President Roderick McDavis announces 2017 resignation

Ohio University President Roderick McDavis announced his resignation, effective June 30, 2017, at Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting.“I am giving this notice 16 months in advance so that the Board of Trustees has plenty of time to undertake a thoughtful, presidential search process and to ensure a smooth transition for our great university,” McDavis said.McDavis is the 20th president of Ohio University. In addition to being the first African American president, McDavis is the second alumnus to hold the position.First arriving at Ohio University as a freshman student in 1966, McDavis has now served 12 years as president.“These have been some of the happiest and most fulfilling moments of my life,” McDavis said. “Serving as president of my alma mater has definitely been the highpoint of my career.”McDavis has done much during his tenure as president. Five new residence halls, two new extension campuses, three named academic colleges and record enrollment growth in multiple years came into effect during his career.He mentioned progressing the Faculty Compensation Plan, Strategic Enrollment Management Plan and Campus Master Plan as goals for the last segment of his presidency.“Rest assured, the transformation of Ohio University is still not yet complete,” he said. “There’s still milestones to reach and goals to achieve in the next 16 months.”Trustee Chair Sandra Anderson, who spoke at the meeting, said in her closing statement that she considered McDavis to be a “considerate, kind, gracious, unfailingly positive and thorough Bobcat.”“I’m quite confident that Roderick J. McDavis will go down in the history of Ohio University as one of the best presidents we have ever had,” she said.Following the event, McDavis received an extended standing ovation from the audience. “In the last two and a half years that I’ve gotten to know President McDavis, he’s taught me a lot about leadership,” Jamie Patton, assistant dean of students, said. “I think he’s a good model for all students and staff about how to care for an institution and how to put the institution and the work on the forefront.”More information will be provided following the Board of Trustees meeting Friday.