Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway , plans to step down at the conclusion of the academic year, will take on the leadership of a New-York based charitable foundation in his subsequent position.
In the fall, Holloway will take over as both president and CEO of the Henry Luce Foundation, according to an announcement made by officials on Friday.
His term at Rutgers lasting five years is scheduled to conclude on June 30. He will then start his new role at the Luce Foundation on October 1.
In a statement Debra Knopman and Terry Adamson, who serve as co-chairpersons of the foundation’s board of directors, commended Holloway for being "a distinguished historian, a revered academic in the humanities, a prominent public figure, and a key influencer in advanced education."
"His considerate methodology towards teamwork and strong dedication to the Foundation’s enduring perspective on the impact of its granting activities equip him excellently to guide the organization forward," they stated.
Holloway mentioned that he felt very privileged.
"At this critical juncture for our country, the initiatives undertaken by the Luce Foundation have never been more crucial," he stated in the communiqué released concurrently with Rutgers University.
Holloway left his position at Rutgers, which is the biggest university in New Jersey, in September. When announcing this decision, he mentioned that he intended to take a one-year break before returning to the institution as an active full-time professor.
His break will conclude as he starts his new role at the Luce Foundation, as stated on Friday. He won’t be coming back to Rutgers.
According to the statement, the Luce Foundation reached out to Holloway following his departure announcement; however, the precise timing of this contact remained unclear.
Established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, who was also one of the founders of Time, Fortune, and Life magazines, the Luce Foundation has distributed over $1 billion in grants to universities, cultural entities, and media groups.
Holloway will serve as the foundation’s seventh president and CEO. Prior to this, he was the 21st president of Rutgers University and also became its inaugural African American president.
In mid-2020, Holloway was tasked with overseeing the secure transition back to face-to-face instruction. He also launched Scarlet Service, an innovative program offering numerous students internship opportunities within the realm of public service. During his tenure, investigators at Rutgers secured a historic high of $970 million in research funding over the last year.
However, his time in office was often marked by chaos, tainted with an uproar within the sports administration , an unparalleled faculty walkout, a motion of no confidence from the university senate, pro-Palestinian protests, and intense questioning from Congress.
In an interview In September, according to The Star-Ledger, Holloway mentioned that worries about his family’s safety rapidly brought his tenure to an end.
I've pushed things as much as I possibly could," he stated. "... I do not wish to remain in a situation where my family and I require safeguarding. That was never part of the deal.
Holloway remembered that union demonstrators arrived at his house at 7:30 a.m. during the strike the previous year, compelling him to rely on a police escort for all public engagements.
"Just as I didn’t ask for police protection wherever I go," he stated.
The individual, who is 57 years old, also pointed out the poisonous atmosphere developing at the school. "Facing constant no-win scenarios, with today’s exaggerated talk about not accomplishing tasks A, B, and C... None of us were prepared for that," he stated.
Holloway encountered backlash regarding his management of the strike. This, coupled with various other concerns, resulted in the faculty senate voting 89 to 47 in favor of a resolution expressing they "had lost faith" in him back in September. Later, in May, university officials took up the matter. formally settled the strike.
The wave of pro-Palestinian protests that swept across campuses nationwide also challenged Holloway’s leadership.
He and other university administrators managed to broker a peaceful resolution to a student protest in May by consenting to certain demands from the demonstrators. This included providing scholarships for 10 Palestinian students who had been displaced due to the conflict in Gaza.
Although Rutgers did not agree to divest its financial holdings from companies with ties to Israel or explicitly call for a ceasefire, as protesters had demanded, House Republicans were infuriated by what they viewed as Holloway bending the knee.
They dragged him in front of a congressional committee in Washington, D.C., to respond to queries soon afterward.
Amy Towers, who chairs Rutgers' board of governors, stated in Friday’s announcement that they valued Holloway’s contributions and hoped for his future success.
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AJ McDougall might be contacted at [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at @oldmcdougall .
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