Rutgers president steps down after tumultuous tenure

Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway announced publicly Tuesday that he will step down at the end of this academic year after five years at the helm of the three-institution system. In a message to campus, Holloway, the first black president of Rutgers in the school’s more than 250-year history, said he will take a sabbatical next year for research before returning to the Rutgers faculty.

“There is much to be done before I conclude my term, and I remain focused on this work, especially that which is dedicated to the connections between Rutgers and civic preparation and civic discourse,” Holloway wrote. “But regardless of the topic, I remain steadfast in my belief that Rutgers is growing and gaining the respect it has long deserved.”

But at least one congressional Republican is calling on Holloway to leave the presidency early, criticizing his record on combating anti-Semitism. And Todd Wolfson, co-leader of the national American Association of University Professors and the Rutgers chapter of the AAUP–American Federation of Teachers, expressed disappointment with Holloway’s relationship with the unions after Rutgers experienced its first-ever faculty strike last year.

The strike ended after the New Jersey governor intervened. Rebecca Givan, an assistant professor at Rutgers and the executive vice president of Rutgers AAUP-AFT, said Inside higher education“We should never have gone on strike. A different approach to negotiations could have led to a fair contract without a strike.” And the Rutgers University Senate passed a resolution a year ago saying it had “lost confidence” in Holloway, with senators raising issues with his handling of the strike, the removal of the chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark and the merger of Newark and New Brunswick medical schools, among other complaints.

Although he has faced a wave of criticism, it is unclear why Holloway, 57, is leaving now.

The president listed many accomplishments in his farewell address. “Our freshman class this fall is the largest in our history—and, even better, it is among the most diverse and talented,” he wrote.

Holloway added that “Rutgers researchers received a record $970 million in grants” last year, and touted the three-year initiative that “has provided hundreds of life-shaping opportunities in nonprofit and government organizations across the New Jersey region and our nation’s capital.” Holloway was reportedly a candidate for president of Yale University this year but did not get the job.

He told Rutgers Board Chairwoman Amy Towers of his decision to leave last month, according to his message to campus. University spokeswoman Dory Devlin wrote in an email to Inside higher education that Holloway notified the chairman on or about Aug. 10. In a statement, Towers said, “Dr. Holloway’s decision was his and his alone; we respect it and thank Dr. Holloway for his passion and service.”

In what Star Ledger said the exclusive interview was under embargo until it was announced yesterday, Holloway suggested his departure was related to concerns about his family’s safety since the strike. “I don’t want to be in an environment where I, my family, need protection,” Holloway told the newspaper. “That’s the part I didn’t bargain for.” He added that “now if I’m ever in a public place, I have protection with me.”

Last month, another controversy erupted with the resignation of Rutgers athletic director Pat Hobbs. NJ Advance Media reported that Hobbs is under investigation for a possible “inappropriate consensual relationship” and Star Ledger reported allegations of bullying by former athletes against one team’s coach. But Holloway said Star Ledger Hobbs’ situation “has absolutely nothing to do with this decision.”

Like other major university presidents, Holloway has faced national criticism for his handling of pro-Palestinian protests. In May, his university negotiated an end to the encampment after several days, making few concessions to protesters. But the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Workforce Committee has called Holloway to testify as part of a series of hearings on university leaders about their handling of reports of anti-Semitism on campus.

Republican officials have accused Holloway of capitulating to pro-Palestinian protesters, but Holloway’s answers to questions have drawn less public condemnation than those of previous presidents in the hot seat. When pressed on whether he would close the Rutgers Center for Security, Race and Rights, which Virginia Republican Bob Good has opposed, Holloway said he had no plans to do so.

New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik released a statement Tuesday saying Holloway should leave the presidency sooner than the end of this academic year. “Holloway must immediately resign in disgrace for allowing anti-Semitic mobs to repeatedly attack and threaten the safety of Jewish students, for allowing a pro-Hamas encampment on campus, and for continuing to employ anti-Semitic and terror-supporting faculty and staff,” Stefanik said.

North Carolina Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, chairwoman of the House Education Committee, said in a statement that “if he resigned today, President Holloway’s legacy would be supporting anti-Semites and terrorist sympathizers. He must use his senior year at Rutgers to do everything he can to change that.”

Devlin said Holloway’s current salary is about $1.1 million. She said: “His contract did not have an end date, but he committed to a minimum of five years, which he will serve when he leaves office on June 30, 2025.”