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J. Michael "Mike" Haynie will become the 13th chancellor and president of Syracuse University, the school announced Tuesday (March 3), capping a nationwide search by promoting one of its own senior leaders to the top job.
According to Syracuse.com, the university's Board of Trustees voted unanimously Monday (March 2) to elevate Haynie, 56, from his current role as vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation. He will officially take over on July 1.
Haynie is the first chancellor promoted from within Syracuse University since Melvin Eggers in 1971. He has spent nearly 20 years at the school and has served as a senior member of its leadership team for more than a decade.
Jeff Scruggs, chairman of the Board of Trustees, praised the decision. "Few people have demonstrated a deeper commitment to Syracuse University than Mike Haynie, and he is exceptionally well-positioned to carry it forward with the dedication and vision this moment demands," Scruggs said in a statement. "His record of leadership is extraordinary, and the Board has great confidence in the future of Syracuse University."
Haynie succeeds Kent Syverud, who is stepping down after 12 years to become president of the University of Michigan.
Haynie is an Air Force veteran who served 14 years as an officer before entering academia. He holds a Ph.D. in entrepreneurship and business strategy from the University of Colorado at Boulder, an MBA from the University of Oregon, and a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Delaware.
Since joining Syracuse University in 2006, Haynie has built a national reputation as a champion for veterans and military-connected students. He founded the D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families — described as the nation's first interdisciplinary academic institute focused on the policy, economic, and wellness needs of America's veterans — and helped create the $62.5 million National Veterans Resource Center on campus.
Today, more than 24,000 military members and their families are enrolled in non-degree programs through the institute — a number that exceeds the entire undergraduate enrollment at Syracuse University. About 6% of the university's on-campus undergraduates are veterans, compared to a 1% average at other large private schools.
Haynie also served as executive dean of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and oversaw the university's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, for which he received the Chancellor's Medal in 2021. In 2018, he was named University Professor — the most senior academic distinction the school awards.
His work has earned national recognition. 60 Minutes featured his approach to veteran support in 2013, and Time magazine named him one of 16 individuals working toward a more equal America in 2020.
As chancellor, Haynie says he wants to stay connected to the campus community. "It is our students. That's the joy that I find in this work," he told syracuse.com. He added that he likes to eat lunch in campus dining halls to spend time with students, and that he plans to be accessible to people across the university.
Haynie also said he does not plan to live in the chancellor's mansion on Comstock Avenue. "I think there's better uses for that residence than having me kicking around in it. It's a tremendous event space," he said.
Haynie is Syracuse University's first openly gay chancellor. He lives with his partner of 27 years at their home on Cazenovia Lake.
The new chancellor will take on a school facing significant challenges, including a declining pool of college-age students, a shrinking international student population, and growing public skepticism toward higher education. He says he plans to speak with people across the campus before developing a formal strategic plan.
Syracuse University is central New York's largest private employer, with more than 5,000 full-time employees and an annual budget of nearly $1.9 billion.