperson Karen Kelly-Blake and Vice Chairperson Stephanie Anthony say the investigation is encroaching into academic management and is beyond its purview.
Provost Woodruff and President Samuel Stanley Jr. also sent letters to the board this week criticizing the trustees for the manner of the investigation.
The relationship between administrators and the Board of Trustees has been fraught in recent months. The Detroit Free Press reported the board was asking Stanley to resign or risk being fired following Gupta's departure. An MSU spokesperson said the board and Stanley are discussing his contract with the university.
The letter from the Faculty Senate also indicates members are considering a vote of no confidence resolution at their next meeting.