ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Central Florida's interim president issued a message to members of the campus community on Monday, assuring them that the school would recover from the former president's sudden departure.
Thad Seymour, Jr., Ph.D., interim UCF president and vice president for partnerships and chief innovation officer, told students and faculty that he will work to make sure campus operations continue as normal during the search for a long-term interim president.
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"After a 30-year career in business and not-for-profit leadership, I came to UCF in 2015 to help lead our Collective Impact Strategic Plan process and later to oversee UCF Downtown. Like so many of you, I believe in the power of education to transform lives, drive innovation and lift up entire regions," Seymour wrote. "UCF is a place that expands opportunity, thinks boldly and unleashes incredible talent. And I remain convinced our best years are ahead."
He also encouraged Knights to seek support in each other.
"In the moment, though, change can be difficult. So I encourage you to take care of yourselves, and to take care of each other. Last week was tough, but UCF is tougher," he wrote.
The letter comes days after the UCF board of trustees approved Dale Whittaker's resignation. Whittaker submitted his resignation Tuesday in an attempt to help the university recover from a controversy surrounding millions of dollars inappropriately spent on constructing an on-campus building.
Seymour said the board of trustees is searching for a long-term interim president, who will then need to be approved by the state board of governors. Once a long-term interim president is selected, school officials will begin the search for a new president.
"Until the long-term interim president takes office, my job is to ensure the UCF mission and your work continue unabated. We have jobs to do, and I know I can count on our amazing students, faculty and staff to make that happen," Seymour wrote.
Although there is no timeline for when a long-term interim president will take over, trustees said they expect to begin the search process in March.
Click here to read Seymour's letter in its entirety.