Effective immediately, Dr. Gerard Clancy has stepped down from his position of president of the University of Tulsa, citing medical complications. The Board of Trustees designated Provost and Acting President Janet Levit as interim president.
This announcement follows the Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, Jan. 30, and comes in the wake of a sudden medical leave from Clancy that began on Jan. 17. According to a campus-wide email, the decision is due to the ongoing medical issues that prompted his leave of absence. Clancy will continue as a faculty member of the Oxley College of Health Sciences. This resignation is the latest development in a period of uncertainty primarily stemming from backlash surrounding the rollout of the University’s True Commitment plan.
Clancy’s three-year tenure as president has been defined in recent months by ongoing controversy, including a vote of no confidence from faculty and a student petition seeking a student-led confidence vote. It is unclear whether these instances contributed to his resignation.
In place of Levit, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives Tracy Manly has been designated as acting provost. Manly, a former accounting professor, has been an architect of True Commitment, both as a member of the PPRC and in her capacity as Vice Provost.
When asked for further detail, TU’s Offices of the Provost and Marketing declined to comment.
Additionally, the Board of Trustees announced, in the same email mentioned above, that they have passed a resolution stating that the university must attain a positive cash flow by fiscal year 2023. This decision is likely being made public due to the downgrading of the University of Tulsa’s bond rating in December of 2019.
