Dean Seeger comments on corporate discipline toward executives...

Crain's Detroit Business

EMU president's troubles reflect corporate challenges

by Chad Halcom

A recent reprimand by Eastern Michigan University against President Susan Martin shows the challenges of imposing corporate discipline on executives for incidents with alcohol. Local experts said the board of regents' recommendation that Martin seek counseling after an April 23 exchange with an EMU alumni chapter president may be related to the timing and political climate surrounding Eastern as well as other universities and businesses. Margaret Williams, dean of the School of Business Administration at Wayne State University, said universities and other employers often have to consider how to discipline an employee based on both the severity of an incident and the frequency of a problem. Matthew Seeger, dean of the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts at WSU, said other factors in the EMU board response and Martin's reaction could be sensitivities over the firing of EMU's previous president, or even the timing of the Freeh Commission report findings last week on the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal at Pennsylvania State University.

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www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20120715/SUB01/307159965/emu-presidents-troubles-reflect-corporate-challenges

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