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SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson to resign

JAMES MEAD

Managing Editor

[UPDATE 06/16/2020, 6:42 p.m.: The next SUNY Board of Trustees meeting has been postponed to June 29, 2020]

On Tuesday, June 2, the Times Union obtained an unsigned letter of resignation from Kristina Johnson, the current SUNY chancellor, addressed to SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Dr. Merryl Tisch.

In it, Johnson indicated that she has accepted a new position as president of The Ohio State University, effective Sept. 1.

On Wednesday, June 3, the SUNY Board of Trustees confirmed her resignation.

SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson | Courtesy of SUNY.edu

“We join all New Yorkers in thanking Dr. Johnson for her service and her tireless commitment to issues of equity and excellence,” said Tisch, “and we wish her the very best on her new opportunity as president of Ohio State University.”

Johnson, who became the 13th SUNY chancellor in 2017 and currently earns an annual salary of $560,000, leaves in the midst of a pandemic which has caused unprecedented shock to universities nationwide.

She is expected to remain in her role as chancellor until her new position with Ohio State University begins in September, where, according to a contract provided by the university, she will serve a five-year term with a base salary of $900,000.

United University Professions, the largest higher education union in the U.S., released a statement from their president, Frederick Kowal, expressing dismay and disappointment at the timing, but wishing her well as incoming president of Ohio State University.

“Right now, the University is wrestling with how to safely reopen campuses in the fall after being forced to shut down for months due to the coronavirus pandemic,” said Kowal. “SUNY also faces a financial situation that has gone from precarious to critical because of the pandemic.”

“SUNY desperately needs steady leadership as campuses plan for the fall,” he continued.

Because of the timing, this resignation is not expected to affect SUNY Fredonia’s own presidential search, which has continued to move forward during the pandemic.

However, Johnson’s departure will create an interim SUNY chancellor position beginning in the fall, which is expected to be filled by SUNY’s current senior vice chancellor and chief operating officer, Robert Megna.

To fill the permanent chancellor role, Larry Schwartz, a former adviser to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, has urged the SUNY Board of Trustees to forgo a nationwide search and instead look to SUNY Empire State College President Jim Malatras.

“I can’t think of a better, stronger candidate than Jim Malatras,” Schwartz said. “He’s a brilliant public policy guy, he understands the state of New York, he understands state government, local government — and you need to be a jack-of-all-trades to be a successful chancellor and leader.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees’ next meetings will occur on June 16 and 17, where they will likely share more information about their current plans for the chancellor role.

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