A Message from the Board Chair and the Provost

Larry McHugh and Peter Nicholls have written to the community about the President’s departure.

Larry McHugh, chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Provost Peter Nicholls sent a message today to the University community on the occasion of President Michael Hogan’s resignation:

We feel it is important to write to you now that we’ve all had the chance to take in the news of President Hogan’s departure, and to begin reflecting about what this means for our University. Mike is an academic, a serious scholar who cares deeply about our students and the educational, research, and public engagement mission of the University. During his three-year tenure here, he led the university through some very difficult times and oversaw continuing momentum towards excellence. We are sorry to be losing him.

In his absence, and even while the University searches for a new president, we write to assure you that our momentum will continue. We remain the number one ranked public school in New England, we continue to attract an ever more talented and diverse student body, our entire teaching enterprise from advising to career placement, and from an outstanding general education program to powerful nationally ranked majors is simply second to none in our region. Our scholarly and creative activities are winning us national and international acclaim in areas as diverse as Theatre and Engineering. Our research funding has grown by 20 percent in the past year. Our professional programs are graduating a new generation of knowledge-based workers who will serve as the state’s architects of tomorrow. Our programming in Education, Psychology, Kinesiology and many other fields is ranked in the top handful of schools in the country. And the recently approved legislation for the hospital building will make a major difference to the future viability and strength of our Medical and Dental schools. Mike is proud of all of this, so are we, so is the Board, and so are the people of Connecticut.

The point is that the University of Connecticut has a deep well of talent among its students, faculty, and staff. Our academic administration is in the hands of an outstanding team of talented and committed Deans and Vice Provosts. We have excellent leadership in the areas of fiscal management, operations, and student affairs at all levels, and on all of our campuses. We feel personally privileged to be a part of such a dedicated and talented leadership team. We also feel grateful to the many graduates, donors, and friends of the University who contribute so powerfully to what we accomplish every day. For these reasons, despite a challenging state budget situation, the University of Connecticut enjoys growing prestige and success, has tremendous momentum and is well positioned to attract a strong new president.

Please join us then in congratulating Mike Hogan on his new position, but let us also forge a new commitment to an even brighter future for our University.

Sincerely,

Larry McHugh                   Peter Nicholls
Chairman,                           Provost
Board of Trustees