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cheerleader for the institution, having
time and again stressed the gravity of the
funding difficulties facing the University
to nearly anyone who's willing to listen.
Her insistence has paid off with Uni-
versity donors. In fact, fundraising may
be the one area where Coleman has had
the greatest individual impact.
May has worked in development for
more than 30 years and says, quite sin-
cerely, that Coleman has been one of the
most "effective presidents in the country,

The busiest woman on campus
knows the importance of face
time. Strolling around campus,
she makes a point of engaging with the
students she sees.
How are you?How's schoolgoing?
And that's also why every year she
opens her doors to students. Walk down
to 815 South University Ave. tomorrow
for her annual Open House, and see for
yourself, but be prepared to wait in line.
Every student gets their moment. Ner-
vous freshman or class president, you'll
get the same rapt attention, the same
genuine interest.
For Mary Sue Coleman, the Universi-
ty's first female president, face time mat-
ters. It's her bread and butter.
It doesn't matter if she's talking to
students or a prospective million-dollar
donor. Somehow she manages to charm
everyone.
"When Mary Sue builds relationships,
they're just not glad-handing. They're
really genuine relationships," said Jerry
May, the University's vice president for
development.
Over the past decade, she's used that
charm to become the University's best
advocate, promoting the University and
what it stands for. With her contract
expiring in two years, both Coleman and
the University are preparing for their
next chapter.
This fall is Coleman's tenth at the Uni-
versity. During her tenure, the University
has faced well-documented budget chal-
lenges - last year, in inflation-adjusted
dollars, the University received $166 mil-
lion less than it did a decade ago from the
state.
But Coleman has remained an tireless
In 2002, athletic
booster Ed Martin
pleads guilty to
mon ey laun dering.

my job."
While some may feel uncomfortable
asking for such large sums of money,
Coleman says she relishes making pitch-
es to donors. She said development work
is a direct way for her to help the Uni-
versity.
"I'm not bashful," Coleman said, laugh-
ing.
Nor does she go unrewarded for her
efforts. According to The Chronicle of
Higher Education, she made more than
$845,000 in 2011, making her the fifth
highest-paid public-college president in
the country.
A track record
Before she arrived at the University
in 2002, Coleman had already built a
reputation as an able university leader.
During her seven years as president
of the University of Iowa, annual fun-
draising at Iowa climbed from $82 mil-
lion to $172 million, while research
funding nearly doubled to $300 million.
The University's Board of Regents,
who led the search for a new president,
was looking for someone with a proven
track record of leading a large public
research university, and the choice of
Coleman was the obvious choice, Regent
Laurence Deitch (D-Bingham Farms),
who chaired the search committee, said.
"We wanted someone, at that time,
who was a sitting president," Deitch said,
adding that all the candidates the Univer-
sity considered were current presidents at

basketball program when Coleman first
arrived.
And the Life Sciences Institute, which
was after Lee Bollinger, Coleman's pre-
decessor, was also in flux. Its initial
co-directors left at the same time as Bol-
linger, and Coleman - a biochemist by
trade - was forced to ensure that the LSI,
which is aimed at collaborative research
in the various life science disciplines,
would be completed successfully.
But the struggles over the University's
budget and its annual state funding have
been, arguably, the most significant battle
fought by Coleman, the board and other
administrators as they confront what has
become an existential threat to the Univer-
sity's status as an elite public university.
Managing the University
As a leader, Coleman affords those who
work for her the independence to solve
problems. Both University Provost Phil
Hanlon, and former provost Paul Cou-
rant, who is now the University's Dean
of Libraries, agree that Coleman allows
great latitude, but is also very accessible
to discuss any issues.
"I always had, as provost, extremely

by far, in fundraising."
Because the connections Coleman
makes with donors are so genuine, they're
more willing to donate to the University,
sources close to her say.
"She just makes every donor feel spe-
cial and makes them feel important to the
future of the University," said Rich Rogel,
a University supporter who has made
multi-million dollar donations to the Uni-
versity and who chaired the Michigan
Difference campaign - the high-profile
fundraising effort that ran from 2004 to
2008 and raised $3.2 billion for the Uni-
versity.
As a result of the Michigan Differ-
ence campaign, more than 150 named
professorships were created, $550 mil-
lion in financial aid was donated and
more than $490 million for new and
upgraded facilities was also contribut-
ed, including now-iconic buildings like
Ross School of Business and Weill Hall.
Coleman delivered a significant num-
ber of the pitches to donors, saying in an
interview last week that she "genuinely
enjoys" fundraising because it ensures
that the University remains successful.
"I love doing it because I'm proud of
what we do at the University and I know
that this kind of funding is critical for the
future," Coleman said. "It's a big part of

other institutions.
As Coleman took office, she managed
to successfully navigate several initial
controversies. The University successful-
ly defended its affirmative action policies
before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003,
but then in 2006 Michigan voters passed
a constitutional amendment banning the
practice.
The Athletic Department was also fac-
ing issues stemming from the Ed Martin
booster scandal that embroiled the men's