Big news: Schlissel has been removed as president.

Submitted by Cousin Larry on January 15th, 2022 at 6:38 PM

Turns out, he’s a bit pervy.

On Dec. 8, 2021, via an anonymous complaint, we learned that Dr. Schlissel may have been involved in an inappropriate relationship with a University employee. After an investigation, we learned that Dr. Schlissel, over a period of years, used his University email account to communicate with that subordinate in a manner inconsistent with the dignity and reputation of the University.

 

massblue

January 15th, 2022 at 9:11 PM ^

Why is it a bad look? Schlissel is single and the person he had the affair with is single as well.  The relationship was completely consensual.  I don’t understand why he kept it a secret.  As far as I know, UM has no policy against sexual relationships among administrators. 
 

So far, I have not seen anything that explains what rule he broke that warrants his firing. 

Joined: 08/15/2009

MGoPoints: 10396

1408

January 15th, 2022 at 9:35 PM ^

Schlissel is married.  Judging by the nature of their emails (e.g., references to heartache, visits home, etc.) the other person was also involved in some sort of relationship.  Further, Schlissel appears to reference trips his wife ("M") will be on and trips she won't which is ostensibly to plan things with the other person.

How do you know it was consensual?  If you read the emails, not difficult to infer that some of his advances, awkward as they were, were not desired or requited.  Perhaps that changed over time.  I suspect it did not, however, since this is being released now.  

This is a bad look because the University of Michigan is currently dealing with another high level administrator using his position of power to engage in things he shouldn't and a former doctor to the crown jewel of the university doing the same thing.  

I give the regents a lot of credit for not wringing their hands and instead taking decisive action.  If he did not violate any policy about sexual relationships amongst administrators, the courts are at his disposal.  I suspect the U, like every other public-facing institution in American, probably requires such relationships to be disclosed to avoid the exact thing that happened here.  (EDIT: They do indeed have a policy and Schlissel was, comically, the one that introduced it: https://spg.umich.edu/policy/201.97)

I trust you are not in any sort of position of authority, professionally.

Joined: 01/28/2015

MGoPoints: 4332

evenyoubrutus

January 15th, 2022 at 8:13 PM ^

My guess: taking the step of creating a fake email and you've gone from "inappropriate" to "having an affair." These things usually start innocently enough, and over time, they grow into something bad. It's pretty hard to lie to yourself if you go that far to cover up your misdeeds.

Joined: 11/04/2008

MGoPoints: 178579

bfeeavveerr

January 15th, 2022 at 8:14 PM ^

He is intelligent. I have had many conversations with intelligent people. Many of those conversations let me know that there is a difference between intelligence and smart. Some of the most intelligent people that I have interacted with are the most socially awkward and "weird " " odd " " unusual " people I have met.

Joined: 08/01/2019

MGoPoints: 11248

HighBeta

January 15th, 2022 at 8:29 PM ^

Accurate, very. Some of the most successful people (well known industry giants) I have ever met have only rudimentary social skills: there is no desire to master the nuance of social interactions. People matter little; all that matters are only their unique goals, their own unique interests.

Some of these successful titans are high functioning Aspys (a now retired term). All are single minded, extremely focused: engineers, financiers, managing partners, artists. Some ace their educations, some are above the need for advanced education. 

Yes, they are unique and frequently difficult to either like or to "connect with".

 

Joined: 10/20/2019

MGoPoints: 16020

clarkiefromcanada

January 15th, 2022 at 11:08 PM ^

I think you probably don't get to the kind of ridiculously elite level in academic admin that Schlissel achieved without being really intelligent and a bit crafty. That said, in my interactions with such individuals they tend to have a lot of people doing a lot of things for them (admin staff etc.) and I suspect he got lazy and "inappropriately" motivated. This of course limits the common sense and, as you note, he probably didn't put much thought into it. As well, he probably saw no avenue where he gets burned (one wonders if this wasn't the first time...).

Joined: 11/20/2008

MGoPoints: 49264

Ezeh-E

January 16th, 2022 at 2:41 PM ^

I’ll agree to this. Upper academic admin is a knives out space generally filled with people with big egos and middling at best social skills. Sure one can manage to get lucky, but it generally requires a good deal of skill to get where Schlissel has. I’m betting evenyoubrutus’ rationale that a burner email requires a greater level of lying to himself than he was ready to accept when this started

Joined: 07/22/2009

MGoPoints: 6234

buddha

January 15th, 2022 at 7:50 PM ^

MSC was an amazing leader and ambassador for the university. She extended our global platform, saw an increase in the performance of our undergrad and grad school programs (in aggregate), and led at that time the single largest capital campaign in the history of higher education at a school not named Harvard. She’s so universally loved and respected by her peers that she became the President of the AAU after Michigan. 

Joined: 10/08/2009

MGoPoints: 5034

sirnack

January 15th, 2022 at 6:46 PM ^

Was talking to my younger brother (who is currently attending Michigan) and was somewhat surprised to learn the extent to which just about everyone associated with UM hated the guy. Students, parents, faculty, etc all wanted him gone, so I don’t think this will be some great loss.

Joined: 12/09/2015

MGoPoints: 710

M-GO-Beek

January 15th, 2022 at 6:48 PM ^

I clicked through to see the emails and they are the tamest emails ever!! Getting canned for something like this is one thing, getting canned for those emails is a whole other level of embarrassment. I think I have had more lewd conversations with people I had no intention of having any kind of relationship with!  It is clear to me they just wanted him out.

Joined: 02/03/2015

MGoPoints: 5667