National Search Underway for
New University Leadership

The Board of Trustees has begun interviewing candidates to serve as Interim President, who will be chosen by mid-January 2013. The Interim President would serve approximately six to 18 months during the national search for a permanent replacement.

Further information on the Presidential search process will be posted here as it becomes available.

Press Releases/News Articles

3/14/13 - Dr. James E. Lyons, Sr. Appointed Interim President of the University of the District of Columbia
1/7/13 - Letter from Chief Operating Officer
12/20/12 - Veteran Educator Chosen For University Leadership Position
12/19/12 - National Search Underway for New University Leadership

Frequently Asked Questions

Click on the frequently asked questions below to jump to the corresponding answer:

Q1. Why was Dr. Sessoms’ contract terminated?
Q2. Who will be the next President?
Q3. What is the status of the University? Is it in danger of closing?
Q4. Does the board have a defined vision that they will hire new leadership to execute? What is it?
Q5. What does this mean for students, faculty and staff?
Q6. I still have a question. What should I do?

Q1. Why was Dr. Sessoms’ contract terminated?
The Board of Trustees exercised a “no-cause” termination of the contract, which was set to expire August 31, 2013. In a statement issued by the Trustees, Chair Elaine Crider said, “We thank Dr. Sessoms for his work in guiding the University over the past four years. But as we grapple with the challenges of reducing staff and programs, continuing to improve our physical plant and attracting new students, the Board has decided to go in a different direction.”

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Q2. Who will be the next President?
The Board of Trustees has already begun a process to select new leadership. After a temporary replacement is put in place, Trustees will seek an Interim leader, who will serve until a national search for a permanent replacement is conducted and new leadership is selected.

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Q3. What is the status of the University? Is it in danger of closing?
The University is not in danger of closing. Operations are continuing as normal. The University is well-managed, and the top priority remains student achievement.

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Q4. Does the board have a defined vision that they will hire new leadership to execute? What is it?
The right sizing effort has given the University leadership, including Board members, managers, students, faculty and others, an opportunity to re-evaluate its position and purpose in the District of Columbia. The mission of the University has not changed.

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Q5. What does this mean for students, faculty and staff?
The board is committed to moving UDC forward. We are going through a series of challenging staff and curriculum cuts as part of the mandate by the D.C. Council. We are well aware of the angst that this causes, however the Board of Trustees feels that in order to emerge in the best position possible, we needed to move in a new direction. We remain committed to doing everything within our power to ensure that the mission of this University continues uninterrupted.

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Q6. I still have a question. What should I do?
Please submit your questions to UDC-Communications@udc.edu with a subject line of "Presidential Search Question" and we will respond as soon as possible, either directly via email or as a new FAQ on this web page.

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