WSU appoints interim president to permanent post without interviewing other candidates

Wayne State University board has named Richard Bierschbach its new president
Bierschbach had been interim president since September and served as dean of WSU’s law school for eight years
The board decided to forego a national search to save university resources and the traits described by students, faculty and staff matched Bierschbach

Wayne State University interim President Richard Bierschbach became the school’s 14th president on Tuesday after the Board of Governors decided not to do a national search and didn’t interview any candidates.

Details about the lack of search emerged shortly before the board voted unanimously during a special meeting to elevate Bierschbach to permanent president. Board members hailed his leadership in elevating the law school’s reputation nationally and accomplishments in fundraising, program innovation and more.

“President Bierschbach has proven to be a strong, trusted and collaborative leader who understands Detroit, our region and Michigan, actively engaged in campus life, strengthening partnerships and is ready to address the challenges and opportunities in a head-on, collaborative manner,” said Shirley Stancato, past board chair and chair of the presidential search committee.

Bierschbach’s contract and salary were not immediately available.

Board chair Bryan Barnhill II was called away before the special meeting. But beforehand, he told Bridge Michigan that board members “intentionally decided not to pursue a national search as a board based on our exposure to our choice for president.”

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“We felt that we found our candidate and could save the university resources by not hiring a search firm,” Barnhill said.

The board previewed the decision earlier on Tuesday in a meeting with student leaders, faculty members and staff, Barnhill added.

“Two minutes into the meeting when we announced the decision, there was a standing ovation,” Barnhill said. “I was not expecting that. I am very happy to see that level of support (for him)”

Bierschbach, 53, joined WSU in 2017 as dean of the law school after serving as vice chair and professor at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York, according to his curriculum vitae. His research focuses on criminal law and has been published in many leading law journals.

During Bierschbach’s tenure as WSU law school dean, the law school’s rankings climbed 45 spots to the highest in school’s history, university officials said in press materials. Employment rates after graduation increased to the highest on record and philanthropy also surged, with major gifts doubling and total fundraising setting a record last year. Bierschbach also led development of programs such as an online masters in law for non-lawyers.

WSU appointed Bierschbach to lead the state’s third-largest university on an interim basis in September following the resignation of former President Kimberly Andrews Espy. She was the university’s first female president and departed after two years into her five-year contract, saying she stepped down for “personal reasons” but a source close to the situation said that relations between her and the board suffered for many reasons including reports from faculty members about respect.

Skipping search rare

Wayne State’s decision to forego a national search with a firm and promote from within is rare, said Judith Wilde, a George Mason University research professor who studies public and private university presidents. Search firms are expensive, typically costing a university the equivalent of 1/3 of the new president’s first-year base salary plus other income, she said. But 92% of presidential searches involve a search firm, according to her team’s recent study. Additionally, search firms offer due diligence that can discover issues in a candidates’ background and potentially avoid future problems, Wilde said.

“Direct appointments of university presidents without national searches are rare at major universities — and for good reason,” Wilde said. “A national search isn’t a box-checking exercise. It’s a core mechanism of shared governance: it creates a structured, transparent process through which faculty, staff, students and the broader university community can have meaningful input into one of the most consequential decisions an institution makes.”

During the meeting, search committee chair Stancato said that Wayne State held listening sessions with students, faculty and staff last year.

“It became apparent to the board that President Bierschbach possessed the exceptional leadership skills, character and commitment to Detroit and the university’s urban mission that our community wanted,” Stancato said.

Bierschbach also brought the law school “to a period of increased national recognition, academic distinction and institutional stability,” Stancato said.

“President Bierschbach has continued to earn the respect of our campus and community, showing through word and deed how much he lives, understands and advocates the university’s mission and purpose,” Stancato said.

‘The faculty love him. The students love him’

After the vote, Bierschbach expressed his gratitude for the board’s confidence and opportunity. He said he has worked alongside students and faculty and staff and seen the “strength and dedication and the commitment and momentum of this community.”

“You all know how much I believe in Wayne State and its mission,” said Bierschbach. “I will always put our mission and our ability to achieve it before anything else, and I’ll do everything I can to build on our progress and to support the great work underway here and to empower the people doing the work to ensure that Wayne State continues to grow and thrive as a university defined by opportunity and impact and excellence.”

“I’ll have only one touchstone, and it will always be what’s in the best interest of this university, not myself, not any single person here but in the best interest of Wayne State,” Bierschbach said.

It is a pivotal time for higher education, Bierschbach added.

“The challenges are real and they are serious but the opportunities are also real and serious, and we are uniquely positioned to seize those opportunities for the kind of university that the world needs,” Bierschbach said.

Many board members after the meeting spoke hopefully about Wayne State’s future with Bierschbach at the helm.

“I don’t think we could get a better person,” said board member Michael Busuito. “He’s a legal scholar. He’s nationally renowned. He teaches, does research, and proven to be a fundraiser. He skyrocketed our international rankings of our law school. The faculty love him. The students love him. I don’t think you can get better than that.”

Bierschbach is a native of Wyoming, Michigan, near Grand Rapids. He earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan.

He is married and has two children, ages 14 and 11. He resides in Huntington Woods.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the official announcement of Bierschbach’s appointment.

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