Columbia, NYU Presidents To Step Down

The presidents of two of New York City's most prestigious universities separately announced their resignations this weekend.

Columbia University President George E. Rupp announced Saturday that he will resign effective June 2002, and New York University President L. Jay Oliva announced he will step down then as well.

Rupp, a former dean of Harvard Divinity School, is the fourth Ivy League president to step down in the last year.

The surprise announcement by both men continues a trend of university presidents stepping aside after large fundraising drives.

Late last year, Brown University selected Ruth J. Simmons, president of Smith College, to take over in July of this year.

Princeton and Harvard both have searches still underway. A decision in the Harvard search is expected soon.

In an e-mail to students, faculty and staff Saturday morning, Rupp, 58, expressed his appreciation for having the opportunity to serve Columbia, and thanked the community for their support of his nine years as president.

"My sense is that the time for the next new beginning will be upon us soon and that Columbia should have its new president in place to lead the way," he wrote.

Like many other universities in the nation, Columbia's endowment soared during the 1990s, jumping to over $4 billion. Likewise, annual donations to NYU have more than tripled since Oliva took over.

Both universities have also seen similar growth in their applications. Applications have tripled and the percentage of students accepted has fallen from over 30 percent at Columbia and 65 percent at NYU to 13 percent and 29 percent respectively.

In his e-mail, Rupp listed several other accomplishments of his tenure.

He cited improved relations with neighbors in New York City and the school's strong financial health among his proudest accomplishments.

Similarly, Oliva, 67, said he plans to stay in office until the new student center is finished--an idea he first proposed 25 years ago.

Neither president has announced plans for the future, but after 25 years as either a university president or dean, Rupp did rule out becoming president of another university. He said he might continue teaching at Columbia.

"I take it as a weighty responsibility to transfer leadership to my successor without losing the momentum we are now experiencing. I will be fully and energetically engaged in the life of the institution until the day I leave office," he wrote.

Oliva has been at NYU since 1960 and has been an administrator there--a dean, vice president, provost and chancellor--since 1972.

A Russian history professor, Oliva was appointed president in 1991--the first faculty member to serve as president of NYU.

He holds degrees from Manhattan College and Syracuse University.

Rupp served as president of Rice University from 1985-1993, before assuming his current post at Columbia. At Rice, he is credited with helping to triple applications and more than doubling the endowment.

Before going to Rice, Rupp was the O'Brian professor of divinity and dean of the Harvard Divinity School. He received a doctorate in education from Harvard in 1972.