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After four years at Louisiana State University, President William Tate IV is headed north to take the top job at Rutgers University, starting July 1, Rutgers officials announced Monday.
Rutgers Board of Governors chair Amy L. Towers said in a statement that the university sought “a transformative leader who embodies Rutgers’ values and our multi-campus identity—someone who is intentional, collaborative and unafraid to think big—someone who understands well the broad higher education environment and sees the unique opportunities for Rutgers to succeed through it all. Dr. Tate is that extraordinary leader, a scholar, an innovator and a transformative force whose vision will unite academic excellence with public impact.”
Tate leaves behind a legacy at LSU that includes increases in research spending and a boost in applications and enrollment. But his time there also included controversies over the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion programs; faculty free speech concerns; and false claims he made on social media that a cisgender female athlete competing in the 2024 Olympic games was transgender.
Tate replaces Jonathan Holloway, who is stepping down as president on June 30.
Holloway, who has led Rutgers since July 2020, announced last fall that he would give up the presidency at the end of the academic year. The announcement came after a tenure that included a labor strike at Rutgers that prompted gubernatorial intervention, a faculty no-confidence vote and a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism after Holloway reached an agreement with pro-Palestinian protesters.
Holloway said that he ultimately decided to step down due to concerns about safety related to the strike, telling local media he didn’t “want to be in an environment” where he or his family need protection.
