Temple University is in the latter stages of its search for a new president, which will be its fourth in just over a year, writes Ryan Mulligan for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

As a result, the stakes are very high for Temple to choose the right person to bring stability to the university.

Mitchell Morgan, chair of Temple’s board of trustees, noted he wants to hire a leader who will be in the job for at least a decade.

The last presidential term to span at least that long was Peter Liacouras, who served from 1982 to 2000.

In March 2023, Jason Wingard resigned from his presidency after a-year-and-a-half, losing much of the faculty support ahead of his departure.

JoAnne Epps then served as interim president before unexpectedly passing away five months later. She was succeeded by Richard Englert, who previously served as president from 2016 to 2021.

Dwindling enrollment, crime, and student safety are among several major concerns the university is seeking to address with its new president.

“This is the most important decision we are going to make as trustees, and we are going to get it right,” said Morgan.

He added that Temple’s search committee is now down to three to five finalists and an announcement is expected this spring.

Read more about Temple University’s search for a new president at the Philadelphia Business Journal. 

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