The Ohio State University is expected to experience a significant structural change as President Kristina M. Johnson will soon step down from her post.
According to a tweet made Monday evening from The Columbus Dispatch, there was talk of the possibility of her resignation. Just hours later, Johnson confirmed that she is indeed making the “difficult decision” to leave the university.
The 65-year-old Johnson was asked to resign by the board of trustees after an investigation was conducted by a third-party firm to address issues that were raised by the staff, The Dispatch reported. However, the details and concerns brought forth during the investigation are still unclear.
Johnson issued a letter addressed to the Buckeye community Monday night thanking students and employees but did not explain her reason for leaving. According to the letter, she will continue to serve as president until the end of the academic year to allow for a “seamless transition” to the school’s next leader.
“I offer my deepest gratitude to every student, faculty member and staff member whose care, professionalism and dedication enabled Ohio State to achieve all these goals and objectives while keeping our campuses operating and allowing so many Buckeyes to achieve their educational milestone,” she wrote.
Johnson took the helm at the height of the pandemic in August 2020, leading the school through a challenging period in history. Before coming to OSU, she served in various leadership roles, such as dean of Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at John Hopkins University, undersecretary of energy in the U.S. Department of Energy as selected by former president Barack Obama, and chancellor of the State University of New York.
“Since I arrived at The Ohio State University in August of 2020, we have been able to achieve so much on so many different fronts, despite considerable adversity including the COVID-19 pandemic,” she wrote. “I am very proud of all that we accomplished together. It’s been a privilege to serve this incredible university, and I have been honored to work as part of this brilliant, dedicated and passionate community.”
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