Saginaw Valley State University Presidential Transition
SVSU Board selects George Grant Jr to serve as 5th president
Saginaw Valley State University’s next president is a veteran of higher education leadership, having served at every level from faculty member to chancellor.
Dr. Grant officially joins SVSU on December 1 and will assume the presidency on January 1, 2023.
The Saginaw Valley State University Board of Control appointed George Grant Jr to serve as the institution’s fifth president during a special meeting of the Board Tuesday, Aug. 9. Grant will succeed Donald Bachand, who is retiring after serving as president since 2014.
Grant is currently serving as chancellor of Pennsylvania State University-Berks, a campus of more than 2,100 students. Prior to that, he spent 24 years at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, including 12 years as dean of the College of Community and Public Service.
“We are delighted that Chancellor Grant has agreed to join SVSU and serve as our next president,” said Vicki Rupp, chair of the SVSU Board of Control. “He is a caring, committed and innovative leader with an outstanding record of success in academic program development, fundraising, and community outreach, among many accomplishments.
“I would like to thank the faculty, staff, students and community members who served on the presidential search advisory committee for their thorough and exemplary work in providing the Board with strong candidates. In the interview process, George’s diverse leadership experiences, his commitment to inclusion, and his understanding of Michigan really caused him to stand out to the Board,” Rupp added.
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In the news
George Grant Jr meets with faculty and staff
SVSU faculty and staff were invited to attend one of two “meet and greet” sessions with President-elect George Grant Jr on Wednesday, December 7, 2022
President Bachand welcomed his successor, George Grant Jr, to campus
President Bachand welcomed his successor, George Grant Jr, to campus to make introductions and continue progress on the presidential transition. Their time together included a visit with SVSU’s enthusiastic students, who donated more than 800 lbs. of food to the Cardinal Food Pantry as part of a Homecoming service project. Several faculty and staff had the opportunity to offer a friendly hello.
