Editor’s note: The Leadership Ledger is a monthly roundup of some of the most noteworthy college leadership changes nationwide.
As the leaves and temperature drop, so too do some colleges' top officials. In September, at least two institutions — Central Connecticut State University and St. Thomas University — saw their leaders abruptly resign amid misconduct investigations.
Other colleges announced leadership changes with more planned transition periods. That includes the University of Michigan, which welcomed its new president after a setback in its search process, and San Francisco State University, which will bid goodbye to its longtime leader.
Below, we’re rounding up some of last month’s biggest leadership changes.
President: C. Cybele Raver
Institution: University of Michigan
Coming or going? Coming
The University of Michigan's governing board voted unanimously on Sept. 1 to approve C. Cybele Raver as the institution's next president. Raver, provost at Vanderbilt University, will take office Dec. 1.
U-M's leaders touted her background as an academic administrator and her experience growing Vanderbilt's research enterprise, and Raver's past and current colleagues praised the university’s decision. She joins the public flagship at a time of high-level turnover, including the recent appointments of a new general counsel and engineering dean.
Raver's appointment comes after U-M’s earlier selection for president, Kent Syverud, had to back out of the role because of a brain cancer diagnosis.
President: Neil Terry
Institution: West Texas A&M University
Coming or going? Coming
Neil Terry became the interim president of West Texas A&M University on Sept. 1, following the departure of longtime leader Walter Wendler.
In late July, the university’s board of regents selected Terry, WT's provost, to temporarily head the public institution. The system kicked off the search for WT's next leader the same month. Terry said at the time that he did not intend to apply for the permanent position.
President: Lynn Mahoney
Institution: San Francisco State University
Coming or going? Going
San Francisco State University announced on Sept. 8 that President Lynn Mahoney will retire in summer 2027. At that time, she will have led the public California institution for eight years and worked for the California State University system for nearly two decades.
Mahoney said she intends to remain at SFSU while the system’s governing board searches for her replacement. In a message to campus, she described her time at the university as "profound but not easy."
"We were among the first CSUs to experience demographic decline and the enrollment cliff," she said. SFSU's enrollment dropped by 22.3% from some 29,000 students in fall 2019 to roughly 22,600 in fall 2024, according to federal data.
Mahoney also described SFSU as being plagued by “years of declining state support” and "dramatic and detrimental changes in federal support and oversight."
Even so, the president touted recent successes, including over $35 million in donations last year, an over 10% annual jump in new student enrollment this fall, and a strengthening of student inclusion efforts "while universities across the country were closing their DEI centers."
Mahoney also said the university is starting the year “with a healthy state budget after years of unfunded mandates and state budget reductions.”
President: David Armstrong
Institution: St. Thomas University
Coming or going? Going
David Armstrong announced his resignation as president of St. Thomas University on Sept. 8, a little over a month after a spokesperson said he was placed on leave amid a misconduct investigation, according to the Miami Herald. The Catholic institution thanked him for his eight years of service.
St. Thomas named administrator Rev. Rafael Capó as its interim leader. Keiser University, a Catholic nonprofit with multiple locations across Florida, named Armstrong as president of its main campus the following week.
President: J. Alex Kelly
Institution: Pensacola State College
Coming or going? Coming
Pensacola State College's governing board on Sept. 21 unanimously approved J. Alex Kelly as the public Florida institution's next president. Kelly is the state's secretary of commerce and previously served as deputy chief of staff for Gov. Ron DeSantis and chief of staff to Richard Corcoran when he was Florida's education commissioner. Leading PSC will be his first job at a higher education institution. He is set to take office Oct. 19.
Kelly's appointment as the head of a public Florida college continues a pattern seen during DeSantis' tenure — politicians and allies of the governor taking leadership roles at higher ed institutions.
Corcoran became president of New College of Florida in 2023 as part of DeSantis' campaign to remake the traditionally liberal institution into a paragon of conservative ideals.
Earlier this year, the State University System of Florida’s governing board selected Manny Diaz Jr. — a longtime Republican state legislator and Corcoran's successor as Florida education commissioner — to lead the University of West Florida. The next state education commissioner after Diaz, Anastasios Kamoutsas, departed the role after less than a year to lead Polk State College.
President: Zulma Toro
Institution: Central Connecticut State University
Coming or going? Going
Zulma Toro submitted her resignation as president of Central Connecticut State University on Sept. 23, according to local news sources. Her resignation came amid an investigation by the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system into allegations that she bullied and intimidated university employees. WFSB reported that Toro had faced similar allegations during her previous tenures at Wichita State University and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.
Toro's retirement was effective Oct. 1. She did not admit wrongdoing by departing her role, according to a copy of her retirement stipulation agreement obtained by NBC Connecticut.
