All Entries in the "Retirements" Category
Spelman College President Helene Gayle Officially Steps Down After Personal Leave of Absence
Spelman College President Helene Gayle has officially resigned after taking a personal leave of absence in October. Interim President Roz Brewer will continue to serve in her role while the women’s college searches for its next leader.
University of Southern California President Carol Folt Announces She Will Step Down Next Summer
Prior to taking on her current role in 2019, Dr. Folt served as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from July 2013 to January 2019. Her career in higher education began as a professor at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where she served as a faculty member in biological sciences.
Two Women University Presidents to Retire at the Conclusion of This Academic Year
Waded Cruzado, president of Montana State University, and Joyce F. Brown, president of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, have announced their intent to retire at the conclusion of the current academic year.
Two Women College Presidents Announce Their Resignations
Anita Thomas has resigned as president of North Central College in Illinois and Linda C. Young has announced her impending retirement as president of Wallace Community College-Dothan in Alabama.
Two Women Presidents in Higher Education Announce Their Upcoming Retirements
Kendra Boggess, the first woman president of Concord University, and Belle Wheelan, the first woman president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, have announced their plans to retire at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 academic year.
Three Women University Presidents Announce Their Retirements
The three retiring presidents are Ana Mari Cauce from the University of Washington, S. Georgia Nugen from Illinois Wesleyan University, and Rochelle L. Ford from Dillard University in New Orleans.
University of La Verne President Pardis Mahdavi Abruptly Resigns After Ten Months
On June 7, Dr. Pardis Mahdavi announced her immediate resignation as president of the University of La Verne in California, after holding the position for less than a year. She was the second woman to serve in the role.
Ivy Tech Community College President Announces Her Retirement
Sue Ellspermann has served as president of Ivy Tech Community College since 2016. Over the course of her eight year tenure, the community college has experience growth in its academic programming, career development offerings, and financial aid services.
Tuajuanda Jordan to Retire From the Presidency of St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Dr. Jordan has led St. Mary’s College of Maryland for the past 10 years. She has previously held faculty and leadership positions with Xavier University of Louisiana, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Lewis & Clark College.
Tina Holland to Retire as President of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge
Dr. Holland was appointed as the fourth president of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in 2014. She will retire next summer after a period of significant growth for the university.
Martha Pollack Stepping Down From Presidency of Cornell University on June 30
With the announcement coming only seven weeks before she leaves the presidency, some observers speculated that she is leaving under pressure as a result of how she dealt with protests over Israel’s conduct in Gaza. But in a statement to the university community, President Pollack said: “This decision is mine and mine alone.”
Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney Announces Retirement
In 2014, Dr. Berger-Sweeney became the first African American and first woman president of Trinity College since its founding in 1823. Over the past decade, the college has experienced growth in enrollment and graduation rates, hired more diverse faculty, and improved campus infrastructure.
Colorado Mountain College President Carrie Besnette Hauser Announces Resignation
“Serving as president and CEO of Colorado Mountain College has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Helping individuals from all backgrounds pursue their dreams while contributing to the economic vitality of our region and state has been incredibly fulfilling,” said Dr. Hauser.
Thomas College President Laurie Lachance Announces Retirement
Laurie Lachance became first woman president of Thomas College in Waterville, Maine in 2012. Under her leadership, the college has expanded its campus and increased its academic offerings.
Wisconsin Technical College System President Morna Foy Announces Retirement
For more than a decade, Dr. Morna Foy has served as president of the Wisconsin Technical College System, a consortium of 16 technical colleges throughout the state of Wisconsin.
Florida Southern College President Anne Kerr Announces Her Retirement
“It has been an honor and great blessing to serve as president of what I consider to be the finest small college in the nation,” said Dr. Anne Kerr, who will retire from her presidency at the end of this academic year.
Claudine Gay Resigns as President of Harvard University
Dr. Gay had served as president of Harvard University for only six months. She was the first African American and the second woman to lead Harvard in its nearly 400-year history.
Liz Magill Resigns as President at the University of Pennsylvania
After giving testimony before Congress, where she refused to say whether calling for the genocide of Jews was contrary to the university’s code of conduct and resulting criticism from all sides of the political spectrum and most importantly some of Penn’s biggest donors, Liz Magill has resigned as president of the University of Pennsylvania.
Robbyn Wacker Leaving the Presidency of State Cloud State University in Minnesota
Dr. Wacker was appointed as the twenty-fourth president of St. Cloud State University in 2018, becoming the first woman to be the educational institution’s permanent president. Earlier, she was a tenured professor of gerontology at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, where she aslo served as provost.
Linda Bell to Step Down as Provost at Barnard College
Linda A. Bell, provost and dean of faculty at Barnard College in New York City, announced that she will step down at the end of the current academic year. She has served in these roles for more than a decade. After a sabbatical, Dr. Bell will return to Barnard as a faculty member in the department of economics.
Two Women Presidents Announce Their Retirements
Charlotte P. Morris, the ninth president of Tuskegee University in Alabama, has announced that she will retire at the end of the current academic year and Milwaukee Area Technical College President Vicki J. Martin, will retire from the college effective June 30, 2024.
Mary Eileen O’Brien to Retire From Presidency of Dominican University in Orangetown, New York
In 1977, she joined the staff at what was then Dominican College. She was named president in 1979 and served until 1987 when she left to lead the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt for six years. In 1997, she was chosen to serve again as president of the college and has remained in the position ever since.
Two Women College Presidents Announce Their Retirements
ReBecca Koenig Roloff, president of St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Christine De Vinne, president of Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio, have announced that they will retire at the end of the academic year.
Four Women Presidents Have Announced They Are Leaving Their Posts
The four women who have resigned or announced their intention to step down are Glenda Glover at Tennessee State University, Erica Muhl at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mary K. Boyd at Emmanuel College in Boston, and Sonya Williams at Eastern Iowa Community College.
Two Women Presidents Announce They Are Stepping Down From Their Posts in 2024
Sylvia M. Burwell, president of American University in Washington, D.C., will step down from her post at the end of the 2023-24 but will remain at the university as a distinguished lecturer at the university’s Sine Institute of Policy and Politics. Vinita Sauder, the first woman president of Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, has announced that she will retire at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.
California State University, Bakersfield President Lynette Zelezny to Retire in December
Before becoming the fifth president of the university in 2018, Dr. Zelezny was provost and vice president for academic affairs at Fresno State University in California. She had served in that role since 2014. Dr. Zelezny joined the psychology department faculty at Fresno State in 1988.
Carol Christ, Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, to Retire in 2024
Dr. Christ began her term as the 11th chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley on July 1, 2017, after serving as provost. From 2002 to 2013, Dr. Christ was president of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Three Women Leaders Are Stepping Down From the Top Posts at Colleges and Universities
Rachel Solemsaas will step down on June 30 as chancellor of Hawai‘i Community College. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young has announced that she is resigning as president of Texas Southern University in Houston after only two years on the job and Kathryn A. Foster is stepping down as president of The College of New Jersey but will return to the faculty at the college.
After 18 Years, Elsa M. Núñez Is Retiring From the Presidency of Eastern Connecticut State University
Elsa M. Núñez was the first Latina to serve as a university president in New England. Before being named president of Eastern Connecticut State University in 2006, Dr. Núñez served as vice chancellor for academic and student affairs in the University of Maine System and provost and vice president for academic affairs at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Columbia University Provost Mary Boyce to Leave Her Post to Return to Teaching
Dr. Boyce’s tenure at Columbia University stretches back to 2013, when she joined the university community as dean of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. She was named provost in 2021 and now plans to take a scholarly leave and return to research and teaching as a member of the engineering faculty at the university.
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Linda Oubré Is Steeping Down as President of Whittier College in California
Linda Oubré, president of Whittier College in California, has announced that she will step down from her post on June 30. An alumni group called Save Whittier College had called for Dr. Oubré to resign due to poor fundraising results.
Three Women College or University Presidents Who Are Stepping Down From Their Posts
The three women presidents who are leaving their positions are Laurie Nichols, president of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota, Katherine Bergeron, president of Connecticut College, and Meghan Hughes, president of the Community College of Rhode Island.
Two Women University Presidents Announce They Are Stepping Down
Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, founding president of Pennsylvania Western University, announced today that she is transitioning to a new role with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Terri Goss Kinzy, president of Illinois State University, has resigned from her post after less than two years on the job. No explanation was given for the resignation.
Meredith Jung-En Woo to Leave Presidency of Sweet Briar College in 2024
In March 2015, Sweet Briar College announced that it was closing (See WIAReport post.) But a fundraising campaign rescued the women’s college and a new leadership team focused on boosting enrollment and strengthening the college’s financial base. President Woo is generally given high marks for her efforts to strengthen the college.
Two Women Presidents Announce They Will Step Down at the End of the Academic Year
Noelle E. Cockett, president of Utah State University, has announced that she will step down from her post on July 1 but remain as a tenured member of the faculty. Sylvia M. Jenkins, president of Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois, has announced that she will retire on June 30.
