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Martha E. Pollack, Cornell University’s president for seven years, announced Thursday that she would retire June 30. She said the decision was entirely her call.
The relatively short notice, which is unusual for college leaders, was certain to prompt speculation that Pollack, like some of her peers at Ivy League and other highly selective institutions, had lost the support of her bosses on the Board of Trustees and other key constituents. An alumni group had cropped up at the university in recent months that has regularly taken shots at Pollack and called on trustees to replace her.
She sought to tamp that speculation in an email to the university Thursday, saying: “I understand that there will be lots of speculation about my decision, so let me be as clear as I can: This decision is mine and mine alone,” she wrote. “After seven fruitful and gratifying years as Cornell’s president—and after a career in research and academia spanning five decades—I’m ready for a new chapter in my life.”
Cornell’s announcement of her retirement contained a long list of her accomplishments, and the board’s chairman, Kraig H. Kayser, said: “President Pollack has been a transformational leader of Cornell, and her positive impact on our university will be felt for decades to come. Beyond her achievements in academics, research and affordability, I and my fellow trustees deeply value her intelligence, integrity, candor and warmth, as well as her unwavering commitment to Cornell being a community of belonging.”
The board has appointed the university’s provost, Michael I. Kotlikoff, to serve a two-year term as interim president, beginning July 1.
