WMU HOME > ABOUT WMU > WMU NEWS Trustees praise Bailey's leadership in challenging year Dec. 10, 2004 KALAMAZOO--As part of their annual review of her presidency Dec. 10, Western Michigan University trustees praised President Judith I. Bailey for her leadership "during one of the most challenging periods in WMU history." Among the accomplishments cited by trustees in their praise of Bailey were her efforts to secure a $10 million grant from the state to establish WMU's Biosciences Research and Commercialization Center; the successful completion of the Centennial Capital Campaign; her financial management of the institution during a time of unprecedented budget cuts; the progress made to move her campuswide diversity initiative forward; and her high level of community involvement. "Western Michigan University is very fortunate to have a leader of Judi Bailey's caliber in these very challenging times," said Trustee Birgit Klohs of Grand Rapids, Mich., who chaired the presidential evaluation committee. "She had to make many difficult decisions very quickly upon her arrival, particularly in balancing the University budget in response to multiple cuts from the state." Concluding her remarks, Klohs noted that the president's annual evaluation normally would have occurred at the end of her first year of service in July. The board and Bailey agreed to postpone the evaluation and any increase in compensation for an additional six months, in light of the University's difficult budget situation. She went on to say the board has now unanimously approved the formal evaluation of Bailey and increased her annual compensation to $260,000, effective January 2005. This represents a 2.5 percent increase over the 18-month period she has served as president. Following the board's evaluation report, Bailey expressed her thanks and noted that she would donate a portion of her salary increase to a scholarship fund that was established in her name last year. Other trustees on the evaluation committee were Vernice Anthony of Detroit and James Holden of Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Bailey was elected the seventh president of WMU on June 9, 2003, after serving for seven years as president of Northern Michigan University. Media contact: Matt Kurz, 269 387-8400, matt.kurz@wmich.edu WMU News Office of University Relations Western Michigan University 1903 W Michigan Ave Kalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA 269 387-8400 www.wmich.edu/wmu/news