Central Michigan University President Neil MacKinnon delivered on the assertions he made during his 2025 State of the University Address at the November Board of Trustees meeting, as the Board approved numerous changes to CMU.

"The state of our university is strong," MacKinnon said during the address. "We can be even stronger. I am convinced by that. Now to become stronger necessitates change.”

He reiterated the goals of the newly approved Strategic Enrollment and Management Plan, which he says will be bolstered by the success of several Go Grant Initiatives and increased community engagement.

MacKinnon also spoke on the new Central Bound program, which allows students to have easier access to obtaining a bachelor’s degree.

“Through dual admission and co-enrollment, students remain active at both institutions, continuing community college coursework while beginning progress towards a CMU degree,” MacKinnon said. “The central bound model actually eliminates the need for traditional transfer product process.”

MacKinnon said he believes changes such as these will carry CMU into the brighter days ahead.

Finance and Facilities

Trustee Edward Plawecki, alongside Mary Hill, the vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, presented a list of financial projects for the Board’s consideration.

The largest include:

CMU Golf Facility – Hill said the complex will have an event space, locker rooms, and include both an indoor practice facility and outdoor short-range and driving areas. In total, she said the project will cost $8.9 million and be primarily funded by donations.

“We're very excited about the women's and men's golf facility that's going to be built. That will be state of the art,” Plawecki said. “The MCC or the Big Ten, no one will have a better facility for inside and outside.”

Merrill Residence Hall – Merril will undergo renovations to update finishes, flooring, window treatments and complete deferred maintenance. Hill said the renovations will cost $10 million and take about 15 months to complete.
Ronan Hall – Hill said the $10 million project will create a space for university engagement. Its main purpose is to update the building and permanently house the Student Food Pantry.
College of Business and Administration – CBA-related halls, including Grawn, Sloan, Warriner Combined Services and Powers, Hill said, will be renovated on a smaller scale. Total costs are expected to be around $5.5 million.
Brooks Hall – Plawecki said the university has once again applied for a state grant to remodel the science building. CMU’s application has been denied by the state in the past, but Plawecki remained optimistic.

Plawecki and Hill also offered actions that would lower costs on university electricity and future land contracts.

Additionally, Hill asked the Board to add $2.5 million to the university marketing budget and increase the international student enrollment deposit to $1,800-$2,500.

“That $1,800 is not a fee,” Hill said. “It's a deposit that would go against any tuition and fees that the students would already be paying for their education.”

Hill said the purpose of the increase was to ensure international students do not immediately transfer to a different university after arriving in the United States.

The Board unanimously approved each motion.

Moving the College of Medicine

Two resolutions solidifying the naming rights and funding for the College of Medicine’s move to Saginaw were approved by the Board. The vote was 7-1, with Plawecki opposing.

“I do not believe the relocation of the Central Michigan University College of Medicine to the proposed location in Saginaw, at this time, would be financially prudent,” Plawecki said. “[Or] the best use of our administrative and faculty staff's time and efforts, nor in the best interest of our current number one priority of increasing CMU over all full enrollment.”

Plawecki asked the audience to make no negative inferences about MacKinnon, the other trustees or the community partners from his dissent.

Trustee Jeff Stoutenburg approved the motion, but expressed that the Board should not lose sight of needs on the Mount Pleasant campus in the wake of the move.

Future Action

Chair Todd Regis led his final meeting on Friday, with the expiration of his two-year term. He will remain on the Board, but the torch will be passed to current Vice Chair Denise Williams Mallet. Mallet will make her debut at the Board’s first meeting in February 2026.