University of Michigan hired Kent Syverud, chancellor of Syracuse, to steady its flagship campus after a string of leadership controversies, athletic‑department scandals and recent presidential turnover. Syverud arrives with a reputation for campus repair and organizational stabilization. The Ann Arbor campus has experienced high‑profile disruptions — a presidential firing, a failed presidential search, and an athletics investigation — that have unsettled faculty, students and donors. Syverud’s mandate centers on calming campus politics, restoring administrative stability, and rebuilding trust with faculty and stakeholders. How Syverud navigates faculty governance, board expectations and athletic oversight will be watched as a test case for leaders brought in to repair flagship institutions amid politicized scrutiny.