Thomas Studdert, the new associate vice president of student development who started at UP in mid-April, has left the University of Portland. The administration will begin searching for his replacement in early May.
Fr. John Donato, vice president for student affairs, said his goal is to fill the position by the beginning of the 2016-17 school year.
Donato did not reveal whether Studdert’s abrupt departure was voluntary or if it was related to recent campus discussions about racial inclusion. In an email response to Beacon questions, he did say, “I would want the University community to know that I am committed to finding a diverse pool of qualified candidates, as was the case in the recent search in which several of our finalist candidates were of diverse backgrounds.”
Studdert, the former associate dean of students at Texas Christian University, was hired just as pressure was mounting on the University to hire more women and people of color in upper administration. During an April 5 panel discussion sponsored by Black Lives Matter, students criticized the administration for the lack of diversity in hiring, especially after the departure of VP for University Relations, Laurie Kelley, the only female VP who has ever served in upper administration.
The Beacon has been unable to reach Studdert for comment.
Contact Editor-in-chief Malika Andrews at andrewsm17@up.edu or on Twitter @malika_andrews.
