TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona is getting a new president soon.
University President Robert Robbins told the Arizona Board of Regents on Tuesday that he will resign at the end of his contract, or "when his successor is ready to lead."
“After significant consideration and personal contemplation, I informed the regents this morning that I will step down as president of the University of Arizona after fulfilling the terms of my current contract,” Robbins said in a statement. “When a new president has been appointed by ABOR and she or he is prepared to start sooner than the end date of my contract, I will ensure a smooth transition to my successor and step aside earlier.”
The announcement comes as UArizona and ABOR have been grappling with a $177 million budget shortfall which led to Robbins taking a 10% pay cut. He was allowed to keep his job.
Officials with the U.S. Department of Education have started the process of asking UArizona to pay back millions of dollars in loans from students of an online university that UArizona bought, and which the Department of Education says "cheated" its customers.
"The past 18 months certainly have been difficult for our University, but I am confident that our passion and commitment for doing what is right, as well as our thorough and thoughtful analysis to address our ongoing challenges, will bring our institution greater stability in short order," Robbins said.
Robbins' current contract expires June 30, 2026.
Gov. Katie Hobbs, who's been critical of the university's financial situation, released the following statement in response to the announcement:
“I look forward to continued work to address the University of Arizona’s finances and restore the public’s trust in one of our state’s most important public institutions. From day one I have been laser-focused on addressing fiscal mismanagement and ensuring there is proper oversight and accountability from ABOR to protect our public universities. Moving forward, I will continue that work in coordination with UArizona leadership and ABOR. UArizona is an incredible asset to the State of Arizona. During this time of leadership transition, I will continue to offer my support to the university and to ABOR as a successor is identified."
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