Leslie McClellon, president of Rochester Community and Technical College in Minnesota, has announced that she is stepping down after only 18 months in office. She will officially leave her post on January 8 and take a position as a senior system director at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.
President McClellon had been criticized over her spending and hiring decisions since taking office. Among the criticisms was the McClellon’s spending $10,000 for a ceremonial mace and gold chain for her formal installation as president at a time when the college was operating with a $2 million deficit.
In an email to the campus community, President McClellon stated that “my belief is that the current environment is not healthy for our students, not is it good for our community. I have decided to mitigate the impasse by stepping aside as president in the best interest of the college.”
Before being named president of Rochester Community and Technical College, McClellon was vice president of student affairs at the Community College of Denver. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in urban education from Langston University in Oklahoma.