Two weeks ago community members and students alike were shocked to hear that current President Laurie Nichols would be stepping down after June of this year.
Since then, students in particular have voiced their thoughts about the issue.
“What we know is that the Board [of Trustees] has been advised to not disclose why exactly they’ve chosen to not extend Laurie Nichol’s contract,” said Jorge Aguilera, a student at the University. “To me that says Laurie Nichols has done something the Board didn’t like, but with her demotion I don’t know if that’s actually the case. The other scenario in my mind would be that the Board had a personal problem with her that couldn’t be resolved.”
Aguilera along with other students met in the Guthrie House last week to discuss concerns regarding President Nichol’s stepping down. About 15 students gathered to share their thoughts on being kept in the dark and being uncertain about the direction the University would be taking after Nichol’s steps down.
A private plane registered to the Trustees made a 90-minute stop in Glendale, Arizona, near where Nichols and her husband own a condo, and then returned to Casper, the Casper Star Tribune reported, shortly before the announcement.
“They didn’t stay very long and then within the next few days she’s fired,” said Aguilera. “They went out of their way to tell her while she was on vacation about this.”
An interim president will be appointed while the Board of Trustees conducts a search for a replacement for Nichols. Over the last six years, UW has had four official presidents, including Thomas Buchanan, Robert Sternberg, Richard McGinty and most recently Nichols, the only women president of UW in its 130 years of existence.
No president has held the position for more than three years since 2013; Sternberg left the position after less than six months. Students voiced concerns about turnover affecting the stability and moral at the University. If a new president is selected and hired this year it would be the fifth one in nearly as many years.
In a statement released by the Board of Trustees, Chairman David True commented that they will hold an open and transparent search for the new President.
“While we don’t have a precise timetable at this point, the board is committed to a presidential search that involves stakeholders across UW’s constituencies, including Wyoming citizens,” True said. “In the meantime, we intend to appoint an acting president in coming months to assume the leadership responsibilities when President Nichols’ tenure ends June 30, 2019.”
During the discussion last week students brought up the fact that there are no checks and balances on the Board of Trustees and are concerned for what will happen next to the University despite the statement issued. The Board has left a lot of unanswered questions, and some of those invested in the future of the University may disagree when they claim the best days are ahead for UW.
Ed. note – Hunter Sersland contributed reporting to this article.
