Resignations

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.

Two African American Scholars Announce Their Retirements From Indiana Universities

The retiring scholars are Charles Sykes, executive director of the African American Arts Institute at Indiana University, and Willie Reed, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University.

Howard University Fine Arts Dean Phylicia Rashad Announces Retirement

Dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at historically Black Howard University, Phylicia Rashad, has announced her retirement at the end of this academic year. She is best known for her role as Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show.

Atlanta University Library CEO Loretta Parham Announces Retirement

"It has been my privilege to lead the AUC Woodruff Library, guiding it to its current level of excellence," said Parham. "I am forever grateful for the contributions of the Library staff and the commitment of the presidents of our member institutions who believe, as I do, in the value and strength of the nation’s HBCUs and their students who are deserving of nothing less than the best."

North Carolina Central University Chancellor to Step Down in June

Dr. Johnson Akinleye joined NCCU as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs in February 2014, then assumed the role of acting chancellor in August 2016 and interim chancellor in December 2016, before his appointment as chancellor in 2017.

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.

Harold Martin Announces He Will Step Down as Leader of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Harold L. Martin, Sr., who is in his fifteenth year as leader of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year. He is currently the longest-serving chancellor in the 17-campus University of North Carolina System.

Two African American Women Scholars Announce They Are Stepping Down

Phylicia Rashad will step down from her position as dean of the Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University in Washington, D.C. at the end of the current academic year and Sonya Williams resigned as chancellor of Eastern Iowa Community College, after serving in the post for just one year.

Harry Elam to Step Down as Occidental College President at the End of the Academic Year

Harry J. Elam Jr. became the sixteenth president of Occidental College in Los Angeles on July 1, 2020. Dr. Elam recently announced in a message to new students that he would be stepping down from his post at the end of the academic year due to a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

Glenda Glover Will Step Down as President of Tennessee State University in 2024

"It was a decision that did not come too easily," President Glover said, "and it was not made lightly. My voice is needed now on a more national platform."

President of Central State University to Step Down on June 30

Dr. Thomas became president of Central State University in July 2020. After taking a sabbatical, he will return to the university as a tenured professor. From 2011 to 2019, Dr. Thomas was president of Western Illinois University.

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. She was the first African American and the first person of color to serve as president of Whittier College. An alumni group called Save Whittier College had called for Dr. Oubré to resign due to poor fundraising results.

Fayneese Miller, President of Hamline University in Minnesota, to Step Down in 2024

After a controversy surrounding the handling of an incident where an art history instructor showed depictions of the Prophet Muhammad during an Islamic art class, Fayneese Miller, president of the university, announced she will retire on June 30, 2024. In January, a large majority of the university's faculty urged President Miller to resign over her handling of the incident.

President of Langston University in Oklahoma Will Be Leaving Academia

Kent J. Smith, Jr., announced that he will retire as president of Langston University in Oklahoma at the end of the current semester. Dr. Smith will become the owner/operator of a Chick-fil-A franchise.

Head of African American Studies Department at Penn State Resigns in Protest

Michael West, head of the African American studies department at Pennsylvania State University, has resigned as chair but will remain a member of the faculty. He has served less than one year of a five-year term. Dr. West says that five faculty have left the department since 2019 and only two new faculty members have been hired.

Lester Newman Is Stepping Down as President of Jarvis Christian University in June

During his tenure, Dr. Newman has improved the educational institution's financial position, increased enrollments, and restored athletic programs. He added bachelor's degree programs and presided over the transition from a college to a university with the addition of two new master’s degrees in business and criminal justice.

Clarence Armbrister to Step Down in June From Presidency of Johnson C. Smith University

Clarence Armbrister became the fourteenth president of the historically Black university on January 1, 2018. He had been president of Girard College, an independent college preparatory school in Philadelphia. Previously, he was senior vice president and chief of staff at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and executive vice president and chief operating officer at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Sylvia M. Jenkins to Retire From Presidency of Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois

Dr. Jenkins started out her career as a librarian at Virginia Union University in Richmond. She joined the library staff at Moraine Valley in 1986 and in 1995 was named department chair of the library. She subsequently served in several administrative positions before becoming president of the college in 2012.

Nikki Giovanni Named University Distinguished Professor Emerita at Virginia Tech

Professor Giovanni began teaching at Virginia Tech in 1987. She is the author of many collections of poetry, children’s books, and works of nonfiction. She has published 11 illustrated children’s books and received 30 honorary degrees

Cynthia Warrick Will Step Down From Presidency of Stillman College in Alabama Next June

Dr. Warrick was named interim president of Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in January 2017 and was elevated to president later that year. She is the first woman to serve as president of the college.
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