Dive Brief:
- The Suffolk University Board of Trustees has outlined a replacement timeline for the Boston university’s fifth president in five years, approving the eventual exit of President Margaret McKenna just seven months into her tenure.
- Boston.com reports the vote followed a week of student, faculty, and alumni actions in support of McKenna, who was broadly liked by the campus community, and in opposition to board chairman Andrew Meyer, who agreed not to seek re-election following his term that ends in May.
- McKenna will leave no later than the start of the 2017-18 academic year, and, in addition to overseeing the leadership transition, the Suffolk board will adopt new bylaws that reflect best practices in higher education.
Dive Insight:
McKenna stands among the minority of presidents for whom students and faculty have fought to save when boards have sought an ouster. Teresa Sullivan was ousted from the helm of the University of Virginia in June of 2012 and then reinstated just a couple weeks later, following widespread support among the local and national academic community. More recently, presidents have resigned in response to a lack of support from the people they serve, including the chancellor and president of the University of Missouri, and the president of Ithaca College.
Boston media outlets are reporting Suffolk University trustees may be looking to tap former Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley as the next president, a decision that would be in line with a recent spate of top appointments outside of the acadame.