President Folt to retire July 1
In a statement, Folt did not name a specific reason for her resignation.
By NICHOLAS CORRAL
President Carol Folt announced she will retire at the end of the academic year on July 1, 2025. The University did not include any information about how a successor will be chosen.
In her statement, Folt did not name a specific reason for her resignation but said she is excited for the next step in her life and for new opportunities as a tenured faculty member.
“I am excited to embrace the freedom that comes with a next big leap, and to pass the baton to the next president who will be able to build upon our accomplishments and create a new chapter for this extraordinary institution,” Folt wrote.
Folt took the role in 2019 and launched five Presidential Moonshots including improving staff benefits, building the School of Advanced Computing, reimagining athletics and improving sustainability. She also saw the University through the coronavirus pandemic and student encampment protests in Spring 2024.
Folt’s initial five-year contract ended last summer, but her contract was extended before July 1 and she has continued to serve as president during the 2024-25 school year. The University did not provide details about the length of her extended contract at the time.
When she retires, Folt will have the shortest tenure of any non-interim University president since Joseph Widney who served from 1892 to 1895.
