The University of Connecticut board of trustees has appointed Dr. Andrew (“Andy”) Agwunobi as the university s interim president.
Agwunobi, who also serves as CEO of UConn Health, will start his tenure as UConn s interim president on July 1. He will continue his duties leading UConn Health as he takes the reins at UConn, the state’s flagship public university. I know how much UConn means to the people of this state, Agwunobi said after the unanimous vote favoring his appointment. It s more than a university, it s an identity.
In comments before trustees unanimously appointed Agwunobi, board Chairman Dan Toscano praised Agwunobi for his stewardship of UConn Health through the COVID-19 pandemic, and praised his efforts to create a financially viable institution with at least one arm tied behind his back.”
University of Connecticut President Thomas Katsouleas plans to resign his position by June 30, according to a letter he submitted to the school’s board of trustees chair in March.
Sources say his relationship with UConn’s Board of Trustees has deteriorated but called his resignation voluntary. The conflict had several causes, sources said, beginning with an unexpected announcement at his inauguration to provide free tuition for lower-income households. More recently, he announced the university would cut slated tuition increases by half without consulting with trustees.
His contract with the university has a provision that allows him to transition to a tenured faculty position.
“For reasons we have discussed at length over time, I have made the difficult decision to resign my position as President of the University of Connecticut. I appreciate your understanding of my decision,” Katsouleas wrote in a letter to Dan Toscano, chair of the Board of Trustees.
He went on to say he’s proud of the advancements the university has made.
“UConn has fared extraordinarily well in the face of unprecedented challenges under the leadership and decision making of our leadership team and the Board. I look forward to contributing further to the continued success of the state’s flagship institution of higher education as a member of our distinguished faculty,” he wrote.
University of Connecticut President Thomas Katsouleas plans to resign his position by June 30, according to a letter he submitted to the school’s board of trustees chair in March. For reasons we have discussed at length over time, I have made the difficult decision to resign my position as President of the University of Connecticut, Katsouleas wrote in the March 13 letter addressed to UConn Board of Regents Chair Dan Toscano. I appreciate your understanding of my decision.
The university did not immediately have comment on the resignation or when Katsouleas final day as president would fall, a spokeswoman said Thursday morning
The University of Connecticut’s feathered friends from the Poultry Farm hatched a plan to escape the complex early on Thursday morning.
According to the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources website, the UConn Poultry Farm has been a feature of the UConn campus since the 1940’s. Though operations have always been fairly routine, the chickens heard they were next in line for South’s buffalo chicken wraps, prompting them to fly the coop, literally, in an act of rebellion.
This rumor, though unconfirmed, was started by the University’s squirrel population. At the beginning of her term, former UConn President Susan Herbst opted to install a squirrel security camera system. In an interview with SUWH Radio, an affiliate of WHUS, Herbst allegedly said that she preferred security squirrels over security pigeons, as the campus’ strong winds would affect the pigeon’s performance.