The president of the University of Missouri has resigned amid a wave of student and faculty protests regarding racial tensions and the way the university handles claims of racial harassment.
Timothy W. Wolfe resigned late Monday morning, urging everyone involved to “use my resignation to heal and start talking again,” according to the New York Times. Wolfe took charge as president in 2012.
“To our students from Concerned Students 1950, to our grad students, football players and other students, the frustration and anger that I see is clear, real and, I don’t doubt it for second,” Wolfe was quoted in the Times, referring to a group of black students. Later, he added, “I stand before you today and I take full responsibility for this frustration and I take full responsibility for the inaction that has occurred.”
A series of racial incidents sparked calls for Wolfe’s resignation.
Foremost among these calls was a decision last weekend by dozens of black University of Missouri football players to boycott all football games—which would have cost the university precious revenue—until White stepped down.
Black graduate student Jonathan Butler started a hunger strike this week in support of the protest, as well, ABC News said.
The university’s student government on Monday also demanded White’s ouster while the faculty council issued a statement of concern.
Wolfe apparently read the writing on the wall. By resigning quickly he is attempting to mitigate a fast-moving crisis within the university system. But a bigger challenge is how the university moves forward and how it addresses the concerns among both students and faculty for more diversity and inclusion.
Reports said protesters said the president’s responses to their complaints were not strong enough or swift enough. There was also tension regarding the rights of graduate student teaching assistants, as well as access to abortion and the university’s relationship with Planned Parenthood.
The university’s Board of Curators is responsible to search for and appoint a new president.
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