|
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- 3:30 P.M. UPDATE: (AP) - University of Virginia President Teresa A. Sullivan, thefirst woman to lead U.Va., will resign in a mutual partingannounced Sunday. Sullivan will step down Aug. 15, two years after she succeeded JohnCasteen, who retired after 20 years as head of the universityfounded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. She is U.Va.'s eighthpresident. "It's been a great honor to serve as president of the University ofVirginia," Sullivan said in a statement. "Although the board and Ihave a philosophical difference of opinion, I will always treasurehaving had the opportunity to work with so many gifted faculty andstaff, talented students and loyal alumni." Rector Helen E. Dragas said the board had discussions over the pastyear with Sullivan about the importance of developing, articulatingand acting on a clear strategic vision. In a statement prepared for release at a news conference on campusSunday, Dragas said Sullivan and the board agreed Saturday that shewould step down. The university said they "mutually agreed" on herdeparture. Dragas said the university needs to address the changing highereducation landscape and, within U.Va., "tough financial issues thatrequire hard decisions on resource allocation." "We want UVA to remain in that top echelon of universities wellinto the 21st century and beyond," Dragas said. "To achieve these aspirations, the board feels the need for a boldleader who can help develop, articulate, and implement a concreteand achievable strategic plan to re-elevate the University to itshighest potential." In a statement, Gov. Bob McDonnell extended his gratitude toSullivan. "Through her leadership, Virginia added nearly 1,000 new studentslots and recently enacted the lowest yearly tuition increase inover a decade," McDonnell said. The board said it would move swiftly to name an interim presidentand begin the search for a new leader. Before coming to Charlottesville, Sullivan served a four-year termas provost of the University of Michigan, and prior to that heldseveral administrative and academic positions at the University ofTexas. In an interview with reporters after her inauguration in August2010, Sullivan said her initial priorities included examiningU.Va.'s internal budgeting process to better predict funding andthe university's overall revenue structure amid dwindling statefunding. She also expressed concerns about retaining faculty whohaven't had pay raises in several years. "The best faculty members are free agents," she said. "We will doour best to convince them that U.Va. is the best place for them tofurther their careers." Sullivan acknowledged her role as the first female president atVirginia, which didn't admit its first class of undergraduate womenuntil 1970. Still, she said, she had the experience of being thefirst woman in academic positions through her career. "I understand how it's deeply symbolic to lots of people, and I'mappreciative of that," she said. Sullivan had a five-year contract with a compensation package notto exceed $680,000 annually. Sullivan, who grew up in Little Rock, Ark., and Jackson, Miss.,earned her undergraduate degree at Michigan State University. Sheearned her master's and doctorate degrees in sociology from theUniversity of Chicago and is known as a leading scholar inlabor-force demography. Before becoming Michigan's provost,Sullivan served in various administrative and teaching positions atTexas, with her most recent position there as executive vicechancellor for academic affairs from 2002-2006. As provost, Sullivan also serves as the University of Michigan'schief budget officer. SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE: In a mass email sent out Sunday, University of Virginia RectorHelen Dragas announced that UVA President Teresa Sullivan will bestepping down from her position. Her resignation will be effective August 15. The email includes a short statement from Sullivan that reads: "Although the board and I have a philosophical difference ofopinion, I will always treasure having had the opportunity to workwith so many gifted faculty and staff, talented students, and loyalalumni. I am also grateful for the privilege to have worked withour extraordinary vice presidents and deans." Dragas says both the Board of Visitors and Sullivan "mutuallyagreed" on her departure. "For the past year, the Board has had ongoing discussions about theimportance of developing, articulating, and acting on a clear andconcrete strategic vision," Dragas said in the email. "The Boardbelieves that in the rapidly changing and highly pressurizedexternal environment in both health care and academia, theUniversity needs to remain at the forefront of change...We havemade a clear choice to act in the best interest of all concerned." Sullivan was the University's eighth President and the first womanto hold the post. Her tenure comes to end just two years after shetook office. Dragas says the Board of Visitors will move quickly to name aninterim President, then begin the search for a new leader. I am an expert from coalarmdetector.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Water Leak Detectors Manufacturer , Smoke and Co Detector Manufacturer, Optical Smoke Detector,and more.
Related Articles -
Water Leak Detectors Manufacturer, Smoke and Co Detector Manufacturer,
|
