Questions about future of Temple amid resignation of President Jason Wingard
"I think it was a surprise to the university community," said Ken Kaiser, the chief operating officer at Temple.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Questions are swirling after the surprise announcement on Tuesday that Dr. Jason Wingard would resign as president of Temple University.
"I think it was a surprise to the university community," said Ken Kaiser, the chief operating officer at Temple.
Kaiser now has to help lead the university that won't have a president as of Friday.
Dr. Wingard announced that he would resign at the end of the week. The embattled president lasted less than two years. He was embroiled in controversy from dropping enrollment, financial issues and a strike involving the graduate student union to surging crime around campus, and the murder of Temple police officer Christopher Fitzgerald in February.
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"I don't know if there was one thing he could have done, but it's definitely going to be a major focus as we move forward. That will be a major challenge for the next president," said Kaiser.
Dr. Wingard had also faced a vote of 'no confidence' from the faculty union in two weeks. Despite the announcement, that vote will move forward for two other leaders: the board chair Mitch Morgan and Provost Gregory Mandel.
"It was never about just one person for us, it was about some substantial concerns about the university," said Jeff Doshna, the president of the Temple Association of University Professionals (TAUP).
Doshna said he and the faculty were also caught off guard by Tuesday's announcement. He wants the board to include more stakeholders in the search and selection of the next president.
"I think that Temple deserves leadership that is committed to us being Philly's public university," Doshna said.
There is no firm timeline for selecting an interim president, but sources said it could happen in the coming weeks.
