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USC President Carol Folt to step down at end of academic year
Carol Folt speaks after being named as University of Southern California's 12th president at the Town & Gown of USC building on Wednesday, March 20, 2019. (Damian Dovarganes/AP)
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Topline:
USC’s Carol Folt has announced she will end her presidency in July 2025.
The backstory: Folt was brought on in 2019 to usher in "a new era," following a series of high-profile scandals at the university that culminated with a massive college admissions bribery case. Soon after, Folt led the university through the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s been a long year: In May, USC’s faculty senate censured Folt and the provost after the university canceled the valedictorian's commencement address over alleged but unspecified safety concerns. USC also canceled its main commencement ceremony and faced off with numerous student encampments calling for an end to Israel's war effort in Gaza. Many students were arrested or suspended. And an LAist review of tax filings found donations have been dropping since 2021.
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What's next: USC’s Board of Trustees will be tasked with hiring a new president. Folt says she’ll explore opportunities as a tenured faculty member.
Go deeper: USC faculty censured their president, UCLA faculty might too. What does that mean?
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