MISSOULA — With the announcement of University of Montana President Seth Bodnar’s resignation, the board of regents for the school is left with high hopes, despite the announcement coming as a surprise.
“It's a little bit abrupt, but we'll deal with that aspect of it, too, and we'll move forward from here,” said Clayton Christian, commissioner of higher education for the Montana University System - the network that oversees the state’s higher education institutions.
Christian says that while the Board has spoken with Bodnar recently, the announcement came as a surprise.
They must determine who will lead UM.
“This announcement's new and it comes fairly quickly, but, we'll develop a process that we think will best suit the needs of the campus, and I think in my mind that is to figure out how to get a permanent hire made as soon as we possibly can to continue leading this institution forward,” said Christian.
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Bodnar’s announcement comes during Montana State University President Brock Tessman’s first year in charge in Bozeman. But Christian says the turnover of university presidents is not unique.
“Nationwide, the average tenure of a president now is four and a half years. So what we've seen is not uncommon. We probably, in Montana, have had more stable leadership than we could hope for. 15 years with President Crizado in Bozeman, and eight years now with President Bodner, that's well beyond the norm,” said Christian.
Overall, Christian adds there will be widespread impact as Bodnar steps down.
“He also oversees Montana Tech and UM Western. There are ongoing concerns, day-to-day operation, he's the president of those institutions as well. So, this impact will be felt pretty widely,” said Christian.
While President Bodnar may be leaving, the Board of Regents is happy with his performance and are excited for the future, as the resignation provides an opportunity for new avenues of leadership.
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