Board Commends Tech President for Strong Performance

A strong performance by Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz has helped to position the University for new levels of achievement, according to the Board of Trustees.

At its May 4 meeting, the Board of Trustees concluded its annual assessment of the president’s performance. This extensive, 17-point review gathered input from the campus community, including the University Senate, and covered areas ranging from financial management to external relations. President Mroz was judged to have performed well, even as Tech’s circumstances and priorities have evolved.

“We see Glenn as a fine leader with potential for growth," said Marty Richardson, chair of the board’s Presidential Evaluation Committee. “Glenn is especially adept at forging ties with our state leaders, providing academic leadership, ensuring solid fiscal management, and relating to alumni and friends,” she noted. “These things are especially important going forward. In particular, Glenn understands that the faculty are largely responsible for Tech’s accomplishments and notoriety. As we move ahead to implement the strategic plan, the board looks for Glenn to communicate effectively with faculty and staff so that we capitalize on Tech’s great potential.”

The Board of Trustees will continue to refine the presidential evaluation criteria and process, Richardson added.

Board of Trustees Chair Kathy Clark explained that Tech’s operating environment has shifted, with implications for President Mroz’s charge. “Glenn guided Tech through a period of change and uncertainty. He has moved us to a better place, and the campus community is excited about the future. Now, we look to him to elevate Tech even more by implementing the strategic plan and positioning Tech as a world-class institution,” Clark said.

Tech’s direction and needs are clear, Clark noted, and the Board intends to help President Mroz pursue them. “The Board of Trustees and Glenn, along with his vice presidents, have become an effective team. It’s a ‘we’ situation. The Board will actively support Glenn on the implementation of our outstanding strategic plan. The real purpose of the presidential evaluation process is to strengthen Glenn’s ability to succeed,” Clark said.

Tech’s strategic plan calls for attracting and retaining a world-class faculty, staff and student body. Offering distinctive programs grounded in science, technology, and engineering, and conductive innovative research are centerpieces of the plan. A major fundraising campaign, approved by the Board of Trustees at its meeting, will support those goals.

The presidential evaluation will serve as the basis for future decisions regarding compensation for Mroz.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.