PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After less than two years leading Temple University, Jason Wingard has resigned as president.
He, along with Board of Trustees Chair Mitchell Morgan and Provost Gregory Mandel, was facing a no-confidence vote by the faculty union in April. Grad students just settled more than a month-long strike. And campus was left reeling by a series of violent crimes, including the shooting death of a Temple police officer in February.
Morgan, in a statement released Tuesday, said Wingard’s resignation is effective March 31.
Morgan said the board would designate a “small group of senior Temple leaders” to guide the university during the search for Wingard’s replacement. The statement said the board and administration would give its highest level of focus to the issues facing Temple, particularly campus safety.
It’s been a brief but stormy tenure for Wingard, 51. He became Temple’s first Black president in July of 2021. Last winter he said he would move to campus this spring in a show of commitment to the Temple community, but that pledge was never fulfilled.
The Temple Board of Trustees statement in full
"We write to let you know that today the Temple University Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of President Jason Wingard, effective March 31, 2023.
"Among the priorities the Board set for Dr. Wingard were developing and executing a strategy to enhance the value proposition, reputation, and external profile of the University. He demonstrated unwavering commitment to that mandate, and his contributions to advancing the University’s mission have been significant. We are confident that the University will benefit from the strategies and initiatives launched by Dr. Wingard, in the years to co
me. We thank him for his leadership and dedication to the Temple community.
"Given the urgent matters now facing the University, particularly campus safety, the Board and the administration will ensure the highest level of focus on these serious issues. We understand that a concerted and sustained effort must be undertaken as we attempt to solve these problems.
"At the same time, we acknowledge that these issues adversely affect all of the University’s constituencies. We recognize that solutions will be most effective, impactful and long-lasting when they reflect the perspectives of so many different groups who care deeply about Temple’s future. We remain confident that the University can overcome these challenges with your support.
"The Board will designate a small group of senior Temple leaders to guide the university. This group will have many years of experience at Temple and devotion to its mission. Each will have discrete responsibilities for the university’s essential functions and provide a stable foundation for us as we look toward the search for our next president.
"As we enter this new phase for Temple, your engagement and collaboration will be critical to our efforts to emerge stronger and more united as an institution, and a community, than ever before.
"Thank you for your attention, commitment and loyalty to Temple University."