President Bob Davies announced his resignation on Friday, Aug. 2. It will take effect Sept. 1. Davies has served as the 13th president of Murray State since July 2014.
“While I was not actively pursuing other opportunities, my family and I have been presented with an extraordinary opportunity, to lead Central Michigan University, which is a national research caliber university,” Davies wrote in an email to faculty and staff. “As these opportunities are rare in the offering, this is something that I could not decline.”
Central Michigan University, which has an enrollment of just under 27,000, is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. According to the CMU website, the Board of Regents unanimously voted in favor of Davies. He will be the 15th president of Central Michigan.
“Central Michigan University is a nationally recognized research university that is 100 percent committed to student success,” Davies said. “That is a unique niche most research universities don’t fill, because they outgrow the ability to focus on students as individuals. The relationships between CMU faculty, staff and students create an environment, a culture, an ethic, an ethos. I’m excited to be at CMU, because we’re all here to guide students through their career choices. To help them engage and become leaders. To give them educational experiences they wouldn’t have at a larger university.”
The Murray State Board of Regents chair, Susan Guess, sent an email to the campus community following Davies’ announcement.
“On behalf of the Board of Regents, I want to thank President Davies for his leadership, service and commitment to our student-centered vision at Murray State University over the past four years,” Guess said. “Together, we have celebrated many accomplishments and faced challenges head on. We wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors.”
Davies thanked Murray State’s outstanding Board of Regents, faculty, staff, students and alumni for their dedication and support during his presidency.
“I have learned greatly from each of you and I know Murray State will continue to be a premiere University well into the future,” Davies said. “My family and I will always remember the tremendous friendships and memories that are based in Murray and west Kentucky. We are extremely grateful.”
The University’s Board of Regents is expected to move quickly to name an interim president to ensure a seamless transition as the University prepares for a national presidential search.