USC President Carol L. Folt Announces Retirement
The president of the University of Southern California (USC), Carol L. Folt, has declared her intention to retire next summer, a significant development for one of the West Coast’s most prestigious universities. This announcement comes amidst a backdrop of considerable unrest on campus surrounding the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
At 73 years old, Dr. Folt, who previously served as the chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and held the position of interim president at Dartmouth College, expressed her enthusiasm for this new chapter in her life. In an open letter, she stated that she was “excited to embrace the freedom that comes with a next big leap.” Following her retirement, she plans to remain at USC as a faculty member.
USC, which boasts a student population of nearly 47,000, has yet to announce Dr. Folt’s successor. When Dr. Folt assumed the presidency in 2019, she inherited a university grappling with the repercussions of a significant sexual abuse scandal and the federal “Varsity Blues” investigation, which exposed corruption in admissions at USC and other elite institutions. At the time of her appointment, the chair of the university’s board predicted that she would lead for at least a decade, according to reports from The Los Angeles Times.
However, her tenure is now expected to conclude at the six-year mark. Over the summer, USC indicated that it had extended her contract, yet the specifics of this agreement were not disclosed. Like many private universities, USC maintains a level of secrecy regarding its financial matters and contractual obligations beyond what is required for tax disclosures.
Dr. Folt’s leadership has been characterized by efforts to stabilize the scandal-ridden campus while pursuing ambitious initiatives, such as a $1 billion investment in computing and the university’s transition to the Big Ten Conference—a move aimed at enhancing the financial strength of its athletic department amid significant shifts in college sports.
Nonetheless, her presidency has not been without controversy. In the spring, the academic Senate voted to censure her, citing “widespread dissatisfaction and concern among the faculty.” This resolution followed a series of protests at USC that were part of a larger wave of unrest across American campuses in response to the war in Gaza. USC faced intense scrutiny for its decision to cancel a planned commencement address by its valedictorian and ultimately for scrapping the entire graduation event due to security concerns.
Dr. Folt’s upcoming retirement aligns with a broader trend of leadership changes at several of California’s leading public and private universities. Notably, Michael V. Drake, the president of the University of California system, announced in July that he would step down at the end of the academic year. Additionally, the Berkeley campus has welcomed a new chancellor, while the Los Angeles campus is set to appoint one in January. The chancellors of the University of California campuses in Riverside and Santa Barbara have also announced their retirements, illustrating a period of significant transition within California’s higher education landscape.
