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EMU President In Hot Seat For Drinking Incidents

YPSILANTI, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Eastern Michigan University's regents have warned President Susan Martin she faces firing if she has any more public problems with alcohol.

Martin released a statement Tuesday acknowledging that she lost her temper and "made inappropriate remarks" to an alumnus at a university reception in Washington. She says the April 23 incident involved a disagreement about an event in the university's past.

"I lead a very public life and I'm not aware of any incidents. I self report, if I ever make a mistake in my daily work etc. and I reported this - and I hope to move on,"  Martin told WWJ.

Martin says she apologized to the unidentified alumnus and reported her conduct to Board Chairman Roy Wilbanks.

Martin says she'd been drinking that day and says she acknowledged a 2005 impaired driving case when she was hired.

The university released a May 17 regents letter encouraging Martin to seek assistance The letter warns Martin to "deal with this issue immediately" and says she faces termination for any repetition.

READ LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT SUSAN MARTIN TO UNIVERSITY BELOW:

As your President starting my fifth year, I made a vow to never cover up or hide anything.

In April, I had a disagreement with an alumni member following an alumni reception in Washington, D.C. about Eastern's past. I lost my temper and made inappropriate remarks for which I apologized. I also reported this incident to the Chair of the Board of Regents and apologized for being "unpresidential." As a result, the Board placed a formal reprimand in my personnel file and I have provided a statement in response. I made a mistake and I apologize to you for it. I have assured the Board – and want to assure you - that this will not occur again. I own the incident and have great confidence in the Board's judgment. Together, we have accomplished many positive initiatives and I look forward to continuing to work jointly on behalf of our students, faculty and staff.

In the spirit of full disclosure, the link below includes the letter from the Board and my response statement. It also includes a copy of my driving record, which includes an operating while impaired violation that occurred in 2005, and which the Board was fully aware of prior to hiring me as President. www.emich.edu/president/information

The role of the President is extremely demanding and challenging and my conduct must always be a role model for our students 24/7. I will always work as hard as I can to lift Eastern up and make it shine. I hold myself to a high standard and will always be up front and honest with you. We have accomplished much together here at Eastern and I look forward to a bright future for this campus. In four years, we have increased enrollment, improved campus safety, improved retention, increased the number of graduates, invested $200 million in campus facilities, hired 120 faculty, increased financial aid significantly while holding tuition low, and completed the Invest Inspire campaign with $56 million.

I love Eastern and am deeply committed to its success.

Sincerely,

Susan W. Martin
President

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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