The higher education sector saw several notable examples of college president turnover in September, at a time when the position is becoming increasingly fraught.
In some cases, presidents announced their intention to retire or move on to a new institution with ample lead time. But in others, they stepped down abruptly after facing pressure campaigns from politicians or from within their college.
Below, we’re rounding up some of last month’s most significant college leadership changes.
President: Mark Welsh
Institution: Texas A&M University
Coming or going?: Going
Mark Welsh stepped down as president of Texas A&M University on Sept. 19 after the content of one of the institution’s classes created a political maelstrom. Earlier in the month, a conservative state lawmaker shared a video of a Texas A&M professor teaching about gender identity and called for the instructor to be fired. Welsh quickly complied, but the lawmaker then began calls for the president to be fired as well.
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents authorized a settlement with Welsh on Sept. 26 but declined to share specifics until the details are finalized, The Texas Tribune reported.
President: Michael Schill
Institution: Northwestern University
Coming or going?: Going
On Sept. 4, Michael Schill announced he would step down as president of Northwestern University, pending the selection of an interim leader. Northwestern named Henry Bienen, who previously led the university for over two decades, as interim president on Sept. 16.
Schill’s departure followed a three-year tenure marked by increased federal scrutiny.
Last May, conservative lawmakers opened an investigation into Northwestern’s handling of pro-Palestinian protests on its campus and ordered the private Illinois university to turn over extensive paperwork related to student and employee discipline and conduct cases. Schill, along with other college leaders, was also called to testify regarding campus protest responses.
Schill and Northwestern’s board chair announced in April that the university would self-fund vital research that has been threatened by the Trump administration cuts.
President: Andrés Acebo
Institution: New Jersey City University
Coming or going?: Coming
Andrés Acebo became New Jersey City University’s permanent president on Sept. 10, after serving as the institution’s interim president since January 2023. He will be the youngest known president to lead a public New Jersey university, according to NJCU.
Acebo joined NJCU at a turbulent time for the beleaguered university. A year into his tenure, a state-appointed monitor directed NJCU to find an academic partner to help stabilize its finances. NJCU is now on track to become part of fellow public institution Kean University.
In its announcement, NJCU credited Acebo with helping orchestrate “a remarkable financial and academic recovery.”
President: Sean Huddleston
Institution: Martin University
Coming or going?: Going
Martin University announced on Sept. 11 that President Sean Huddleston will step down this fall. Huddleston has led Indiana’s only predominantly Black institution for six years.
Martin has faced a number of financial and organizational challenges in recent years, including declining enrollment, increased borrowing and a 2022 cyberattack that affected its transcripts. All these factors were cited in a 2023 audit that found that “substantial doubt exists about the university’s ability to continue.”
Since then, Huddleston has overseen a number of new initiatives, including a forthcoming “virtual campus,” a significant tuition reset, and a tuition forgiveness program that erased up to $10,000 in debt for qualifying students.
Huddleston’s last day is set for Nov. 28.
President: Kimberly Espy
Institution: Wayne State University
Coming or going?: Going
Kimberly Espy stepped down as president of Wayne State University on Sept. 17.
The announcement came after the Detroit News reported the Michigan university’s board of governors intended to oust Espy, citing disapproval of her management style and her decision to put the dean of the university’s medical school on paid leave with little communication.
As part of her separate agreement, Espy relinquished her contractual right to remain with Wayne State as a faculty member and vacated the university president’s residence by the end of the month, Detroit Free Press reported. Espy’s husband, a senior administrator at the university, also resigned as part of the agreement. In exchange, Espy received $760,499 — about a year’s pay — and two years of health care for herself and her husband.
The university’s board named Richard Bierschbach, Wayne State’s dean of law, as interim president.
President: Marlene Tromp
Institution: The University of Vermont
Coming or going?: Coming
The University of Vermont formally installed Marlene Tromp as president on Sept. 30, following her assumption of the office over the summer. Tromp came to the institution from Boise State University, where she was president from 2019 to 2025.
President: Bethami Dobkin
Institution: Westminster University
Coming or going?: Going
Westminster University President Bethami Dobkin announced on Sept. 4 that she will retire at the end of the 2025-26 academic year. During her eight-year tenure, she oversaw the institutional transition from college to university and became the longest-serving university president in Utah, according to Westminster. Dobkin was also the only Utah university leader to join more than 400 college leaders in signing an April letter condemning President Donald Trump’s “unprecedented” attempts to control higher education, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
President: Emir Caner
Institution: Truett McConnell University
Coming or going?: Going
Truett McConnell University “decided to part ways with” President Emir Caner on Sept. 25, per a vote from the Georgia institution’s board. Caner had been on leave since June following a sexual misconduct scandal involving a former faculty member and allegations of an administrative cover-up.
The board’s vote came the same day during a closed meeting at which a third-party auditor orally reported his findings into the allegations. Truett McConnell did not publish or share further details.
John Yarbrough, who has served as acting president during Caner’s leave, will remain on as interim president while the private university finds a permanent replacement.
President: Garnett Stokes
Institution: The University of New Mexico
Coming or going?: Going
The University of New Mexico announced on Sept. 16 that President Garnett Stokes would retire in July 2026. Stokes joined the public institution in 2018, becoming the first woman to hold the role.
