Dixon Resigns

University President Barbara Dixon will step down from her position effective Oct. 15.

Her resignation, announced in a Tuesday morning press release, follows a three month discussion between Dixon and Truman's Board of Governors "regarding the goals and expectations for the future," according to the press release. Dixon said she has considered resigning for about a month.

Dixon's three-year contract was scheduled to go up for renewal June 30, 2009, but she said she asked to be released from it. The conversations leading to her resignation occurred in closed sessions of the Board and have no written record, she said.

"The results of the personnel actions that take place within the closed Board meetings are made public and so the public announcement is, 'I have resigned,'" Dixon said.

Dixon said she will not part from the Board on bad terms.

"This is not a terribly acrimonious kind of thing, but we've kind of come to the conclusion that we need to agree to disagree," she said.

Dixon said she understands the disruption her resignation will cause and that these sorts of transitions usually occur during the summer. The decision to leave was a difficult one, she said, but any such decision would be, such as when she left her position as provost and vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York at Geneseo to come to Truman.

"I really liked what I was doing there," Dixon said. "But I had another opportunity. But that didn't make resigning and leaving a place that I really loved any less difficult. It just meant there is more - life after, a new chapter."

Dixon said she did not come to Truman with any specific goals for what she wanted to do but that she and the Board of Governors have many joint projects that have been completed or have plans for completion. These goals, projects and accomplishments include Truman's comprehensive capital campaign, the hiring of a new vice president, changes to the make-up of the foundation board, campus building projects, stabilization of enrollment, the reorganization of departments and the creation of a staff council.

"It's really important to remember that presidents don't do any of this by themselves," she said. "Presidents may kind of lead the way, but if you don't have a great staff, and if you don't have great people doing the work along with you, you don't get anything done."

A frequent criticism of Dixon is that she doesn't spend enough time with students during campus events. But Dixon said students are at the top of her list of what she will miss when she leaves Truman.

"One of the nicest things about being a president is that it put me back in touch more with the students," she said. "It's been one of the more enjoyable aspects of my job."

Dixon said she came to Truman expecting this to be her last full-time job in higher education, and she does not anticipate that changing. She said she plans to move back to her home in Michigan after leaving Truman.

"For the first time in 40 years I don't have any plans," she said. "I've been in education for 40 years, and I don't have to work if I don't want to anymore, so I'm really not sure what I'm going to do. Possibly take a good vacation, take some time to consider some other opportunities."

Provost Troy Paino said he came to the University July 1 anticipating to work alongside Dixon, so he did not expect her resignation this early in the academic year. He said he thinks it's his responsibility to facilitate a smooth transition and that he's supported by reliable faculty and staff.

Paino said he thinks the University will move in a positive direction from here partly because Dixon helped prepare everyone in the case of a major shift in leadership.

"She told me really the sign of a strong president or an effective president is that you won't miss him or her when they leave," he said. "You've done enough to sort of build a strong team of leaders on campus. … She's very confident that the team she has helped put together is strong enough that we will carry on and not miss a beat, and I'm sure of that."

Mark Wasinger, Board of Governors vice chair, also said Dixon's parting occurs on friendly terms and that plans for an interim president are in the works.

"Several viable candidates or possibilities have been suggested and … we feel that those discussions will reach fruition by the end of the week, such as the Board feels the best person to act in that capacity will hopefully be on board by the end of the week," Wasinger said.

He said the process of selecting a new president is in its infancy.

"I anticipate having further discussion with the other board members to establish a committee … to conduct a search and to come up with viable possible replacements and to ultimately undertaking an interim process to hopefully get someone on board," he said. "We don't think that's going to be an instantaneous process because it's going to be done right the first time."

Additional reporting by Julie Williams