President Floyd's message to the WMU community
Nov. 13, 2002
KALAMAZOO -- Below is the complete text of a message from President Elson S. Floyd to the Western Michigan University community regarding his resignation at WMU and selection as the next president of the University of Missouri.
To the WMU Community:
It is with mixed and heartfelt emotions that today I advised the Western Michigan University Board of Trustees that I have accepted the position of President of the University of Missouri and will be resigning my position at Western, effective Jan. 5, 2003.
Western Michigan University is truly a special place and Carmento and I will miss being a part of both the University and broader Kalamazoo communities. The vision of making the university "student-centered" has been embraced and I will always appreciate the invaluable and steadfast assistance and support provided to us. Through the collective efforts of all involved, Western has heightened its visibility and prestige and is in excellent shape. The capital campaign is virtually complete; the College of Engineering is poised to open the fall of 2003; the Health and Human Services Building is authorized for construction; and the robust enrollments, with strong and complementary academic programs, add to the overall esprit de corps that we have inculcated.
Leading the University of Missouri is an unparalleled career opportunity that offers opportunities and challenges at one of the premier university systems in the nation. I will be chief executive officer of four outstanding institutions, two of which are among the nation's top fifty public universities, and one of which is the oldest state university west of the Mississippi. The latter institution also is home to the country's largest university research nuclear reactor.
While I am excited about the challenges that lie ahead, I am also saddened to be leaving the institution that gave me the opportunity to realize my dream of becoming president of a major university. For this, Western Michigan University, its Trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends will always hold a special place in my heart. Together we have accomplished much and I am confident that WMU will continue its progress in its second century.
My sincere thanks goes to all of you for your unwavering support over the past four and a half years and for your efforts to keep me here in Kalamazoo. You are simply remarkable. I came to Western Michigan University because of the opportunities and challenges that it offered, and today, I announce my resignation and departure for the University of Missouri for those very same reasons.
Sincerely,
Elson S. Floyd
Media contact: Matt Kurz, 269 387-8400, matt.kurz@wmich.edu