The University of Michigan Board of Regents scheduled a special meeting to vote on naming Syracuse University chancellor Kent Syverud as UM’s next president. Syverud, a University of Michigan alumnus with a law degree and prior leadership experience at Syracuse, is reported as the board’s preferred candidate to replace interim president Domenico Grasso. The hire would follow a tumultuous year in which former UM president Santa Ono was tapped for another post and then blocked by a state board over his prior support for diversity initiatives. Regents and campus stakeholders will watch Syverud’s selection closely for signals about governance style, academic priorities, and how the university will manage political pressure from state and regional actors.