UC President Carol Folt has tried to turn around the scandal-hit university with a massive effort to strengthen athletics, expand computing programs and expand access for students, but she has also tried to turn around the scandal-hit university with a massive effort to strengthen athletics, expand computing programs and expand student access. Although he was criticized for his handling of the matter, he announced that he would step down from his post on July 1. Friday.
“Having provided more than 20 years of leadership at three great universities,” Folt wrote to the USC community. “I am excited to embrace the freedom that comes with the next big leap and pass the baton to our next president” to build on previous accomplishments and forge a new chapter for this extraordinary institution. ”
Folt, 73, will remain at the University of Southern California as a tenured professor. Her future was in jeopardy when the USC Board of Governors offered her a five-year contract extension in July while reviewing her performance, without specifying the length or terms. She took office on July 1, 2019, and signed a contract that pays her at the same level as former President Max Nikias. Rick Caruso, then USC president of the board, said at the time that he had hoped she would serve for 10 years.
Suzanne Nora Johnson, chair of the University of Southern California Board of Trustees, thanked Folt and said she was hired at “one of the most important moments in the school’s history.” In a letter to the USC community on Friday, Johnson praised Folt’s leadership skills and “innate ability to connect with community members on a personal level.”
“Her dedication to solving the difficult problems at hand, past or present, never interfered with her focus on the future,” Johnson wrote. Ta. “Her keen strategic vision for the future and the groundbreaking initiatives she launched as a result will benefit both the current and next generation of Trojans. [undoubtedly] Contribute to USC’s long-term sustainable excellence. ”
Correcting a problematic past regarding racial justice
Folt said he is proud of his work expanding programs in computing, health sciences, athletics, financial aid and student welfare. She launched, for example, a $1 billion plan to expand computing across the university, with the new School of Advanced Computing as its cornerstone.
Folt also cited her efforts to correct the university’s checkered past on racial justice as “of special importance.” He awarded honorary degrees to 33 Japanese Americans who were imprisoned during World War II and denied the opportunity to continue their studies at the University of Southern California. They stripped the name of eugenicist Rufus von Kleinsmid from a prominent building and renamed it after Native American leader Dr. Joseph Medicine Crowe. and honor Holocaust survivors with university medallions.
Mr. Folt was hired with the most important task of restoring trust in the university, which had been shaken by a series of scandals, including in its admissions process. She replaced key administrators and brokered a $1 billion settlement with alumni harmed by a sexually abusive gynecologist. She previously served as interim president of Dartmouth College and provost of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Caruso said her higher education experience and crisis management skills helped her land the position at the University of Southern California. Her performance “exceeded all expectations,” he said.
“She rebuilt the university and restored its pride during the darkest period in its history,” Caruso said.
Sean Harper, a professor at the University of Southern California who specializes in education, business and public policy, praised Folt’s leadership in the aftermath of a series of scandals and the height of the coronavirus pandemic. He also praised her work in reaching out to campus and community members to collectively reset and advance the university’s values. As a result, he said he believes that under Folt, USC has created a better climate of trust, respect and cultural inclusion.
“We’re in a much better place…than we were in 2019. There’s no arguing that,” Harper said. “That will be her presidential legacy.”
But Ariella Gross, who served as a law professor at USC for most of Folt’s tenure before leaving for UCLA last year, said the president has fallen short of fulfilling his promised ethical responsibilities. She said the University of Southern California has reneged on its promise to publicize an investigation into decades of misconduct and repair the harm done to the campus community. Professor Caruso said on Friday that he decided not to publish the review “in the best interests of the university.”
Gross also criticized Folt for launching what she called an extensive investigative bureaucracy against police teachers and others who have spoken out about the Israel-Hamas war and other issues.
Meanwhile, Gross said the University of Southern California had begun to show financial difficulties and cut years of free tuition benefits to the families of employees who had worked there for more than 15 years, resulting in her own daughter not being able to attend college. Ta.
But Caruso and the University of Southern California said the university’s financial position is sound. “I have no concerns about the future of this university or its current financial viability. Not for one second,” he said. “I’ve looked at all the numbers and I’m very confident the university is in good shape financially.”
USC said in a statement that the university is “in a very stable financial position.” Like other universities, we continue to deal with major changes impacting higher education. We manage our operations and expenses to ensure a sustainable future. ”
open access
The first woman to lead USC on a permanent basis since its founding in 1880, Folt also works to open access to more low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students of color. I did. In one of his most publicized efforts, Folt eliminated tuition fees for families earning less than $80,000 a year and directed the University of Southern California to no longer consider home equity in financial aid calculations. For students living away from their families, the estimated annual cost of attending USC in 2024-25 is $95,225.
She gained national attention for her remarkable moves to rebuild USC’s athletics program. After years of turmoil and fallout from the Varsity Blues’ admissions scandal, Mr. Folt announced in September 2019, two months after arriving at the University of Southern California, that embattled athletic director Lynn Mr. Swann resigned. Three long-time track and field executives were fired shortly after. She replaces former Trojan football hero Swan in Mike Vaughn, the first outsider to lead the division in a quarter century.
Vaughn oversaw the hiring of nationally known soccer coach Lincoln Riley to a $10 million annual contract. This is one of the highest salaries in sports, but the deal is currently facing criticism amid the Trojans’ poor performance. She also helped lead the transition to the Big Ten that ultimately led to the realignment of the Pac-12 Conference. After Vaughn abruptly resigned in May 2023, Folt hired USC’s first female athletic director, Jennifer Cohen.
On Thursday, Folt celebrated the groundbreaking for USC’s state-of-the-art Football Performance Center, a 160,000-square-foot, $200 million project.
Condemnation of spring protests
Her high-profile moves in track and field were overshadowed this spring by a major controversy over her handling of pro-Palestinian protests.
In particular, her decision to cancel pro-Palestinian valedictorian Asna Tabassum’s speaking slot at the University of Southern California’s major commencement ceremony sparked widespread outrage. Folt justified the decision by citing unspecified security threats.
The chaos escalated when Folt canceled the “main stage” graduation ceremony, depriving students and their families of a valuable ceremony. Folt and his team called in the police to remove a tent encampment set up by students in support of the Palestinians, leading to the arrest of 93 people.
She did not speak publicly for two weeks, inviting criticism for a lack of action during the most explosive period of her tenure.
Such actions cost Fault key faculty support. In May, the University of Southern California Academic Senate voted to censure her and President Andrew Guzman over their handling of pre- and post-commencement events. At a meeting of the Senate, which represents about 4,500 teachers, 21 members supported the censure motion, seven opposed and six abstained.
“Carroll was disliked by a variety of constituencies for a variety of reasons, but I think most faculty, including myself, until recently saw her as a breath of fresh air from the previous administration’s ethical failings,” Morgan said.・Professor Polikoff said. The Rossier School of Education served on the Academic Senate Select Committee this fall, which released a report criticizing the administration’s response to the spring controversy.
“Given the current political climate, as well as the budget pressures facing universities and higher education in general, I would not be surprised if someone more conservative or pro-business is chosen to replace her,” Polikoff said. said.
Mr. Folt’s supporters noted that the president created a new school of advanced computing and strengthened mental health services. She also lowered the admissions rate to a record low of 9.3%, with a record 82,000 applicants for fall 2024. The average GPA of admitted students (one-fifth of whom were the first in their families to attend college) was 3.89.
Under the fort, USC raised $3.75 billion, including more than $800 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year, its largest raise in eight years. USC ranked in the top 10 among U.S. research universities in total funding last year, according to a statement. Research spending will increase to $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2022-23, a 27% increase over four years, according to an emailed statement.
Devin Griffith, associate professor of English and comparative literature, credited Folt with focusing on the environment and building relationships with the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles area community. But she said the coronavirus crisis had “put a hole in the budget” and, like many other teachers, criticized her leadership for last spring’s protests. Both he and Gross criticized campus security measures taken since the protests, including blocking entry to all unregistered guests.
“Our campus is really hurting right now. We face great challenges ahead and we hope to find a leader who can address them and rebuild trust within USC and with the community,” he said. spoke.
Looking to the future
Caruso also said navigating today’s difficult political environment is one of USC’s biggest challenges going forward. “We have to create an environment where people feel safe coming to class, expressing their opinions and having disagreements,” he says. “That’s what academic institutions are. I don’t think academic institutions exist to take positions.”
As the University of Southern California begins its search for its 13th president, campus members have expressed various expectations for their next leader.
Chemistry professor Anna Krylov said that someone should “cleanse campuses of excessive bureaucracy and divisive ideologies, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, while promoting excellence in research, high standards of teaching, and academic freedom.” I hope that they will strengthen their efforts towards this.
But Harper said the next chancellor should prioritize DEI and efforts to transform campus culture. He also said the next president must be strong enough to withstand the tremendous pressures of leading a university.
“We need a president who won’t bow to the pressures of the political climate we all live in,” Harper said. “These are difficult times to be a university president.”
Times staff writers Harriet Ryan and Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.
