Oakland University Won't Renew President's 3-Year Contract

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Oakland University, in Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills, is searching for a new president.

The school's governing board said Thursday it will not renew the contract of George Hynd next summer. He was hired in 2014.

Board chairman Richard DeVore says Hynd, 68, brought stability to Oakland after a period of "fragmented leadership." While any short-term plans were never announced, DeVore describes Hynd as "exactly the transition leader" that the school needed.

"As president, he has worked hard to bring stability to Oakland University following a period of fragmented leadership. George's presidency brought a calm demeanor to Oakland and as a result, the university has again begun to make significant strides as one of the top universities in the state," DeVore said in a statement.

Hynd was hired after the sudden resignation of Gary Russi, who quit in June 2013 — the same day that the university fired his wife as women's basketball coach.

"We did have, I'll just say some troubled waters there with the sudden departure of George's predecessor, and so we were looking for a transitional president that could calm the waters," DeVore told WWJ's Lauren Barthold.

DeVore says they will not be hiring from within:

"I think there was a number of people who thought that the hiring of the COO was the first step in becoming president of the university, and that's not the case," he said, adding that the search is expected to take some time.

"So the search committee has not been formed. There's no person gonna walk out of door A or B says say 'Oh, there's the new president!' So we want to make sure it's done transparent, in a very workman like fashion."

Hynd says the next president will be "well-positioned" to continue Oakland's growth. The university has more than 20,000 students.

He will serve until his contract expires Aug. 14, 2017.

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