Today President David Hodge announced in an email to students that he will be stepping down from his position as president at the end of next year. The decision was formally announced at a morning meeting with the Board of Trustees.
“I have enjoyed getting to know many of you personally, teaching some of you, watching many of you present in classes and perform on stage, attending student organization and athletic events, and, of course, defeating many of you in broomball. OK, so maybe that last point is a bit of a stretch, but all the rest makes leaving Miami incredibly difficult,” President Hodge wrote.
Hodge is Miami’s 21st president and next year will have served a total of 10 years. “By my calculations that is the normal four years plus six victory laps!” he joked.
Hodge came to Miami University in 2006 after serving 31 years at the University of Washington as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. While at Miami, he has most notably reduced the University budget by 10 percent, raised funds for a new student center, established the Miami 20/20 plan for residence hall renovations, implemented Miami’s first Sustainability Program and in September, appointed an Alcohol Task Force to combat students’ drinking habits. He also served two terms as chair of Ohio’s Inter-University Council of Presidents, was a member of the Board of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and served on the Board of the Miami University Foundation.
According to Miami’s Campus News page, Hodge’s resignation comes just after Miami reported that next year’s incoming freshman class “will be the most diverse and academically accomplished in the university’s history.”
With one year left, Hodge plans to “focus on creativity and innovation” and provide students with opportunities to hone in on their creative thinking skills. “I look forward to learning with you and from you in the year ahead,” he wrote.
As for Hodge’s replacement, the Board of Trustees will be conducting a national search over the next year.