University of Missouri chancellor leaving after 3 years to lead a Florida college
University of Missouri Chancellor Alexander Cartwright is set to leave the Columbia campus to become president at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
The UCF Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Friday to hire him, wrapping up a months-long search to fill a vacancy left by former president Dale Whittaker. Whittaker resigned last February amid a controversy over the university’s use of leftover operating dollars for construction.
Cartwright submitted an application for the Florida job as recently as last Wednesday, but the UCF search committee members and trustees “have been eyeing him for weeks,” according to a report in the Orlando Sentinel.
The trustees’ vote still must be confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s universities. Trustees said in a statement they expect the approval to come during a virtual board meeting Wednesday.
Cartwright is expected to start his new job later this year.
“I want to wish Dr. Cartwright well in his new endeavors at the University of Central Florida,” UM System President Mun Choi said.
In his three years at MU, Cartwright has guided the university through challenging times, including enrollment declines, layoffs and a budget crunch due in part to reduced state funding.
Cartwright came to the university following the 2015 race-related student protests, which led to the forced resignation of the campus chancellor and the University of Missouri System president. Enrollment and donor contributions took a dive after those protests and the long search for a new permanent campus leader.
Last year, Cartwright announced the university had recovered and saw record giving that pushed its “Mizzou: Our Time to Lead” campaign over $1.2 billion. And in fall 2019, MU saw an increase of more than 15% in new student enrollment over the 4,696 in the fall 2018 class.
Cartwright came to MU from the State University of New York, where he had served as provost and executive vice chancellor for about three years.
He told Florida trustees that one of his proudest accomplishments at MU was the launch of the Missouri Land Grant scholarship program, which covers tuition and fees for students who are Pell Grant-eligible.
Beverly Seay, chair of the Florida Board of Trustees, said in a statement that Cartwright “has a keen understanding of the role of a metropolitan public research university and the value of partnerships with industry. A perfect fit for the University of Central Florida.”
Choi said he will soon announce a transition plan for the campus, which last week went to online only classes to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
“We will continue to not only bring solutions to our current public health crisis, but also continue our pursuit of excellence in student success, research and engagement for the state of Missouri,” Choi said in a statement.
