Writer: Joshua Andino
2 min read April 2023— Temple University will begin its search for a new president amidst Dr. Jason Wingard’s abrupt departure, leading to questions about what’s next for the 33,600-student public university.
Effective March 31, President Wingard resigned following a tenure of less than two years. In a statement released shortly before Wingard’s departure, Mitchell Morgan, Chair of the Board of Trustees, thanked him for his service. In absence of a new president, the board has named a “small group of senior Temple leaders to guide the university….Each will have discrete responsibilities for the university’s essential functions and provide a stable foundation for us as we look toward the search for our next president.”
Wingard’s departure was abrupt, even as the possibility of a no-confidence vote from the faculty union became increasingly likely. Nevertheless, for the University, finding a new president will be a high priority item as the school and higher education overall continues to grapple with a number of issues. For Temple, labor relations, public safety and declining enrollments came together in a “perfect storm,” said Wingard in an earlier interview with the New York Times on what led to his exit.
“In talking with our board and talking with my leadership team,” Wingard said, “I recognized that all the attention and focus that was being placed on me, and it was getting hotter and hotter; it was disallowing us from being able to satisfy that strategy I mapped out.” He noted that the responsibility was not solely his, and that city officials and police also had a role to play in any potential solution.
Wingard’s selection for the presidency in 2021 led to a shakeup of Temple leadership, including JoAnn Epps, a long-time provost at the university and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Clark. Wingard’s view on the value and role of higher education also caused some alarm among faculty, according to Danielle Scherer, the vice president of operations for the Temple Association of University Professionals, as cited by NYT.
In an earlier interview for Invest: Philadelphia 2022, Wingard explained his belief that changes were coming for higher education, whether the industry was prepared for it or not. “More than ever before, students are seeking and expecting value from their colleges and universities—a return on investment of time and money that results in job readiness. We acknowledge the crisis in higher education and recognize that the way we, collectively, have been doing things for the past 50+ years is no longer providing the value proposition it once did.” He added, “that if our industry does not pivot and adapt the way we construct and measure learning, then alternatives are going to create more relevant opportunities and a greater number of students will no longer choose universities for their training and credentials.”
Regardless of the evolving nature of higher education, the changes at Temple have drawn attention across the Philadelphia community. Most recently, state representatives Malcolm Kenyatta, Donna Bullock and Danilo Burgos, all Democrats from Philadelphia, have introduced a bill that would expand Temple’s Board of Trustees with three state-appointed members to help the university through its “important decisions ahead of the board.”
“Temple University plays an important role in Pennsylvania’s – and Philadelphia’s – future, and right now it needs our help,” the bill concludes.
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